Heritage & Local Living

When Is the Best Time to Buy Furniture Sales in 2026

best time to buy furniture sales furniture sales

If you’re wondering when to get the best deal on furniture, let’s get right to it: The best times to find furniture sales are typically late winter (January-February) and late summer (August-September). Think of it as a seasonal wardrobe change for your home.

Your Quick Guide to Furniture Sale Seasons

Much like the fashion world, the furniture industry moves in a predictable rhythm. New styles and collections tend to arrive in our showrooms in the spring and fall.

To make way for these fresh designs, retailers clear out the previous season’s inventory. This is what creates those fantastic savings opportunities for shoppers who know when to look. The most significant markdowns of the year happen twice, once in January/February and again in August/September.

Of course, you can’t always put your life on hold for a sale. Inspiration for a new living room or a dining set that finally brings everyone together can strike at any time. At Willis Furniture, we believe in helping you act on that inspiration the moment it happens.

While seasonal events offer deep discounts, true value means having beautiful options available year-round. We are not just a store; we are a legacy brand that makes high-end living accessible whenever you’re ready to elevate your home.

This timeline gives you a great visual for those two main sale seasons, which are driven by that all-important inventory turnover.

A furniture sales timeline infographic showing seasonal events: Winter, Spring, and Summer sales.

Because these sales are predictable, you can plan your major purchases around late winter and late summer to find some of the year's best prices.

For a quick reference, here’s a simple calendar to help you plan.

Furniture Buying Calendar At a Glance

Time of Year Best For Reason
January/February All Furniture Stores clear out old stock for new spring arrivals.
Late Spring/Early Summer Outdoor Furniture Retailers are making a final push before the season ends.
August/September All Furniture New fall collections are coming in, so last season's pieces are on sale.
October/November Dining Room Furniture Getting homes ready for holiday gatherings.

This calendar gives you a great starting point, but remember, timing isn't everything.

At Willis, we've built our reputation on making luxury accessible every single day. If you're looking for budget-friendly decor, you can explore a curated selection of incredible pieces at our Willis Outlet, which features beautiful floor models and overstock items at exceptional prices.

And if you’ve fallen in love with a premium piece from an iconic brand like Barclay Butera, our flexible financing options make it possible to bring it home right away.

So while the calendar is a useful guide, the absolute best time to buy is when you find a piece you truly love. To learn more about making smart purchases any time of year, check out our guide on how to find end-of-season furniture finds you'll love year-round.

Navigating the Annual Furniture Sales Calendar

If you want to find incredible savings, it helps to know the rhythm of the retail world. Think of the annual furniture sales calendar as your personal treasure map. The industry moves in a predictable cycle, with new collections arriving in our showroom twice a year. For a savvy shopper, that rhythm creates some fantastic opportunities.

It's a lot like your favorite clothing boutique clearing out winter coats to make way for spring dresses. We do the same thing, discounting beautiful existing inventory to welcome new styles. This turnover happens like clockwork, creating two major sale seasons you can always count on.

Winter Clearance Events

The first big sale window swings open right after the new year. From January through February, we're focused on clearing out last year’s collections to prepare for the arrival of fresh spring designs.

This is a phenomenal time to find deals on just about everything, from spacious living room sectionals to entire bedroom sets. As we make space on the floor, you'll see significant markdowns on pieces that were full-price just a few weeks earlier.

The Spring Refresh

As the weather gets warmer around April and May, the focus naturally shifts to the outdoors. This is when brand-new patio and outdoor collections make their debut. While the very latest arrivals will be at full price, it’s a great time to find any remaining outdoor stock from the previous year.

This is also when that urge to bring a lighter, brighter feel inside really hits. When you see a new spring design trend you love, don't just admire it—make it your own. Our in-house Design Center can help you customize a new piece with coastal-inspired fabrics that perfectly capture that Virginia Beach aesthetic, turning a simple purchase into a personal statement.

A new season is the perfect excuse to refresh your space. Whether it’s a bold new color or a custom fabric, we believe in turning inspiration into a tangible part of your home.

Late Summer's Main Event

The second, and often largest, sale season of the year happens in late summer, from August through September. This is when we prepare our showroom for the arrival of new fall and holiday collections.

To make room, we’ll deeply discount our spring and summer inventory. It's the perfect time to finally bring home that sofa or dining set you've been eyeing all year.

Fall and Pre-Holiday Promotions

Finally, as we head into October and November, our sales often shift to helping you prepare your home for guests. You’ll find promotions centered on dining room furniture and comfortable seating, making sure your home is ready for holiday entertaining.

You can always check our current promotions to see how we're making it easier to get your home holiday-ready. By keeping this annual furniture sales calendar in mind, you can plan your purchases and bring your design goals to life for less.

Using Holiday Sales to Your Advantage

While the major seasonal clearances in late winter and late summer offer incredible value, holiday weekends are like focused sprints in the furniture world. These are the moments when you can find exceptional pricing on specific pieces, as we tailor our promotions to what’s on everyone’s mind.

