So I can't guarantee that everything on Spoken .io is the same (I am not affiliated with the site) or that prices won't change. Links to the cheaper versions are in the description...

As a guy that owns a furniture store, in a very far away country i have to say that Nick has a very strong point, modern retailers do not want to invest in a huge warehouse full of furniture, because even if they do, can not cover all the designs out there. So distributors were created and retailers buy from them plus their exclusive imports. And for Nick's Subscribers, a small advice. There are only 3 pieces of furniture thats worth spending on 1. Mattress 2. Your main sofa 3. The dining chairs that you use every day. All the rest are there just to fill the space.

Nick, I think one of the most outrageous cases of white labeling was the Pottery Barn's "Bamboo Wall Art" incident from a few years back. Pottery Barn released this "Hand Crafted Bamboo Wall Art Plate" that they sold at retail for $299, guess what... That "Plate" actually came from the Philippines and is what we call a "Bilao" (Bee-Lah-Oh) we literally use it to put a large amount of food meant to be shared in town fiestas. It can be any food for sharing: Noodles, fruits, rice cakes, heck even Western foods like chicken wings, roasted pork, etc. They literally sell that on the roadside here for.... $0.70 - $1.50! It was so ridiculous it actually managed to make the papers when the incident came out😂😂😂

This is by far the most useful video in the interior design universe that I've ever seen. THANK YOU!

Content like this is why i'm subscribed. I jokingly refer to "inferior desecrators" - those people who dictate how your home should look, and spend far too much money giving you the same look everyone else has. There are plenty of YT channels like this, with videos like "Amazon items you ***Must*** buy" or "West Elm's Best Pieces for You". Nick is the exact opposite. He does have style opinions, clearly stated as personal opinions. And he's willing to offer design principles for those who like styles he does not. [How to do Farmhouse.] He does not push product ... and with this video, he does the exact opposite. I bet a lot of furniture retailers are not happy right now. I have my own style. As a web designer, I know the principles of design; Nick translates those to home interiors. And now, he's helping me find pieces that work with my style without paying extra.

I never knew white labeling existed. I though I was finding really good dupes. Very informative, Nick. Thanks.

The only caution I would add is to include shipping costs in comparisons. They can even out some differences. I’ve seen sellers have “specials” with free shipping, only to realize they’ve added the shipping costs to the special price! It is the same overall cost as the day before the sale! Creative accounting!

As an added tip, I’ve used reverse image search in the past to find other websites selling the same furniture! Wouldn’t work in the scenario where the retailer rephotographs the product, but maybe an extra tool to use. Thanks for the website recommendation!

I discovered this practice by scouring the internet for everything I order online, but I didn’t know the name. Thank you for this post! The first time I realized this was going on was when I ordered a console table from Perigold for nearly 1k and then found the exact same piece on another sight for half price, even the reviews were the same! I called Perigold to cancel my order but they ended up giving it to me for half price because the other retailer (I think it was All Modern) was part of the same company but Perigold is marketed for a higher end customer. So it pays to shop around. As Nick said, look for specs, country of origin, and I would add reviews before making a purchase. Thanks Nick, this kind of content makes you stand out above the rest.

Surmised that when I saved thousands buying my leather sofa's from a furniture store instead of the same leather sofa's from Pottery Barn. Same look, same scale, still holding up like new 6 years later. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.

When I took interior design classes in college, one of our assignments was to go to different stores and find exact same products and compare prices. Wow was I shocked at that time. But it makes sense. In a free market, anyone can charge whatever they want as long as they have buyers that will pay the price. We buyers just have to know that and do our due diligence. 💕

Love this one, Nick! You are so right, we deal with this as interior designers and in my case Film design all the time. The biggest thing we deal with that I think you didn't mention (maybe I missed it) is that some sites have a lower cost but charge a high shipping rate. Others offer free or low cost shipping, and this can make the total cost very similar... not always, but still important to note. Love that you mentioned and reminded us all to buy as well based on not just cost but also return-ability/reputation for service, etc. Super important to be able to support the retailers who also meet personal ethical standards and those things can play into that. Love your channel!

It’s also helpful when you have been eyeing a piece at one retailer for awhile and they choose not to carry it anymore. I was looking at a specific iron side table at Crate and Barrel for awhile and wouldn’t you know it when I was finally ready to purchase it they no longer carried it. I happened to do some digging and found the exact same table at Burke Decor and wouldn’t you know it.. it was around $150 cheaper (and more with a coupon code)

Nick, I LOVE how fast you talk and the jampackedcontent!! No cheap fillers! Just high-quality info! THANK YOU!

