Sara Young has a passion for furniture and interior design; a passion she turned into a monthly warehouse sale in 2017, called Sara Sells, offering quality furniture and home decor at prices up to 60% off once a month in College Grove, Tennessee. On August 6, the warehouse sale will mark its five-year anniversary.
While this will be the five-year anniversary of the warehouse sales, Young’s story actually goes back to 2015 when she started the business by buying a truck and using it to hit furniture wholesalers who were willing to sell her returns and overstock at deep discounts that she then began selling on a Facebook page. The idea was an immediate hit and her page soon had more than 3,000 followers.
A friend suggested the idea of expanding to a warehouse sale, and the first Sara Sells took place in August of 2017. More than 300 people showed up.
Sara Sells offers Young an opportunity to curate and merchandise a warehouse full of items that are current and appeal to buyers from all over the South. Since beginning the sales, Sara Sells has expanded to Memphis and Birmingham, Alabama. College Grove is the location for the sale the first Saturday of each month, Memphis is second, and Birmingham hosts the sale the third weekend of each month.
The sale begins at 8:00 a.m. and goes until 1:00 p.m., however shoppers start lining up about 6:30 a.m., with a food truck that begins breakfast service starting at 7:00 a.m. Sara Sells website suggests bringing a lawn chair and dressing for the weather, as the line forms outside the building summer and winter, be it wet, cold, or heatwave hot. It is also suggested to bring a basket to carry or wheel around smaller purchases.
Young now blends her two methods of selling. Saturday is an in-person warehouse sale, and Sunday is an online only sale. The online sale goes from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Styles run from modern to traditional. There are couches and occasional chairs, dining tables and lighting, rugs and home décor. Everything is sold separately, so a customer can mix and match a dining table and chairs for example. And prices are affordable. Table lamps begin at $54 and pendant lights at $69. With the popularity of the sales, Sara Sells has started producing some of their own furniture.
Sara Sells will deliver within a 100 radius of the warehouse location, but they do not ship. Customers may pick up the day of the sale or at a later date. If, however, the item is not picked up or delivered within two weeks of the sale it will be returned to stock and a gift card will be issued less a 15% restocking charge.
As Sara Sells has grown, the business has also made a point of giving back to the community. They work closely with two organizations in Nashville, Narrow Gate and Mercy Multiplied. Narrow Gate is a faith-based non-profit that trains young men about business through hands-on experience. Mercy Multiplied helps young women ages 13 to 32 break free from life controlling issues and situations, including anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, addictions, unplanned pregnancy, and sex trafficking.
“Be prepared for a rather long wait to get inside this warehouse type outlet,” noted one reviewer, ‘however, once you get inside, there are some great deals to be had for all involved.”
Sara Sells/Nashville
8430 Horton Highway
Cottage Grove, Tennessee
https://www.sarasells.com/
Hours: 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., first Saturday of each month
Next Sale: Saturday, Aug 6, 2022
