tax on furniture ordered from nc
sndrad
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (11)
jeff_c_2006
17 years agorealdreamer
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Where to order Brad-Youngor Classic Leather sofa on-line from NC
Comments (14)Normally if a local store is not competitive, there are one of two reasons: 1) The store owner has not adapted to current market conditions. Quite simply, as the profit margins move downward - and they have - they have not revised their business structure to capture sales that would otherwise go to out-of-area dealers. Some store owners insist on adhering to a margin-based price structure and will not adjust. The smart businessman NEVER lets a customer walk out to do business out-of-area. I know a number of store owners who are hard-headed and won't adapt. Its up to you, their local customer, to bring in a price quote and show them that they need to match it or you'll go elsewhere. If enough customers do that, they'll get the message. But if you never tell them, then they don't know. 2) Some furniture makers have a 2-tier price structure. Small stores don't get as large a discount from the maker as larger ones do. Typically its based on dollar-volume sold, or number of pieces put on the floor. So there is a chance that within a certain brand line that you local dealer is paying more for the goods than a larger, out-of-state discounter. This happens to me with Southwood Furniture as an example. My cost basis is 10 % less than the big store in the next county because they do more volume by accident than I do working hard at it. Still they get the volume price and I don't. Nevertheless, I adapt (being a savvy dealer!) and match price or go under them everyday. It results in thin margins, and it does not exactly make me want to invest in a lot of their product for the floor. Personally, I think it a bad policy from the makers as it tends to keep the little guys small regardless of how hard they work for the brand and limits floor exposure for their dealership network. Walk your best price into your local dealer and tell them in no uncertain terms they need to beat it. See what happens! Keep in mind however, that local sales tax is not something that your hometown store cannot waive and should be factored out when price shopping (the flip side of this is that these taxes do come back into your community infrastructure when you buy locally). Duane Collie...See MoreAnother nail in the coffin of NC furniture selling
Comments (10)This is too little, too late. Retail stores are closing left and right because of the North Carolina lowball pricing, and other 'internet' sellers, plus the invasion of cheap imports. What's happening to the furniture industry is the same thing that happened to the wallpaper business in the 90's. The discounters ran the retailers out of business, and then soon the consumer had no where to shop the papers (and then call the 800 line discounter). The entire domestic wallpaper market collapsed. North Carolina discounters can sell for less mainly because commercial property is cheap in North Carolina, and they freight from the plants with their own trucks. Their overhead is lower, so they can sell lower - counting on the consumer to use their local neighborhood stores to make their selections. Some will say that's fair competition, and they would be right. However, your local guy can't stay in business if he's used as showroom just so folks to shop in North Carolina Remember that your local guy pays a lot of taxes in your community, supports your schools, and spends HIS money in your area. When you lose a retailer, it affects your community more that you might think. Just yesterday I spent 2 hours with a customer on a bedding set. She decides what she wants, then goes home and gets on the internet. Calls me up later and tells me I have a very good price but there's a place in North Carolina that will do it for the same price but she doesn't have to pay sales tax from them. So either I eat another 5%, or she buys from them. Well, I can't cheat on sales tax, so I have to agree to do that to keep the sale. One more margin in the toilet. I personally am fed up with the furniture business. Seems the pressure on price from the customer is greater now than it has ever been, yet my county and state taxes increase every year, as does my rent and insurance. Trying to raise a family and put two kids through school is very, very hard on what one can make in this business. Last year I cut my prices to the bone to try to meet discounter's and wound up with so little profit that I can make a higher wage driving a UPS truck. I'm all for Minimum Selling Prices. That at least allows us in the business to maintain an average standard of living in a very tight, very competitive market....See MoreEnglishman's Interiors Furniture Direct from NC?
