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Lowball bedding ads devalue great product

By David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, March 10, 2002

Here's the problem: We make a great product that plays a critical role in the health and happiness of consumers.

But rather than talk about those benefits, we advertise low prices, big discounts and freebies.

As an industry, we are missing a huge opportunity.

This is not a new tune. But as I begin to tackle some of the key issues facing our industry, I come to the price issue with a fresh sense of concern. A couple of hours looking at retail bedding ads will do that.

The bedding ads I surveyed were culled from a random sampling of Sunday newspapers from around the country. With few exceptions, the ads were all about price. And — surprise! — the prices were low, sometimes alarmingly so.

Some of the big flagship brands were being promoted as low as $99 per piece in twin. Twins were going for the ridiculous prices of $48 or $36 or $34 — and even lower.

I thought $21 would win the dubious prize for the Lowest Lowball Price Promotion. But then I found an ad touting "Mattresses starting at $18 each piece."

Can $17 be far behind?

The overwhelming message of the ads I studied is: We have low prices. You will save a lot of money if you buy from us. And you will get some things for free: delivery and set-up, removal of old bedding, and maybe a bed frame.

Now wait just a minute, you may be saying. Don't make the mistake of thinking that retailers actually sell bedding for those ridiculous twin prices they promote.

Well, some of those retailers have told me they in fact do stock and sell the "doorbusters" they promote.

And if they don't, all they are doing is confusing consumers who are pulled in by low prices and are then immediately shown bedding at much higher prices.

Price-oriented retail advertising is so ingrained in our industry that I almost hate to decry it. Many of my friends on the manufacturing side of the business join me in my lament, and so do some retailers. But the steady drumbeat of low prices continues.

Unfortunately, there is always a lower price. And we are only reducing bedding to a commodity when we talk almost exclusively about low prices and tell consumers they are getting big discounts.

We devalue bedding when we focus solely, or even mainly, on price. The good health that comes from a good night's sleep is worth so much more than $49 or $99 or even $399.

I wonder what would happen if we actually tried to sell the benefits of sleep.

Next week: Some bright spots in retail bedding ads.

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