Clearing the Way

Every day is a white sale at Stroud’s Clearance Centers, and management is converting more stores to clearance centers to keep up with demand.

Stroud’s opened its first clearance store in Pasadena in 1979; today there are 20 locations. John Russell, vice president of the chain’s clearance centers, credits “opportunistic buys” with their success and says they try to balance first-quality merchandise with slightly flawed goods that are greatly reduced. A small segment of the clearance inventory is from Stroud’s 50 retail stores, special purchases make up a much larger segment, and seconds and irregulars from manufacturers are the rest.

In Northridge, the Stroud’s retail store was converted into a clearance center more than a year ago. The seconds and irregulars offer the best buys: Some stitching that went slightly askew on Laura Ashley comforters normally retailing for $80 to $130 bring those prices down to the $40 to $90 range.

Charisma bath sheets that, if perfect, sell for $36, are tagged at $18.99 because of some nearly imperceptible flaw.

In first-quality merchandise, the reductions are not as drastic but the value is still there. Some 200-thread count queen-size sheets by Martex sell at many stores for $34 but Stroud’s price is $26.99, and the packaged sateen sheet sets for $49.99 beat the usual $70 tag.

Flannel sheets are also available at deep discounts: A full-size set that consists of a fitted bottom sheet, a top sheet and two cases retails at many stores for $50, but it sells here for $24.99 and comes in four colors. Stroud’s has 18 clearance centers, and you can expect more. Stroud’s Clearance Center, 8762 Corbin Ave., Northridge (818) 701-5026.

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Weekend Super Sale: If you’re in the market for formal-style home furnishings, the place to be this weekend is at the Going-Out-of-Business Sale at Eurostyle. Prices have always been discounted about 20% to 30% on the rococo-style home furnishings, but now you can deduct another 30%. For instance, some handsome china cabinets that sell elsewhere for $7,700 were tagged at $5,995 but are down to $5,000.

A sofa and two armchairs that were a good buy at $3,995 are $2,995, and a host of occasional tables that were $149 are $99. Eurostyle, 19511 1/2 Business Center Drive, Northridge. (818) 993-5772.