Customer Reviews
Outdated 
2007-08-04
Although I knew the copyright on the book was 2003, I bought the book and went shopping in NC in June 2007. A lot of the retailers are gone. I was looking forward to shopping at Rose and Utility Craft and both were closed for business. Blacks has moved. Furnitureland South has 1 million sq. feet of furniture and a good place to look, but prices were better at Blacks. Also be careful because a lot of the furniture is not from NC, but from Asia. This book was probably helpful years ago, but now is very outdated.
Savings are Overrated 
2006-03-07
I agree with a couple of previous reviewers that this book is a bit dated now and to check specifics before making the trip. I used this book before my first trip to shop High Point, and have made two subsequent trips. I agree that the savings are not that great, and if you have to ship, plus now pay tax, you will probably not save over your local retailer. I priced a Henredon bed and dresser at Boyle's, and my local store quoted the exact same price. In the end, Boyle's offered a 10% discount, free shipping (as they should on the amount I was spending) and no tax, so I saved a bit over my local store who would not offer a 10% reduction, but it was probably a wash after the trip expenses. You may save more if you live in an extremely price-inflated area. On the flip-side, you can indeed look, touch, and feel an incredibly wide variety of furniture in one day. Sitting on that couch that you are spending a couple of grand on cannot replace ordering it from your local retailer's catalog sight unseen. Second, if you live in a more rural area like I do - we have only one good furniture store - you get a much better idea of what is available to you. This book gives you some good basic information on the stores and the lines they carry. I agree with other reviewers that the service is not that great at most stores. I have never been able to get anyone to give me "design help" and the sales staff at most places will clearly size you up based on appearance, so if you want serious help, dress like you have some money to spend. Otherwise they are just order-takers. Be sure to visit manufacturer websites before you go to narrow down what you are looking for.
Very Soft on Rating Customer Service 2006-02-11
I used this book to shop for furniture in the High Point area. It was useful in locating stores and in knowing what product lines each store offered. There are two main problems I have; (1) I think the savings are overstated - it is probably more in the area of 20 percent off, and (2) I think the author was uninformed or else very soft on rating the customer service side of things. The salespeople treat you like family (as stated in this book) when they are trying to make the sale, but for me, that was where the good customer service ended. I bought almost all of my furniture at Rose Furniture. They were very helpful and responsive until after some items arrived damaged. That is where all the competence and responsiveness ended. If you read Ms. Shapiro's review of Rose Furniture, she only talks about how wonderful the sales people are - she offers no information about treatment after the sale. I think this is a huge oversight. What you want in a furniture retailer is good service - this is all they do. They don't build furniture, they service the customer. I waited 5 months for my order to be delivered - Rose estimates an 8 to 10 week delivery timeframe. Rose Furniture would consistently tell me something that just wasn't true. After waiting 5 months for my items, one of the items would not even function properly and was covered with some dark, gummy substance - all over the finish. I refused delivery and I'm seeking a refund. Rose Furniture has a condescending way of dealing with people that is very aggravating. They have a pleasant exterior appearance while all the time they could care less.
not very helpful 2005-11-15
I just returned from a trip to NC for furniture having purchased this book as a guide. As it turned out, the book was not very helpful and I wasted a lot of time by relying on its recommendations. For starters, it's very outdated and the author's website for updates is no longer online. Many of the recommendations are based on the author's personal opinions without explanations that readers could use to judge for themselves. She lists her favorite stores and downplays others without providing a basis for her reasoning. Much of the information provided on the various dealers is straight out of the stores' marketing materials. There are a few useful tips scattered through the book but overall it wasn't very helpful.
As far as whether NC is worth the trip- it IS, but only if you are already looking to buy very high quality name brand furniture (pieces that typically are special ordered in your pick of fabrics and finishes). NC is not a great place to go if you're shopping primarily based on budget. You aren't going to find very low priced furniture, but if you were already prepared to pay $4000 for a leather Natuzzi couch from a local retailer, it's worth the trip to save 40% on it. If budget is your most important criteria, you're better off at IKEA or a local retailer that carries lesser known manufacturers catering to a lower price point. Just from personal experience, we did great at Furnitureland South- AMAZING selection and service in one stop. This author had little good to say about FLS but her hands-down favorite- Rose Furniture- was a total bomb- rotten service, cramped showroom and so-so selection.
The book is good, the savings are not 
2005-09-30
My wife and I decided to make a trip to NC for our 10th wedding anniversary. Figured since we were going to spend the money to go someplace anyway, we'd go figure out the NC furniture mysteries. This book was a great guide to helping us plan the trip. As for the contents, it is everything you need. But, make sure to update the store hours via the web or phone calls before you travel. Many of the stores had changed hours/days. In fact, one location that is prominantly mentioned as a cluster of many retailers, a good one stop shop, is almost out of business. Most retailers have left.
As for whether you save money shopping in NC, I really don't believe it. Before we left, we had found some furniture groups we liked here locally. We called several of the stores in this book for competitive quotes. The actual per piece price was about the same. Some were cheaper, some were more expensive, so the group price was about the same. Then you have to add on shipping. BTW, NC is collecting sales tax for most states now, so you won't save that, either. It would have cost more to buy in NC.
