Christmas may seem a while off, but shoppers who buy their furniture too late may find they’ve missed the window for delivery in time for the holidays – and that logistical reality gives retailers a useful selling tool this month, explains industry training specialist Adam Hankinson (Furniture Sales Solutions) …
Every year, it catches people out. A customer strolls into a furniture store in late November, relaxed and optimistic, only to hear: “We can’t guarantee delivery before Christmas.”
It’s not sales pressure. It’s logistics. In truth, for many manufacturers working on 16-week lead times, the first week of September is already pushing it. Sixteen weeks from then takes us right to the end of December – and that’s without factoring in delivery schedules, warehouse capacity, or any seasonal delays. Miss that window, and you’re relying on luck.
Post-holiday mindset meets real-world deadlines
What makes it even trickier is how customers tend to feel at this time of year. Many are just back from summer holidays. The weather’s still warm. They’re ambling around the store, “just looking”. There’s no urgency in their mind – plenty of time to decide.
But the truth is, they don’t have months. If they want their sofa in place before Christmas, they may have only days or weeks to make a decision.
Ask the questions that unlock urgency
Smart salespeople don’t use pressure. They use purpose. And that starts with two simple questions we call the million-dollar questions:
1. “So, what’s the project?”
This shifts the conversation from product to purpose – helping the customer talk about what they’re really trying to achieve.
2. “Ideally, when would you like the project completed by?”
This gently opens the door to timelines. Often, the customer will say, “Oh, before Christmas ideally,” without realising how tight that makes things.
That’s your moment to offer clarity: “To be honest, some of our suppliers are already quoting 16-week lead times. If Christmas is the goal, we’d need to get this confirmed soon.”
It’s not a hard sell. It’s just the truth.
The internal issue – too little, too late
One of the biggest missed opportunities each year is late communication from buying or logistics teams. Salespeople are often told the official Christmas cut-off mid-October – say, the 13th – with just a few days’ notice.
By then, dozens of September conversations have already happened. And the chance to help those customers take action has passed.
If that message came four weeks earlier, the team could use it naturally with every customer walking in – no pressure, just a useful heads-up.
Why September matters more than ever
September is the moment of opportunity. Delivery slots still exist. Customers are open to ideas. And there’s time to choose properly without the chaos of the festive run-up.
But only if store teams are equipped with the right lead times early, the right questions, and the confidence to guide, not push.
Because once the weeks are gone, they’re gone. And no-one wants to be left sitting on last year’s sofa when the family arrives.