A quick way to find these white label items from various websites and various pricepoints is to download or screencap the first or second photo of the product, then do an image search. The most affordable websites will NOT spend money taking new pictures of the product.

I just bought my son chairs from Amazon for 69 bucks a chair and found them on another site for 69 for set of two for a client for staging. They came in and were in the same exact box, same manufacture. They are the same exact chairs. So when I shopped for the breakfast table I did a lot of research and found the table for 250 instead of 600+ on other sites. It came in and it was the exact table! It pays to shop around if you have the time. I just did this for bathroom fixtures Delta. The same exact faucett was priced from 69-359 each and shower/tub set was 119-529. It is so crazy to me and the worst part is when you do buy and then you get ads (from cookies) telling you that you could have bought it for less.

I remember the first time I learned about this by accident shopping for a couch. We went into a place that sold mid grade furniture to browse and found one we liked and then for fun went into a high end store, WAY out of our budget but just for fun, walked back to the couches and found the EXACT same couch for almost double the price. I was floored.

PB can up-charge because of how they market their merch--the store has soft lighting, etc. Years ago I went to a PB outlet (in Ohio)--when you see that same stuff stacked up on a cement floor under harsh fluorescent lights, you realize it's really not that great.

So true. I was at a retailer last week and took a photo of the tag with the information on it for the side table that was just under $800.00. After checking this out, I found the identical one online for just under $500.00. I was disappointed that the store I was at were charging that much of an increase. Now you have given me the understanding. Also, this high end retailer a couple of years ago had a Christmas ornament for $10.00 each. The identical, and I mean identical ones I had then came across a couple of days later at the Dollar store were for $1.25 each. I bought it to compare. It's buyer beware! Thanks for your great videos! 💯

I recently purchased the Pottery Barn Dolores console and desk from Burke Decor for a fraction of the price. White glove delivery, perfect condition, arrived quickly and they have a nice rewards program. So not only did I save money on the furniture, I was able to turn around and get a couple hundred bucks off a new area rug for my master bedroom. I highly recommend them!

Invaluable! Reminded me of an old expression (30 years ago) from Italian designers when faced with a complete fail of furniture design: Paint It black and Send it to America.

This happens in many industries too. Household consumables (like packaged food, toiletries, same stuff from same factory in different packaging), fashion, appliances, etc

So interesting! We’ve known about this in regards to large appliances for years. Makes sense that it would spill over into furniture.

I’ve seen this phenomenon on Wayfair. Actually we just got a new bed frame and went with one they had listed under two different brands, but they looked exactly the same. We went with the more expensive one because I figured the other was a knockoff/ scam 😢

World Market carries step down versions of many styles carried by Crate and Barrel not only furnishings but dinnerware too. Good to remember to carefully consider that some retailers offer “similar” pieces but they may be smaller in scale or more cheaply constructed.

This is 100% true Nick. I used to work for a large home accessory importer and would work with the buyers for these companies all the time . Also, don’t trust that the nice wood item you’re getting from some far away land isn’t coming with an infestation of termites.

Furnitures are usually not shipped from the retailer’s inventory you buy from but from OEM’s warehouse. Lighting, toilet, counter, cabinets, flooring retailers also do the same, contracting manufacturers to sell their products under retailer’s name.

There's also the insane amount of drop shipping that exists online. So many website sell "cutting edge" furniture and home decor that's straight up drop shipped from aliexpress.

So glad you’re talking about this! I do take pride in following the trail to the best price for the same product. Eg the Eiffel Rocker Chair that I got at a great price from Modholic. Well done (again), Nick!

I noticed this too with a counter stool I bought. Found at three places: Urban Barn - Emmory Counter Stool $449CAD Pottery Barn - Perkins Counter Stool $858CAD McGee & Co - Moore Stool $700USD So strange! I’m so glad I bought them at Urban Barn before the price hike at $399CAD lol My wife and I started noticing this with a lot of products, thanks for explaining a lot of this Nick!

I have so much respect for you in this video. Having been a former RH designer for 7 years, I can confirm that there is a lot of work by in house design teams who research and build the brand. I had the pleasure of meeting Timothy Oulton and listen to him talk about the Cloud Sofa concept that a lot of other vendors have duped. I've been working as a commercial and educational interior designer for the past 7 years so I've seen a lot of sides of the industry as a result. I think it's an interesting topic you've highlighted and it really gives the average consumer a way to navigate their purchases - especially furniture and decor where the market is just dodgy in my opinion. It pays off to do the research when you're making the investment pieces (I liked one of the comments by Stathis talking about top 3 items to invest - 100%!). We've grown so much as a global market that it's sometimes overwhelming to weed through all the brands but again, your content helps shine a light for a lot of people.

