The recent spate of furniture closures and bankruptcies left some shoppers out in the cold.


Even industry experts were blind-sided.

“Who would have thought that Rose Furniture or Wood Armfield would be going out of business?” said Mike Pierce, director of communications and public relations for the National Home Furnishings Association in High Point.

“A few years ago, no one would have considered that.”

Yet Rose announced earlier this month plans to close after 81 years of business. That news came on the heels of a July bankruptcy filing from 67-year-old Wood Armfield. And the closing of Thomasville’s Holton Fine Furniture & Accessories earlier this year.

Industry execs cite a number of reasons for such failures: Imports. Overseas competition. Time. Money. Low-cost contenders.

And a changing consumer, who sometimes values quick delivery over quality and shopping around over buying local.

Not that there’s anything wrong with checking out the market. In fact, consumer advocates and experts encourage shoppers to do just that when making major purchases from stores in this volatile industry.

Whether you’re buying a few things to get by or making a lifelong commitment to a sofa, here are a few things you should know before shopping:

Don’t know much about the retailer? Then check the store’s performance history with the Better Business Bureau. This group fields consumer complaints and keeps records on a variety of businesses. And all that information is available, for free, on the Internet.

Check out the area BBB at www.greensboro.bbb.org.

Your local chamber of commerce or merchants’ association also is a great resource for finding out more about stores.

• Contact the furniture manufacturer to find out whether the retailer is an authorized dealer, recommends Pauline Morrison, local BBB president.

• Check out stores online, and go beyond the retailer’s Web site. Running a simple search can yield a trove of information on a store — including comments from shoppers.

A word of caution, though:

“You don’t know what kind of a bias or predisposition somebody may have,” Pierce says. “I always look at that stuff with sort of a jaundiced eye.”

• Shop around. This isn’t always easy, as a number of longtime discount and traditional retailers don’t post their prices online. But that just requires you to do some legwork.

Spend a Saturday hitting the stores, and take a pen and note pad with you. Don’t just look at price — check out quality and talk to salespeople. Also look at the forms of payment a store accepts, and determine whether those work for you.

And you increasingly can double-check prices online, as more traditional retailers are moving to put those details on the Web.

• Get to know the store. You’re making a major financial commitment here, so treat it accordingly. That will take time, but in the end, you’ll be better off buying from someone with a sturdy reputation than an Internet retailer who might not come through.

• Use credit. Putting your purchase on a card will give you recourse if the goods aren’t delivered. You can challenge the charge through your credit-card company, and you’re likely to get your money back.

Some longtime retailers don’t accept credit cards. That doesn’t mean they’re not trustworthy — it’s just the way they’ve always done business. This, also, seems to be slowly changing.

• Make sure you understand return policies and read the fine print on the back of the receipt. And keep your receipt — that’s just common sense.

• Realize that delivery dates aren’t always firm. It could take a while for your furniture to arrive, particularly if it’s an import item or is coming from the manufacturer. Be patient with the process, and keep in touch with the retailer.

• Take complaints to the BBB, which can help you until a retailer closes or goes bankrupt. At that point, you’ll be better off consulting a lawyer.

Harris Teeter adds money transfers

Harris Teeter will soon offer Western Union money-transfer services in stores. Shoppers will be able to send and receive money, send bill payments, purchase money orders or load money on a prepaid MasterCard while buying groceries.

The Matthews-based grocer hopes to finish the rollout by Nov. 8.

Christmas is in the air

The Saltbox will hold its 22nd annual Christmas open house from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5.

The store’s collection will feature guest artist John Jamieson, a creator of vintage-inspired decorations that have been featured in magazines including “Better Homes and Gardens.”

Visit the Saltbox at State Street Station — 2017 Golden Gate Drive in Greensboro. Or call 273-8758.

Do you have retail news for Michelle Jarboe? Call 373-7075 or send e-mail to mjarboe@news-record.com