I've never seen the higher end tile shops have sales. They only have samples and displays and don't keep any inventory. Since they have to custom order everything, there is no need for a sale.

Of course they will have different prices. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount, specially if you mention a competitor that also gave you a quote. But remember that sometimes it is better to pay a bit more for a store that has better customer service and support ... important when things go wrong.

I found a great Interior Designer that lets me use her trade discount in tile stores that allow the customer to order and pay. I used her to draw up 3 bathrooms scale plans, so she has benefitted from the projects too.

Thanks! Good idea!

Just tell the retailer you hate box stores and ask if they will work with you. They will 100% of the time. If your having a professional do the install verify pricing with them first.

I live in Central NJ. There are many nice tile places around here, and I have found that almost all of them, will "work with you," as they put it.

When I'm shopping, the salesperson often volunteers this information right from the get go. Ask around if they've had sales and then ask if you can get the same 25%, or whatever, that they offered a few weeks ago. Some places have 30% off every first Tuesday of the month - something like that. And they'll often offer the same deal most of the time if you ask.

I am not at all a haggler by nature, but I've often seen this to be the case.

It's probably not so at chain stores. Not Porcelanosa, for instance, although they have a big 40% sale right around Thanksgiving. In the chains ask the salesperson when the tile will go on sale.

My experience has been that tile prices at retail places can be negotiated, at least for larger orders. When we tiled the basement with a wood look plank tile, the listed price on the tile we liked was over $6 a square foot. When I returned the sample a few days later, and told the salesperson I'd found the same tile elsewhere for less, so we'd be going with them, she called me back within the hour and gave me a price of $3.73 a square foot, which we eventually went with. My contractor's tile supplier also very quickly dropped his quoted price for bathroom tile when we found the same tile elsewhere for less. The markup on tile must be pretty phenomenal.