You’ve given me a light bulb moment. Now I know why I see different prices for the same furniture. Thank you Nick!!

This was good to hear from you. I had figured this out a while ago with the intense price shopping that I do. The price differences can be quite substantial.

I’ve not used Spoken, but I think the Pinterest shopping feature does something similar. I’ve picked up some home decor pieces for about 30-50% less than I would have if I’d gone with the option at a more well known store - same initials as “peanut butter”.😉 If in doubt about whether an item is or is not a white-label piece, most retailers will note an in-house design as “exclusive” to them. It may still be made by the same factory that does the white-label goods, but some detail will be unique to that retailer - color, fabric, leg style, etc.

I used to work for two different furniture stores and both sold "Four Hands" pieces and I know that we sold the same pieces at both stores at different price points. Now some of that may have been that the wholesale price went up. On a different note, I have a friend who used to work for a very large necktie manufacturer and they would do similar things. Making ties that could be bought by different retailers who would put their own labels on them. So it was completely possible that the Saks 5th Ave tie that you paid $100 could also be sold at Kohls for $20. The funniest part was they cost about $2 to $5 a piece to make.

in Denver we used to have a warehouse furniture outlet that sold name brand modern furniture, great pieces when MCM was making it's 21st Century Return, Miller, Knoll, etc. I don't know what happened, maybe it was the factory making the 'name brand' items that went under or maybe they got busted for copyright. anyway, it was good while it lasted, my partner and I furnished a living room and main bedroom for under $1000. It's all excellent quality 22 years later we still have the pieces.

Wayfair... definitely doesn't "take back" everything. They may refund or reship but I ended up with three huge 50lb boxes with a partial bed frame inside it because they kept just shipping out replacements and told me to donate the "partial" frame , which ended up costing me to pay someone to transport and dump

I've been shopping furniture like this for years but you have to be careful and check the shipping charges, a lot of times the ones who are cheaper charge for shipping and it ends up costing the same or even more

Other industries do this too. In the beauty industry, its called "private labeling". Crown manufacturers is one of the biggest factories for it. There was a huge scandal some years back when people realized Morphe products and Crown products were all identical but Morphe cost more. At least with OTC medications, buying the store brand means you're buying one formulary older than buying name brand. This doesn't particularly matter for items that the formulary doesn't change like single ingredient medications... but for things with multiple active ingredients, it can make a difference. It also happens in the clothing industry with mass market labels. You can find the same clothing from different online retailers for radically different prices sometimes. I think Amazon is a really great place to see this in action. I recently found the same collapsible toy tote (for a baby shower gift) in the same print and dimensions and fabric and country of origin from about a dozen store fronts. Because its Amazon, they're all within the same price range or they couldn't compete with each other... but I imagine the same item could be at Target for a similar price but some bougie baby boutique for double or triple the price.

This makes perfect sense. We downsized so I am done with furniture shopping for a while. But the concept is similar to other items, power tools as an example. Same manufacturer, different labels, different color, different prices yet the exact same equipment. It definitely pays to do some research and shop around.

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO! With little effort, I found identical box planters at Wayfair that were, on average, 30% of Pottery barn prices-specifically, the difference was $124 (small), $215 (medium); $337 (large). I checked every detail, material, capacity, dimensions, and the photos were the same. I’m purchasing 4 of these, so am saving from $860 (medium) - $1,348 (large). (Big fan of your show.)

Yes! I find out about this now that I’m furnishing my first own apartment. We got our dining chairs and bar chairs from Amazon for half the price of what we were finding in local, physical retailers (here in the UK). Even on Amazon itself, the same chairs were coming in different prices. It was such an eye-opening experience.

A HUGE thank you for this video! I have been trying to find a way to explain this to my elderly mom who shops excessively for home decor and furniture. She always spends more than she should. Also, she likes KZfaq videos and anything interior design. Now I can send her this video link. You have just made my life easier and gained a new follower because I'm sure she will love you. Thanks again!

Yes!!!! My husband wonders what I do on line all day when I'm getting ready to make a purchase. My armchairs, lamps and bakers rack were wildly different prices for the same thing. I did my due diligence and combed the descriptions because sometimes I was amazed that with the price difference it could be the same product but it was. When I saw the title of the video I KNEW this was what you were going to talk about. So glad you brought it into the light. Although to someone like me for whom shopping is an art form, I caught on a while ago. Good to be affirmed!

omg i cannot express how grateful i am for this video, thank you nick! plz share more inside tips

Yes, it’s always good to keep in mind when shopping for furniture that very little of what you find online is “exclusive” to any particular retailer. It’s always worth checking to see if there is a better price elsewhere, especially it the item seems overpriced for what it is. I’ve saved a lot of money doing this.

