Bedding sources offering ideas
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 9, 2009
LAS VEGAS — Rx for improving mattress sales: Sleep accessories, sharply priced sleep sets and new green models.
Those are some of the key product directions for mattress producers and other companies serving the bedding industry. Once again, bedding makers are rolling out a wide range of new products and programs at the mattress-rich market here. Retailers can use plenty of help as they seek to jump start sales, the producers say.
Comfort Solutions is introducing a gift-with-purchase program, its $30,000 Payback Spectacular Promotion. Shoppers who purchase a Comfort Solutions mattress receive a free coupon book worth up to $30,000 in savings on popular branded products and services.
“Given the state of the economy and the unprecedented pull-back in consumer spending, we at Comfort Solutions believe we owe every one of our retail customers new and creative ways to build sales and to improve their 2009 outlook,” said Dave Roberts, president.
That producer also is introducing value-priced Laura Ashley beds, showing a new line of bedding designed for overweight consumers, and rolling out a broad new line of foam-core sleep sets.
Natura, a leading organic and natural bedding producer, is introducing a broad new program of sleep accessories, all designed to help consumers keep their bedding fresh. Natura is offering its new products, which include a waterproof wool mattress pad, a waterproof mattress protector and a pillow case for hotel or airplane pillows, under the NaturaFresh banner.
“NaturaFresh is a new concept we developed to protect and sustain the life of bedding products,” said Ralph Rossdeutscher, president of Natura. “We're committed to delivering the finest quality, natural solutions for better sleep, and these products will keep your bedroom clean, dry and protected for years to come.”
Natural introductions are also being made by OMI, which opens a new showroom in Las Vegas, World Market Center C-1558. That Yuba City, Calif., producer debuts new knit fabric and quilt designs, and also unveils a new Purity Guarantee which states that if a consumer can find another organic mattress that is purer than an OMI mattress, the company will give that consumer its mattress free.
Also showing new green products is Strobel, which unveils several new organic latex mattresses. “While Strobel is known for its memory foam beds,” said Mark Strobel, president, “we are expanding our natural latex offerings this market.”
Sharply priced mattresses are being introduced by a number of producers, including International Bedding, Therapedic, Restonic and Englander.
International Bedding's new Classic Collection retails from $199 to $1,199.
That line features upscale looks at value prices, the company said. IB is also adding natural soy-based foam technology to a number of its memory foam beds, at retails from $999 to $1,199.
Therapedic starts its introductions at $399, while Restonic unveils its version of an economic stimulus program, the Restonic Economic Stimulus Team. “We have a recession-buster program for our dealers,” said Ron Passaglia, Restonic's president. The new beds retail at $599, $699 and $799.
“We felt that rather than have a traditional line change at this time we would offer an economic stimulus package that would have more impact for today's consumer,” Passaglia said. “These value price offerings we feel will be very meaningful for those who are looking for an affordable better night's sleep during these tough economic times.”
Englander's new American Spirit line starts at $399 and features two-sided models. It is part of a national Englander promotion that passes along savings achieved by Englander through volume purchasing by the group, said Kevin Toman, Englander's president.
Gold Bond also addresses sharp price points with its new Sacro Support Aristocrat, retailing at $599, while the Prestige Deluxe line, retailing at $699, features a matlasse knit fabric, a layer of memory foam and a steel box spring.
At the other end of the price spectrum, Hollandia International debuts a new “lean, green sleeping machine,” in the words of Hollandia President Avi Barssessat. The sleep system has a high-gloss green finish and offers a compact design featuring drawers for storage under the bed and in the headboard. It comes with an iPod docking station. The complete system, including a king-sized mattress, retails for $23,000.
Carpe Diem, a high-end Swedish mattress line, makes its U.S. debut at World Market Center C-1360. The beds offer Swedish craftsmanship and natural raw materials at prices ranging from $6,000 to $23,000.
Accessories supplier DreamFit is introducing a new, flexible business strategy designed to help retailers make it through these tough times. “We choose to defy the pessimism created by the current business climate,” said Bob Pearce, director of sales and marketing. “We expect significant growth in 2009, and 2009 is just the beginning.”
DreamFit is working with Atlanta-based Info Retail on new display and marketing strategies, which the company is rolling out in Las Vegas, and which will help retailers boost their sales tickets, company officials say.
That's also a theme at Seahawk Designs, whose Sto-A-Way bed base and storage system is a nice add-on sale, officials say. “We have found that when our retailers have committed to integrating the Sto-A-Way option into every sale that they are having tremendous success and adding 35% or more to the bottom line of the sale,” said Bill Jahn, president.
New adjustable bases are a key introduction at Reverie. “Our mission has always been to deliver innovative products with true value-added features at the highest quality for less money than our competitors,” said Martin Rawls-Meehan, manager of the Reverie brand in North America.
Reverie is also adding a line of innerspring and latex mattresses paired with the new adjustable bed bases.
Spirit Sleep is offering its new “Better Than a Box Spring System,” designed to work with any mattress. It adjusts from 10 inches to 19 inches in height, and offers under-bed storage containers.
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