Comments (2)I don't necessarily agree with the poster above. If you were to purchase an item from a commonly sold brand such as lets say Basset, the item which is a know quality can be picked up by a white glove delivery service and shipped directly to your home. Some of the delivery services even provide deluxing. You may sacrifice some potential service for lets say a small scratch but on the other hand you may save hundreds of dollars. Actually today there is a pretty good network of nationwide repair companies that for the most part the delivery company or the retailer will pay for if you do need service and you are well protected by your CC. Look at the Furniture Repair Hotline for example for nationwide furniture repair referrals. Look at the success of Amazon and let me site you an example. I wanted a cable that would run from my laptop to my flat screen but I don't have the newest laptop and needed a special cable and I wanted a 25' cable. I went to Best Buy and Staples and they each had a 10 foot cable for around $50, not what I wanted. I went online and found the cable, the 25' foot one I wanted for around $10 and had it in 2 days delivered to my house and ordered in about 2 minutes. Buying online is not for everyone but if you are so inclined you can save a lot of money. In my experience today most of these purchase work out well or the companies don't stay in business. I see nothing wrong with trying Englishmen's interiors be they in Texas, Idaho or wherever they are. If you want to go local to a large retailer that is a customers prerogative. They both have benefits....See MoreOrdering furniture from NC/Acknowledgement Number
Comments (0)Has anyone asked and received an acknowledgement number (given to the furn store after placing an order with furn mfr) when placing an order through the furniture stores in NC/SC? With the economy in a slump, I had done some reading about ordering furniture out of state, checking credit report of furniture company and mfr., etc., and how to avoid losing money, the company folding, etc. The article recommended asking for the acknowledgement number when the order is placed so if the customer does not get satisfaction from the furniture company in terms of a delivery date, or if the delivery is longer than expected or was told, you can contact the furniture mfr., to check the status. This was also suggested since you then know if the order was, in fact, placed, and the furn. store is not holding up your order for whatever reason. I have placed an order and asked for the ack. numbers and the rep questioned "why would I want that information - no one has ever asked for the ack. number." I explained my reason (wanting to be sure the order has been placed and the furn company is still in business, and he assured me the company is in good standing, etc.) I have yet to receive these numbers for either of the furniture mfrs. from the furniture store. I have the deposit on my credit card, so i feel ok about that, but am annoyed that the store is not sending me the ack. number. If armed with this information, I certainly dont plan to call the furn. mfrs. about my order, but if after 16 weeks I do not have it and the store cannot provide a legitimate explanation, i would have recourse. I realize the furn. store prob doesnt wish to share the ack. number for that reason - that the customer will be contacting the mfrs. Should I continue to push for this information? Your thoughts?...See Moresndrad
17 years ago
Larry Wasson
17 years agojulien
17 years agomustangs81
17 years agogoldgirl
17 years agomogator88
17 years agosmile
17 years ago
Dioxazine Violet
11 months ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDESHow to Bring Order to Your Delightfully Eclectic Room
You've picked up your furniture and finds over the years — here's how to tie it all together
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDES6 Must-Know Lessons From a Serial Renovator
Get your remodel right the first time, with this insight from an architect who's been there too many times to count
Full Story
FUN HOUZZEverything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey
Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5
Full Story
SMALL SPACESLife Lessons From 10 Years of Living in 84 Square Feet
Dee Williams was looking for a richer life. She found it by moving into a very tiny house
Full Story
FEEL-GOOD HOMEWhat Really Makes Us Happy at Home? Find Out From a New Houzz Survey
Great design has a powerful impact on our happiness in our homes. So do good cooking smells, family conversations and, yes, big-screen TVs
Full Story
CONTRACTOR TIPS6 Lessons Learned From a Master Suite Remodel
One project yields some universal truths about the remodeling process
Full Story
HEALTHY HOME6 Tips From a Nearly Zero-Waste Home
Lower your trash output and increase your quality of life with these ideas from a mom who did it to the max
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESAn Expat’s Guide to Making a Home Away From Home
How do you stay balanced when each foot is in a different culture? You take a stand where you hang your hat
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: From Shocker to Stunner in Houston
Once moldy and decrepit, this 1920s bungalow is now a neighborhood gem
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSDesign Lessons From a 10-Foot-Wide Row House
How to make a very narrow home open, bright and comfortable? Go vertical, focus on storage, work your materials and embrace modern design
Full Story
Golfergal216