Thanks Nick for this valuable video! I appreciate how carefully you had to approach this topic but you navigated it for the benefit of your viewers

That’s why I ALWAYS search for the pieces I love in google lens to potentially find them at better prices.

Very helpful! Explains a lot of confusion I've had. You are the best! 🤩

This is my favorite video from you yet! 🙌🏼 I JUST bought a staging business and this information is going to save me SO. MUCH. MONEY. Thank you a million times!!!

This is super interesting! Thanks for sharing the website. Probably gonna spend hours looking through all the furniture

Wow, that was illuminating! Thanks, Nick.

Nick,this advice is so timely and helpful, thank you! Have a great weekend

I love your videos, Nick. This one blew my mind a bit! Thanks for explaining and providing examples. I see some rabbit holes in my future.

This video confirmed what I had heard rumors of before. Thanks for all the info and clarity. Also, I have accent chairs from Four Hands! I love them! I actually got them at Costco about 6 years ago (on clearance for a steal) and then a couple years later I saw the exact same ones online somewhere else for over double the price. They're some of my favorite pieces in my home.

This is one of the most useful videos you’ve made. I’m going to need to watch it a few more times to become clear with the websites, retailers, and guidelines for comparing products (white label or dupe). Thank you Nick!

I'm not surprised about this because back in the 1990s, I took a marketing course by a woman who had worked for L'Oréal. (Not an interior design example, but business is business and corporations all work the same way). L'Oreal owned Lancome, a pricier brand. The cosmetics all came out of the exact same vat . . . some were marketed as a drug store brand, L'Oréal, and others as the fancy brand Lancôme. Exact same product.

That’s so helpful! Thanks you.

Nick, thank you so much. This is one of my favorite videos you've done!

Loved this show! It's so useful when you're buying the big, important articles of furniture (think appliances?). One important thing to remember is to include the cost of extras - what do they charge, if anything, for shipping and set-up? What's their return policy? What do they do if the furniture cracks or tears or something like that (a warranty, really) and for how long? All of that costs and it's all local costs. And remember that there may be a reason why you want to buy from a retailers, like Restoration Hardware, who design and manufacture their own furniture. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, Nick. So often I have found products that look identical to something else and assumed the less costly product was some how inferior. You have changed how I will shop!

I am not surprised that there is such a difference in furniture prices that are the same thing. I know that this is true for large appliances, small countertop appliances and even computer equipment. Return policies, after purchase upkeep and delivery prices do factor in a lot for purchasing at one site or another. But it does pay to do one's research when investing in an item of home goods as you can find a good price for something that you may be keeping and using for years.

The video I’ve been waiting for!! 😱

I work in marketing and there are several explantations about diferent prices for the same product: 1- Asociated costs in the retailer. If the retailer runs an expensive ad campain, their stores are located in the best part of town, etc it can increse prices. 2- Margins. how much the retailer gain in each piece? 20-40-60%? 3- What's the real price of the product? this is a tricky one. I live in Argentina, 67% inflation this year (yeah, is hard, don't complain about your economy american/canadian friend 😀 ) so for us is hard to know how much things really cost. Inflation is, in part, an emotional effect. Retailers try to guess a price today that can have their company buying more inventory in the future. That sofá you see in a store as a new arrival today, was purchased 8 months ago in China. There is other effect in prices not related to inflation. Is, in fact almost the opposite: prices are below the market. Imagine a retailer is closing his store forever and it needs to get rid of their products so it lists them 20-40-60% off. When you go to Amazon you see only the price, not the story behind it. Other situations may be the need for quick cash, so the company runs an agressive sale; or the need for the space for New arrivals. 4- Price point is a way to chose your target. Yes, that piece is the same in store A and store B, but store B carries an exclusive vibe and store A is more casual. I have a client who owns several bars in my city, one of them is located in the most expensive area and the clients ask for highier prices in order to keep the area just affordable for the locals. There are a lot of other differences that you, as a customer, can't see. Digital marketplaces are very hard for retailers, they see their profits shrinks every day because the lowest price is percived as the "fair price" for everybody and usually it isn't the case.

This was all new to me! Good lookin’ out Nick! 🙌🏻

It’s been over 40 years ago but I remember my parents worked with a decorator when they had our new house built. He wound up taking them into the city to the showrooms for the living & dining room pieces. After picking out the fabric they were sent out to be made. It took forever but that stuff lasted. One of those homes that basically only used those rooms on holidays

So appreciate this video and all the insights . Thank you for making it. Can’t wait for more likewise videos in the future .