Think of it as a specialty market—each holiday has its own star products. Knowing this rhythm allows you to strategically time your shopping for exactly what your home needs.

The Major Holiday Sale Events

Presidents' Day (February): This is the year’s first major sales event, and it has become famous for wonderful deals on upholstered furniture and mattresses. As new collections begin to fill the showroom, you’ll find remarkable prices on sofas, sectionals, and recliners from the previous season.

Memorial Day (May): Marking the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day weekend is the prime time to find outdoor furniture. It’s when we unveil our most significant promotions on patio sets, lounge chairs, and outdoor dining tables—perfect for getting your home ready for warm-weather gatherings.

Labor Day (September): This holiday serves as the grand finale to the late-summer clearance season. You can expect to find some of the year's best discounts across nearly all indoor furniture as we make a final push to clear out summer inventory and welcome the fall collections.

Black Friday (November): Once focused on electronics, Black Friday now embraces almost every corner of retail, including fine furniture. Look for store-wide promotions, especially on significant pieces like living room sets and dining tables, to prepare your home for holiday entertaining. You can even find inspiration for how to make small furniture changes that make a big impact this holiday season.

Making High-End Living Accessible

At Willis Furniture, we believe your dream home shouldn't be put on hold for a holiday. Making luxury accessible is central to "The Willis Standard"—we’re dedicated to bridging the gap between inspiration and reality, every single day.

Your home's transformation is a journey, not just a transaction. While holiday sales are wonderful opportunities, our goal is to empower you to create a space you love whenever you're ready.

During these holiday events, we often feature special financing promotions that enhance the value beyond a simple discount. These offers can make it possible to bring home premium brands like Stressless or Barclay Butera with a comfortable, manageable payment plan.

This approach ensures that even the most aspirational pieces are within reach, allowing you to invest in true quality without compromising your budget. Whether it’s a holiday weekend or a quiet Tuesday, our team is here to help you find the perfect piece—and the perfect payment option to go with it.

Insider Secrets for Finding Year-Round Deals

While the big holiday sales get all the attention, some of the absolute best furniture deals are hiding in plain sight, available any day of the year. These aren't the deals you'll see splashed across big banners; they're the reward for shoppers who know the subtle rhythms of the furniture business.

If you can learn to look beyond the brand-new, in-season collections, you'll find incredible opportunities. A showroom floor is always changing, and there are constant reasons for beautiful furniture to get a price cut outside of a major event. Knowing what to look for gives you a serious advantage, no matter when you shop.

A retail store scene with a 'FLOOR MODEL' couch, 'CLEARANCE' sign, and 'RUG MARKET' display at 'Willis Outlet'.

Go Beyond the Advertised Sales

One of the best-kept secrets in the industry is shopping for floor models. These are the beautiful pieces you see and touch in our showroom every day. When we refresh our displays or a manufacturer discontinues a particular model, those floor samples are often sold at a fantastic discount. They may show minor signs of being on display, but it’s an amazing way to get high-quality, budget-friendly decor for a fraction of the cost.

It also pays to understand how vendor product cycles work. Manufacturers are always updating their catalogs with new fabrics and finishes. When that happens, we often clear out the remaining stock of an outgoing style. If you’re not hung up on getting the absolute latest release, you can walk away with a premium piece for so much less. Knowing how to save money on bedding is another key part of this strategy, helping you spot value year-round.

The smartest shoppers know that true value isn't just about a sale date. It's about finding the right opportunity, and those opportunities happen every day at the Willis Outlet.

Your Destination for Hidden Gems

We created the Willis Outlet specifically for this kind of smart shopping. It isn’t a dusty, forgotten corner of the store. It’s a carefully curated space filled with floor samples, overstocks, and one-of-a-kind pieces that deliver the quality we’re known for at truly exceptional prices. For anyone looking to make their budget go further, the Willis Outlet is a treasure hunt for high-end living.

Inside the Outlet, you'll also find one of Hampton Roads' best-kept secrets: our massive Rug Market. A perfect rug can be the soul of a room, but authentic, hand-knotted pieces often come with a serious price tag. Our Rug Market changes that, offering an unbelievable collection of artisan and unique rugs at prices you simply won't find anywhere else. It’s just another way we make a designer look attainable for our customers.

For more insights, check out our guide on how to shop for furniture smartly.

A Smarter Way to Shop for Your Next Mattress

A mattress is one of the biggest investments you'll make in your home, and more importantly, in your own well-being. While it's tempting to focus only on timing the best time to buy furniture sales, a truly smart approach looks past the price tag. The real goal isn't just finding a cheap mattress—it's about finding the right one for you.

A person lies on a mattress with a tablet showing a 'BedMatch' system results with a green checkmark.

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of terms like 'hybrid,' 'innerspring,' and 'memory foam.' Think of it this way: a hybrid mattress simply combines supportive coils with comfort foam layers, much like a great recipe uses different ingredients to get the perfect flavor. Memory foam, on the other hand, is all about contouring to your body for pressure relief, creating a cradle of personalized support.

