Riley’s Furniture and Mattress

I’m shopping for some new furniture and have been to over a dozen furniture stores around Cincinnati in the last few months looking for what I want (Ashley, Morris, Bassett, Frontroom Furnishings, LaZBoy, Furniture Fair, Haverty’s, Ballard Design Outlet, Ethan Allen, Macy’s, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn… like seriously, I have been to them all)! I’ve seen a huge sampling of stores in the area so I feel qualified to make a fair judgement;)
I truly think what makes a furniture store the «best» depends partly on your style, and price, which varies greatly. I found that Riley’s had a pretty large selection and I found plenty that fit my style and budget. Their store is two floors, and the whole bottom level is devoted to reclining furniture and mattresses. This made it pretty easy to guide my search to the top floor only.
Their prices are equal to Haverty’s, Morris, Frontroom, Furniture Fair and LaZBoy. You can find a couch for $ 600, and you can spend up to $ 2000 or more. It seemed that most of their items are custom and you can select your own fabric. I disliked Ashley Furniture for this reason. At Ashley what you see is what you get, meaning that red couch ONLY comes in red.
So what sets Riley’s apart, and earned them a 5 star rating from me? Their customer service is amazing! In the course of our search we have been there three times, each time dealing with a different sales rep. Every time the sales person has been super friendly, never pushy and so, so patient with our little boys (4 and 2 years old). The first visit they brought our kids cookies and lemonade while we shopped. When we left we were given a free jar candle, and the sales person walked us to our car. Remember, they don’t work on sales commission so it doesn’t feel slimy or pushy… just amazingly friendly.
Their showroom is recently remodeled and very pretty. At every visit they have had water, lemonade, cookies, and candy sitting out. They have various toys spaced throughout the store (the bead and wire kind you find at dr. offices) to help occupy kids while you shop. They also have a full size train table on the lower level which made my little boys so happy. If you have tried shopping with little kids you know how hard it can be.
I also wanted to note that if you are unhappy with your purchase they will give you a refund, even on custom furniture. I cannot think of a single other furniture store that does that. Also I thought their delivery cost was reasonable. Basset charges $ 140 delivery on even a small piece of furniture, which I think is crazy.
I’m not sure how you could have a bad experience shopping here. I’ll be purchasing a loveseat from there in the next few days so I will post an update once the order comes through. FYI, I live in West Chester and the trek up to Riley’s was only about 10 mins or so.

I think Riley’s truly gets a 5 star. Our family has been buying furniture here for over 15 years. They’ve been in business for I believe 40 years and have truly mastered having the ultimate furniture showroom. Whether it’s looking for a new mattress, or new living room set, they have everything. The service is great, they can customize just about anything from manufacturers. Truly a class act.

Must disagree with the five-​star rating of Angela B., and must wonder if she’s related to the owners. I’ve been to Riley’s several times, and my husband has stopped in whenever he’s looked for furniture. Neither of us have ever bought from this place. Why? I’ll use Angela’s review as a model:
1. Yes, they do not work on commission, which means they’re not terribly motivated to help you. The salesman we met had a «take it or leave it» attitude. On the two recent occasions we were there, it was difficult to find staff to help. When we asked for pricing a complete group, it took fifteen minutes. I felt like I was buying a car, and the old «Let me go ask my manager» routine was going on — you know the one: the sales guy goes back and has a cup of coffee, looks at his watch, and then says, «Ah, I guess I better get back out there again».
2. THERE IS NOTHING REASONABLE about their prices. They’re overpriced. One sales guy even admitted it: «Yes, Lovely’s always sells for less than we do.»
3. They offer a range of products; some are of better quality than others. Again, the sales people will tell you this.
4. I’m glad they’re family owned and operated. Not sure about how they treat their customers.
So, overall, I do not recommend this place. There are not too many places in the area where you can shop for furniture, and clearly Riley’s benefits from this. The place would be dead in the water if it were closer to more competition. If you shop there, be sure to look around. Also, watch out for the «creative» pricing they do depending on the sales person.

Riley’s Furniture is great for four reasons:
1. The staff DOES NOT work on commission. (Anyone who has ever been furniture shopping knows the benefit of this… you aren’t bombarded by ten employees when you walk in)
2. The prices are very reasonable.
3. The products are high-​quality.
4. The store is family owned and operated and they treat their customers as such.
My family has always bought their furniture at Riley’s and they are always reliable and friendly. A lot of their furniture can be altered to fit your exact design needs, just ask!