Bedding retail goes upscale
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 25, 2002
Bedding retailing has gone upscale. Just as in any retail category, the best bedding retailers are paying attention to the shopping environment, dressing their stores up inside and out.
Instead of leaning mattresses against a wall and wrestling with the model that a shopper might like to see — warehouse style — many bedding shops and bedding departments in furniture stores are now decorated in an attractive, pleasant décor.
Here are a few of the methods retailers are employing to create a sales-friendly environment:
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RELAXATION RETAIL THERAPY Simulate nighttime with dark walls and low lighting. Play some nice soft music. Burn a candle for scent. Get your customers to slow down and relax.
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LARGER SHOPS In the last several years, the typical bedding-shop prototype has grown from 2,000 or 3,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet and more.
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SPACIOUS DISPLAYS Don't cram them in, says John Wholley of Better Bedding in Connecticut. In a 5,000-square-foot shop, Better Bedding shows 45-50 sets, leaving room to walk around and admire individual displays.
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MOVIN' ON UP Show the high-end stuff. Even if the luxury models don't sell fast, they reflect well on the rest of the lineup. Average sale prices usually rise 20% to 30% when the luxury models are introduced.
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