Today's Groupon offer is a $75 credit toward any purchase at Creative Lighting for $25. Creative Lighting (1728 Concordia Av., St. Paul, 651-647-0111). Creative Lighting has an excellent selection in its showroom and its prices are very competitive.
Let me clarify what I mean by competitive. CL carries a variety of budget, mid-range and high-end indoor/outdoor lights and ceiling fans, but if you're used to the selection of lights sold at big box hardware stores, you'll probably think that Creative's prices are high. But if you're comparing identical lights, I have found CL's prices to be among the lowest locally and online.
My one quibble with Creative Lighting, which I've shared with owner Michael Minsberg, is that the manufacturer and stock number are not listed on the price tag. That makes it difficult for a customer to comparison shop. And I would strongly recommend comparison shopping online or locally for any lighting purchase. Prices do vary a lot.
To Minsberg's credit, he said that he is considering adding the stock number and manufacturer on the tag. He added that any store salesperson will provide that info on request. Consumers who have that information can then call around to other stores locally and online to see if CL's price is a good one.
(By the way, check Creative's website for a large selection that's easily navigated.)
If you find that a competitor is selling it for less, Creative Lighting will generally match it, except for the usual exclusions about going-out-of-business sales, floor samples etc. But bargain hunters cannot get a price match and then use the Groupon coupon on top of that.
Here are the Groupon coupon caveats: limit one per person, in store purchases only (not online), not valid with other discounts, no cash back, doesn't cover tax, and must be used by Aug 6, 2011. The coupon offer is available through Sunday, feb. 6, but if you buy the coupon today, it cannot be redeemed until tomorrow.
