MERRILLVILLE, IN, May 26, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- One area a family's internal audit might not take into consideration is how much more they spend by purchasing items they need at retail prices.
According to information from the 2007 U.S. Census, consumer retail markups range from 46.6 percent at furniture and home furnishing stores to 38 percent at department stores, and from 33.5 percent at building supplies and materials stores to 28 percent at electronics and computer software stores.
"When it comes to retail markups, many consumers don't even realize what they are spending. And if they do, they often feel helpless. They don't know there are alternative options to retail stores, so they opt to spend less rather than spend more wisely," said Sara Shragal, of DirectBuy, the leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices. "You can't stop shopping altogether. If you're a homeowner, particularly if you purchased your home in the past few years, it's difficult to spend less because you run the risk of your home running into disrepair and lowering the property value."
In fact, according to the National Association of Home Builders website, http://www.homeeconomics.com, families spend $12,332 during the first year after buying a home built in 2004 or later; and $8,927 if the home was built before 2004. For a non-moving owner, that figure was $4,420.
Even further evidence that homeowners are still investing in their properties comes from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. In a recent report, the Joint Center projected that U.S. homeowners will spend $134.1 billion on home improvements in the third quarter 2009 and $137.2 billion in the fourth quarter 2009.
So, if consumers are still going to spend on home improvement, how do they escape costly retail markups?
"At our clubs across the U.S. and Canada, we enable our members to buy directly from the manufacturers. That eliminates the markup and gives them optimal value for their dollar," said Shragal. "That's why member sales are up at many of our clubs because, even in this difficult economy, people know they have to reinvest in their homes and want to get the maximum bang for their buck."
DirectBuy clubs offer members the opportunity to save on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products and accessories. In addition, DirectBuy clubs boast teams of specialists and access to designers to help members with their purchases, as well as exclusive access to a roster of hand-selected contractors to expedite those projects.
Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor's Pass to attend an Open House by visiting http://www.directbuy.com.
About DirectBuy
For more than 37 years, DirectBuy has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes - from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy offers its members access to approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in Canada.
Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy's savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor's Pass to attend an Open House by visiting http://www.directbuy.com or http://www.directbuycares.com.
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