From Guesswork to Science with BedMatch

Instead of just guessing which mattress feels right, what if science could give you the answer? That’s exactly what our BedMatch technology is designed to do. It cuts through the confusion of mattress shopping by using hard data to find your perfect fit.

Here’s a quick look at how it works:

  • You’ll spend just a few minutes lying on a diagnostic test bed.
  • Using 18 statistical measurements and more than 1,000 scientific calculations, the system analyzes your unique body and sleep style.
  • BedMatch then gives you a simple, color-coded recommendation that pinpoints the exact level of postural support your body needs.

This process completely changes the game. It shifts your focus from "what's on sale?" to "what's right for my body?" This is how we bridge the gap between wanting better sleep and actually getting it. Of course, a great mattress needs a great foundation. For anyone wondering about their bed setup, this definitive guide to mattress support is a fantastic resource for understanding if you need a box spring.

A great night's sleep is the foundation of a great day. Our BedMatch system ensures you invest in lasting comfort and wellness, not just a new mattress.

Even after you've found your perfect match, we know that budget matters. That's why we offer flexible financing options all year long, so you never have to put a price on your health. You can bring home the right mattress for you, right when you need it.

Ready to find your perfect sleep solution? Dive deeper with The Ultimate Guide for Choosing a Mattress.

The Willis Furniture Advantage in Virginia Beach

It's one thing to know the best national sales cycles, but it's another to have a trusted partner right here in Virginia Beach. We've talked about the calendar rhythms and holiday events, but the real secret to creating a home you love is finding someone who makes the process simple and enjoyable, any day of the year. This is where we come in.

This guide is about more than just timing a purchase; it's about making choices that feel right. Have you spotted a coastal design trend you adore? Our in-house Design Center is where that inspiration takes shape. We help you sort through beautiful fabrics and finishes to bring your vision to life, turning a great idea into a perfectly finished room.

Accessible Luxury, Every Day

We’ve always believed that a beautifully designed home should be within reach. Our legacy is built on connecting people with premium brands they can live with and love.

  • Found a Piece You Can't Live Without? If you fall for a stunning dining set from a premium brand like Barclay Butera, you shouldn't have to wait. Our flexible financing options make it possible to bring home quality pieces on your own timeline, not just during a sale.

  • Love the Thrill of the Hunt? For those who appreciate amazing, budget-friendly decor, the Willis Outlet is your year-round secret. It’s filled with incredible deals on floor models, overstock, and one-of-a-kind pieces that deliver our signature quality for less.

"At Willis, we are more than a store; we are a partner in creating your perfect home. Our mission is to make the legacy of fine furniture a part of your family’s story."

The Final, Flawless Step

The last step in your journey should feel as considered as the first. We've all experienced the drop-and-run delivery from a big-box store or online-only retailer. That isn't our way.

Our dedicated white-glove delivery service ensures every detail is handled with care. Each piece is thoroughly inspected, carefully assembled, and placed exactly where you envision it. It's a seamless, stress-free finish that truly honors the investment you've made in your home. Consider this our invitation to experience the Willis difference—and find a true partner in furnishing the life you love.

Your Furniture Shopping Questions, Answered

Even with a plan, a few questions always come up when you’re looking for that perfect piece. We’ve put together some guidance on the most common ones to help you shop with confidence.

Can You Negotiate Furniture Prices?

While the prices on our newest, in-season collections are firm, you can often find incredible value on floor models or items in our clearance section. At Willis, though, our goal is to provide honest, transparent value from the start, so you never have to wonder if you’re getting a fair price.

That’s exactly why we created the Willis Outlet. It’s our dedicated space for offering amazing, budget-friendly decor every single day on floor samples, overstocks, and other unique finds. We also offer flexible financing options to make investing in the brands you love more accessible.

How Often Should I Replace My Mattress?

The general rule of thumb is every 7-10 years, but the true answer lies in how you feel. If you’re waking up with new aches and pains, or if you can see noticeable sagging and lumps, it’s time to start looking. A great mattress is an investment in your well-being.

Instead of guessing, you can let our BedMatch technology do the work. It’s a scientific system that uses 18 statistical measurements and thousands of calculations to pinpoint your body’s unique support needs. This ensures your next mattress isn’t just comfortable, but a durable, long-lasting choice that’s truly right for you.

Is It Better to Buy Furniture Online or In-Store?

Shopping online is great for browsing, but nothing can replace the experience of seeing and feeling furniture in person. A showroom is where you can really appreciate the quality of the craftsmanship, feel the texture of a fabric, and know for sure if a sofa’s comfort is right for you.

When you visit our Virginia Beach showroom, you get to experience premium brands like Stressless firsthand and talk with our design team. Because we're a legacy brand that believes in making high-end living accessible, our team can show you our financing options to make owning a piece from a premium brand more attainable. You also get access to in-store exclusives, like our BedMatch system, that simply can’t be replicated online.


At Willis Furniture & Mattress, we're here to help you create a home you absolutely love with pieces designed to last. Visit our showroom or explore our collections online to get started.

Discover the Willis Furniture Advantage Today