DIGITAL OFFERINGS In addition to its 3-D Kitchen Planner, Ikea offers online tools to help you design that perfect bathroom, office, TV and media storage unit or wardrobe closet for your home.
LOWE'S For a smarter home, Lowe’s offers the Iris home management system, a free, app-based service that allows users to control a wide variety of functions in their home from a smartphone. “Iris is an easy-to-install, DIY smart-home solution, used to manage, monitor and maintain virtually everything in your home from your smartphone,” says Mick Koster, vice president and general manager of Iris Home Systems. ATGStores.com is a Lowe’s company that uses online tools to extend Lowe’s offerings with millions of products, expert tips and ideas for the home, and professional interior design and installation services, says ATGStores.com president Michelle Newbery. “We feature free shipping at any price, personalized customer care and cutting-edge online tools that help take the fear out of buying home furnishings online,” she says.
SEARS Using the Sears app, you can shop, compare features and prices, get e-coupons, track orders and start a layaway on your phone. Through the free Shop Your Way shopping and rewards program, access deals and coupons on a wide variety of merchandise in-store, online and on your phone, and join an online community that includes celebrities such as Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Nicki Minaj and their brands.
THE HOME DEPOT If you’ve fretted over a paint project because you can’t choose a color, there’s an app for that, says Sarah Fishburne, director of trend and design. “The app, Project Color, allows you to try different colors on your walls by simply taking a photo (of the room) and picks up on subtleties like texture, lighting and shadows that matter when choosing a paint,” she says. “We also have a tool on homedepot.com that will estimate how much paint you need to buy."
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HOME | SPRING 2016
Mike Catania, co-owner of PromotionCode. org, one of the largest coupon sites since 2008, has worked with many big-name retailers and has money-saving secrets to share. Here are his top five tips for saving money on home purchases:
1
Most employees of The Home Depot are authorized to give up to a 15 percent discount on damaged or opened items without managerial approval. This allows employees to quickly resolve customer issues or complaints.
2
Most stores have special clearance markings that indicate products on final sale or pre-final sale. At The Home Depot, a price ending in .03 is final clearance and .06 is pre-final clearance. If the last cent digit in an Office Depot item’s price isn’t a 5, 9 or zero, that indicates final clearance. An online search will yield a lot of these.
3
A great way to get special coupons is to call customer service and ask for them. These coupons aren’t available in print or on coupon sites, but taking the time to call a chain and ask their national customer service representatives (not the individual stores) for extra offers will usually get you something.
4
If paint sits past its expiration, its tint may change. Lowe's offers discounts on such paint and you can buy a gallon for $3 to $5. You’ll have to ask for it, though, since this isn't advertised.
5
Ikea has a quarterly cabinet sale that's short and sells out fast. But for $49 you can sign up for Ikea’s cabinet measurement service, which extends the sale by 30 days. If you place an order for cabinets, you’ll either get 20 percent off or the $49 fee will be refunded.
LOGOS: COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES; THINKSTOCK
IKEA
DID SOMEBODY SAY “DEAL”?