CINCINNATI — It's getting tough to keep track of all the shortages these days, from lumber to computer chips to new cars to furniture.
The good news is that when it comes to furniture, there are ways to avoid a lengthy wait.
Melissa Taylor told us earlier this year about her new couch nightmare at her Anderson Township home.
She was waiting over six months for what was supposed to be a six-week wait.
"They haven't even started production on my couch, so here I am just waiting," she said. Luckily, Taylor finally got her delivery.
But if you don't want to spend months with an empty living room, your best friend right now might be a local furniture store, as opposed to a big web retailer.
Local store offers tips for fast delivery
Pam Machenheimer is design director of a retro furniture store, Algin Furnitureon Main Street in Downtown Cincinnati.
"Folks are coming in, after visiting other stores," she said, "asking why they can't get a sofa for 28 weeks or 30 weeks or six months."
"The problem is that there's almost no stock in the warehouses," she said. "Things have ceased to come in from other countries."
Even if you buy American made, she says, that's no guarantee you will get a couch in a couple of weeks.
"The American factories are suffering shortages of foam and even some fabrics," she said.
But she says locally owned stores will go the extra mile to make sure the kitchen set or couch you want is available, such as showing you fabrics that are available right now.
Her store will even sell floor models, unlike many chains. She'll also give you a loaner couch while you are waiting.
"We can offer a loaner so they are not in their apartment with nothing to sit on," she said.
So her advice?
- Ask what is in stock at their local warehouse.
- See if you can buy the floor model.
- If they need to special order it, with custom fabric, make sure the factory is in the U.S. and not China.
- Ask about a free loaner couch.
So before you click online to save a few bucks on a kitchen set, couch or chair, check some local furniture retailers.
Like going to the farmer for fresh milk, you will have a local face to talk to, and chances are they'll do their best to take care of you.
Some locally-owned Cincinnati area furniture stores include:
Algin Retro Furniture
Furniture Fair
High Street
Alzar Studio
Muenchen's Furniture, Hamilton
Sacksteders
As always, don't waste your money.
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