Tulips in my Salvation Army shop jug
I can't remember the last time I bought a piece of new furniture, apart from the occasional piece of Ikea for the boys' bedrooms. But we have just finished having our bathroom refitted and I needed a tall, skinny cupboard to make the most of a very odd little corner space. The only one I could find was in Next Home. I thought it was very expensive for what it is (a pile of MDF), but I couldn't think of a way round my storage problem, so today I set out to purchase it.
I arrived at the large, new out of town store to find the Home department deserted. After about 20 minutes a pleasant man said he could not help me but would try to find someone who could. Another 15 minutes passed and a lovely Australian lady said she would go to the store room and find my tall cupboard. "We have got loads of them!" she said. "You can't move for them back there!"
Another ten minutes passed. A different assistant came. Bad news. No cupboards left.
"You sold them all!" I said.
"No, I sent them all back," she explained. "We have nowhere to store them."
"But...you're a shop. You are a very big shop...."
"We don't carry any large stock," she said. "Where would we put it all! Imagine if we had all those wardrobes and beds back there...."
"I just thought...that's what furniture shops did. Sold big things."
"You might be able to order it," she said uncertainly. "But it won't be here until next week...."
To add insult to injury, the cupboard is self assembly, so I've got that to look forward to as well.
It's vintage all the way for me from now on. Friendly service, great prices, fully assembled, and if I don't like it, I can repaint it with no qualms about the cost.
Lovely colour jug!
ReplyDeleteI had similar problems buying bedroom furniture for my daughter from the same seller. Their windows for delivery were quite wide and when things came they either had bits missing and needed to be sent back or had scratches and needed to be returned, requiring me to wait in for collection too. It is nice furniture, and I agree quite expensive, but the hassle made me vow to never buy furniture there again.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting that you had a similar experience. I must stress that the staff were nothing but pleasant, it was just the strange policy of not actually carrying the stock they are displaying that puzzled me.
DeleteWell said! I feel the same, the quality is much better, and its unique too! :) x
ReplyDeleteI agree, you can't beat vintage stores for quality in furniture! As a newlywed I bought our dining room furniture from a Lifeline shop because I didn't have a choice due to lack of funds. More than 40 years on, we are still using these pieces which have never needed repair and which, now in our retirement, are very fitting to our country lifestyle. We find it a little amusing that our friends who had the money to buy 1970 furniture IN the 1970's era now envy our "antique" dining room furniture which back then had them feeling sorry for us "having to start out married life with old stuff"!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great story. How lovely that you are still using and enjoying your furniture today. It just confirms my view that vintage/antique is vastly superior in every way.
DeleteSuper jug, keep the faith and I am sure a suitable storage solution will turn up.
ReplyDelete