Local furniture retailer Room & Board is getting a jump on its famous Dec. 26 clearance sale by discounting hundreds of sofas and chairs online starting Tuesday, Aug. 13.

"The majority of the items are returned special orders," said Room & Board spokeswoman Katie Lloyd, but some are also discontinued items. "We're discontinuing some sofas earlier than usual," she said.

Usually, Room & Board fans swarm the store on Dec. 26 when items are marked down during its annual floor change but fans get an extra sale this year.

Most of the items are discounted 20 to 60 percent off. That's a bit less than the weekend outlet in Golden Valley, but Lloyd said the items in the clearance section online can be returned, unlike the final sale policy at the outlet. Customers can also choose to pick up their merchandise at the Golden Valley distribution center to save on delivery fees. Twin Cities' delivery for $89 is still an option, however.

One of the better deals is the Andre sofa (pictured), marked down about 60 percent in various fabrics. One model, regularly $1,849, is marked down to $449. Others are discounted the same perccentage, but priced slightly higher, based on fabrics.

Lloyd didn't say whether the items unsold items will make it to the outlet store at an additional discount, but most clearance items online sell out.

The link to the online clearance section is available at Roomandboard.com on the bottom of the home page in red.