So we took the trip. Even writing off the entire cost of the trip, which is not insignificant, but since we were going to spend it to go someplace anyway, we didn't count it, we didn't see where you could save money if you have to have the furniture shipped. At best the savings were $50-$100 per peice. The liquidation outlets are something of a joke. We saw two women get into a fight over who could buy something that was damaged. We saw a bedroom suite "on clearance" that was within $100 as a group of what we saw it new for in a showroom earlier that morning. You might get lucky in a clearance center, but having seen what we did, I'd never go back. The Thomasville factory outlet was OK, but the selection was extraordinarily limited, and if you wanted a group, you were out of luck. But, it is the only way to get Thomasville cheaper than your local store.
Overall, the book is good, and it would be valuable to give you a few numbers to call to check your local retailer's prices. I am one of those people who research for a year before buying anything, and it is a good resource. However, unless you live in an increcibly inflated area such as New England/DC/NY area, you are going to end up spending the same or more by shopping NC. About the only advantage of going there in person is you can make one stop in Highpoint, by Furnitureland South, and in one day you can basically see every single piece of furniture currently made between the 6 stores clustered right there.
A MUST to have before you shop. 
2005-07-05
In the $40 billion furniture industry, 35 percent of all home furniture manufactured in the world is produced in North Carolina. More important, leading furniture manufacturers, such as Broyhill, Thomasville, and Henridon, sell their top-quality furniture at deep discounts straight from their factories in North Carolina.
Shopping the North Carolina Furniture Outlets breaks down the door to this undiscovered world of North Carolina furniture and teaches you how to shop and save 50 to 80 percent on your next furniture purchase, whether you go to North Carolina or shop from home! In this amazing, first-of-its-kind sourcebook, Ellen Shapiro, who has
written about North Carolina furniture for years, gives you:
• All the prep work you should do before you go to North Carolina, such as making floor plans, taking measurements and photographs, and shopping locally to get ideas
• The best way to get to North Carolina—flying versus renting a truck or van
• Comprehensive listings, descriptions, and ratings of North Carolina’s hundreds of furniture factory outlets and stores, a complete guide to furniture brands, and key insider tips from veteran salespeople and store owners
• Detailed information on how to buy furniture from home, either by phone or on
the Internet
• Extensive travel tips on hotels, restaurants, and nearby attractions
• Stories of actual couples who went to North Carolina with budget ranges, illustrating how each saved hundreds of dollars
For anyone who is looking to save big money on furniture,
Shopping the North Carolina Furniture Outlets is the only resource for creating a game plan and taking advantage of super deals from furniture manufacturer showrooms, stores, and outlets in North Carolina.
Invaluable Advice 2005-03-08
I recently got back from my North Carolina shopping experience and I wanted to share how invaluable the advice in Ellen Shapiro's book was. I have bought furniture directly from NC stores before, but always after shopping in Chicago and contacting them with my selections. I had been looking in the Chicago area for over a year for a new dining room set, and hadn't found anything that I liked. I bought the book, and planned my trip to NC. Was it worth it. I found many stores with sets that I liked, including an entire store filled with English reproduction furniture. I was able to see, touch, and sit on many items that fit my taste and budget, instead of being told that my taste is not what's really "in" right now, and there's nothing for me to see. I found the advice in the book regarding how to prepare for the trip especially helpful. I was able to buy my entire dining room set, and furniture for my family room in 3 days of shopping. It was an efficient use of my time and I saved thousands of dollars. I will never be able to shop in regular furniture stores again.
A must buy: saved us hundreds 2005-01-10
A preface to my review: I'm not cheap, but I just don't like the idea of leaving "money on the table." I'll spend on quality, but if I can save 30-40% in the process: great. That being said, this book was probably one of the smartest investments I could have made before heading down to NC to buy our furniture. Really well laid out, extremely practical, and pretty darn accurate.
Total Horse Pucky 
2005-01-05
NONE of the MAJOR, well-known furniture manufacturers sell "directly" to consumers from their factories. To do so would be to cut their very life blood out from under themselves. All manufacturers depend upon stocking dealers across the country to display their products to the end users - You. If the manufacturers sold directly, stores would have no incentive to invest their inventory dollars in display, since it would soon leak out that you could go to your local store, look and sit on furniture, and then order direct for less. When was the last time you bought a car directly from Ford or Mercedes-Benz? It dosen't happen.
The display's ARE wonderfull in Boyle's and the other big Hickory/High Point stores. What does happen is that customers sometimes call big stores in North Carolina that will ship products all around the US at very reasonable prices and with deep discounts. However, those stores generally pay the same price for their furniture to the manufacturer as does your local store, and given the opportunity, your local retailer will often match or come very close to the "North Carolina" price, AND be able to provide service for your product in a timely fashion. Did you know that some of the best and newest introductions from major manufacturers are not even offered to the North Carolina stores, specifically to protect your local furniture dealer.
The one advantage North Carolina has over the locals is sales tax, which you won't pay when you buy from NC, KS, CA, OK or any other state other than your own. I mention those states because they too have giant retailers that deeply discount furniture as much as do the NC retailers.
Suffice it to say that you are being deceived if you believe you will save big by shopping in NC. I have been a furniture rep for over twenty years. PS - It's Henredon - NOT Henridon as stated in the review.
Thorough guide that will help you save a lot of money! 2004-06-11
I actually just checked this book out from the library, intending to just review the book. As it turns out, there are so many good tips on where to shop, what to do, and where to stay that there was no fighting it - I had to buy it! There are lots of companies listed and a lot of websites given, that it would have been impossible to bookmark them all. You'll have to take this book with you when you come down to NC. The links are helpful if you want to take a look online and plan your purchases ahead. This book is highly recommended