This was well worth the watch! I appreciate you Nick!

Nick, I've seen a ton of your videos. This one is my favorite yet. Thank you for daring to shed light on this! ❤

Great video…you answered so many questions I have had. Thank you!

Great info. I’ve been in my home three years, and I am still adding pieces of furniture. Thanks for sharing this.

I LOVE this content from you Nick! So informative. Reminds me of your video on things to know about contractors. Please keep helping us!!!

Oh my god, I always wondered why when browsing for something specific on Amazon, I'd find the EXACT SAME ITEM sold by like 10 different companies. I thought I was crazy 🤣🤣 Thank you for this tip. :)

Wow, insider info! Thank you so much! I would love more of these especially if it means saving money.

Boy, I always learn something from this channel. Thanks Nick!

Down here in Australia, I found this to be 100% correct. Over the past 18 months I have been curating, purchasing and storing almost a whole house of furniture for our new build (it’s almost ready!). I have done most of it online - I found Google images to be a great tool for this! Once I found the piece I wanted, I searched for it on Google Images & Google Lens (sometimes they don’t change the name or images at all) which brought up all the retailers that sold the same piece at very different prices. I did this for sideboards, console tables, mirrors, dining chairs, dining table, entertainment unit, homewares & decor items. I will say the NEXT step was to check the SHIPPING costs. Some would be cheaper by $$$ but then their shipping charges were $$ more than a competitor. So, I did lots of homework before I hit purchase. Online stores that had ‘white labeled furn’ I ordered from T&W, Lux Street, Shine Mirrors, Brosa, Attica House, Notbrand, LivingStyles & Calibre Furniture so they either were cheaper in general or had the cheaper shipping charges so were cheaper overall for that specific item. The pieces I bought from West Elm & Freedom (sofa, armchairs, wall unit, consoles, area rug, bookshelf) were exclusive to them as Nick said. Thank you for another excellent video!

Grocery store chains do this as well. There are obvious things like Zehrs vs No Frills (same parent company), but also within the same store brand. So you will see a Zehrs in one city charging more than another city for the same items, or even within a city, depending on the area. *Shop smart! Don't fall for their shenanigans!*

Extremely enlightening! Thanks, Nick!

Thank you so much for this, I've never heard of this white labeling and I'm so glad that I can use these tools to purchase at the lowest possible price.

Those high end retailers that have designers etc have no sale clause with manufacturers of extra stock in their country. I used to work for the store that is known by two initials. Extra unsold stock items would sell to TJMaxx for Export. So, I would see the same chairs/lamps, decor etc here in Canada at Homesense: Same manufacturer, same materials, same everything. My kitchen light was cheaper there than my staff discount at the store! Post COVID- not seeing the same.

Super interesting. Thanks for sharing, Nick! Great video!

I noticed this ages ago, after going for a lampshade and started seeing it on 7 or 8 different websites at varying prices. Also to note is the Ikea/Habitat relationship. Many Habitat items are rebranded IKEA items.

This one is one of your best, as well as very enlightening! Thank you!!

Excellent video! Probably one of your best. Very informative. Many thanks!

Thanks so much, Nick. This was eye opening!!

Comparing items between Wayfair and Overstock made this abundantly clear to me several years ago. It totally pays to dig dig dig.

When I find something I like, I put the name and description out on the internet and sometimes am able to find the exact same item for less money from another retailer. So now I understand why. Thanks for posting this, Nick.

Thank you for doing the leg work to inform/educate us on how retail can operate. Who knew? I did not.

I’ve noticed this before! But I didn’t know what it was. Thank you for explaining it so thoroughly!

Thank you for this, as someone who buys a lot of furniture online, this is fascinating and will help me do better research first before my next purchase!

This is such helpful information, Nick. Love watching your videos!

So helpful - thanks. Love your channel!

I've often wondered about this very topic. Super helpful getting reliable info about it from someone who works in the design industry.

Thanks for confirming what I've noticed -- it's great to have a professional eye on this. This is a real public service and everyone should see this!

Thank you for this! So informative!

WOW this is so timely! I am looking to purchase a new home that needs more furniture so its been really helpful. thanks Nick!

One of your best video! Thank you for educating me on how to shop smart!

WOW!! This is awesome! Thank you for making this video!!!

Hi Nick! Thank you for the great information and explaining this the way that you did, very helpful! 😊✌

This was truly an eye opener! Thank you and more please😁