Function

• Outlets provide a convenient way for furniture manufacturers and retailers to sell their overstocked, damaged, or slightly used display pieces all in one location. Outlet stores are geared toward bargain shoppers, while the more expensive retail showroom space can be reserved for the higher end, pristine pieces for shoppers who have more money to spend and for whom perfect furniture is a must.
  
  

Types

• Manufacturers outlets: Furniture is placed in outlet stores by manufacturers who want to sell pieces that have been damaged during the manufacturing process, or perhaps the piece was assembled or finished a little differently than it should have been. These pieces can also be overruns by manufacturers.
  Retail outlets: Retailers have outlet stores where overstock is placed, old display pieces that have been damaged, returned pieces, or pieces that have been damaged in shipment.
  Hotel surplus: Hotel chains sometimes have surplus furniture that is sold in outlet stores. When a hotel renovates and buys all new furniture, the old furniture is sold in outlet stores.
  Used furniture: manufacturers, retailers, hotels, offices, restaurants, and other businesses all sell used furniture in outlet stores.
  Office furniture: Damaged, overruns, overstocks, display pieces and returns are sold by manufacturers and retailers.
  
  

Features

• When shopping for outlet furniture, take your time to inspect each piece carefully that you are interested in. Look carefully at the surface of wooden pieces for scratches, dents, and uneven finishing. Look even more carefully for more serious problems, such as wobbling, cracks, torn upholstery, and other damage that could shorten the life of the piece significantly. When buying sofas and chairs from an outlet store, always check the condition of the frame to make certain it is not cracked. If you are handy with a screwdriver, hammer, paintbrush or needle, these problems might not concern you. It might be economically wise to save a considerable chunk of cash on something you can repair and improve yourself. But, if you are not the handy type, save your money for the pieces that have only surface damage, and leave the pieces needing more extensive repair to the craftsmen.
  
  

Considerations

• Rarely is a piece of outlet furniture in perfect, pristine condition. Once in a while, the overstock or overrun pieces are perfect, but are not as popular as the manufacturer or retailer thought they would be. First, make sure they are not damaged. Then determine why they did not sell. Is there a characteristic that hampers functionality? Is there a safety problem? Is there something lacking in aesthetic value? Or was it simply a miscalculation by the retailer or manufacturer?
  
  

Warning

• Before buying a piece from an outlet store, ask about return policies, guarantees, and warranties in case the piece does not perform as expected. These policies will likely not be as extensive as those in the new furniture showroom, but they should be fair and reasonable, particularly where safety is concerned.