by Home News Now 125 retailer bet big on its March Madness-themed promotion
EAST TAUNTON, Mass. — Back in January, Home News Now 125 retailer Jordan’s Furniture unveiled its March Madness-related “Make the Finals” promotion. The Massachusetts-based retailer, which operates nine stores in five Northeastern states, announced that qualifying purchases made either in-store or online between Jan. 20 and March 1 would be free if both the University of Connecticut’s men’s and women’s teams reached the NCAA Division I basketball tournament national championship games.
As of Friday, both UConn’s men’s and women’s teams had reached the 2026 NCAA Final Four. However, customer hopes for free furniture were dashed on Sunday, April 5 and Monday April 6. During the women’s Final Four game April 5, the South Carolina Gamecocks broke the UConn Huskies 54-game winning streak, defeating them 62-48. And on April 6, the Michigan Wolverines beat the UConn men’s team 69-63.
Originally, Jordan’s said that if both teams reached the championships, they would issue refunds to customers. The terms of the deal, according to the fine print, were that any qualifying purchases — whether it was one piece of furniture or an entire houseful — would be eligible.
USA Today reported that the retailer would have been on the hook for up to $50 million if both UConn teams reached the finals. Jordan’s took out insurance for the promotion, shielding the Berkshire Hathaway-owned company from paying out of pocket if refunds were issued.
While this year’s promotion avoided a payout, it still paid off. Yahoo reported that Jordan Tatelman, former CEO of Jordan’s and the company’s current spokesperson said 20,000 customers bought furniture during the promotional time frame, with the majority of sales happening in Connecticut. The retailer also benefited from scores — no pun intended — of publicity, making dozens of news headlines across the U.S.
Jordan’s ran a similar promotion back in 2007, when purchases made during a set time period would be free if the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Well, the Red Sox defeated the Colorado Rockies, and the retailer issued $35 million in refunds.
Regardless of which teams ultimately became champions, Jordan’s sports-related promotions underscore how clever marketing stunts can drive traffic and sales for retailers.
