New bedding products stir interest
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 24, 2004
At The Market — At The Market— Buyers liked new bedding lines, including a broad assortment of specialty sleep offerings, and didn't balk at some higher prices for innerspring models.
Strong orders should keep visco and latex bedding on the upswing, and also will solidify assortments of conventional innerspring bedding models.
Therapedic did well with its new four-model visco lineup and also found support for updated display materials on its latex PureTouch line. Those materials include color-coordinated foot protectors, dust ruffles, display banners and pillow sachets, according to Gerry Borreggine, vice president of sales and marketing.
"Traffic has been brisk in our showroom," reported Mark Hobson, senior vice president of marketing at Sealy. "Dealers were very pleased with the new products we introduced. The new Bassett DreamMaker line has a meaningful point of difference versus our other brands, and brings superior construction and outstanding value versus the competition."
Hobson said retailers "responded enthusiastically" to the company's new "It's a Sealy" TV spots, and many expressed interest in promoting Sealy's role with the U.S. Olympic team.
Kingsdown got a "phenomenal" response to its promotion for the Children's Miracle Network, said Tom McLean, senior vice president. "A number of retailers see the value of social marketing."
Eric Hinshaw, Kingsdown's CEO, said he was pleased to see furniture stores stepping up their commitment to bedding.
"We have seen much more interest by furniture stores in their bedding sales and in their bedding department, and in the future of bedding in their total package," he said.
Fire-resistant bedding lines were well received, according to two bedding companies offering those products.
Serta said its new FR bedding continues to gain ground.
"We continue to see more and more enthusiasm for the value our FireBlocker system brings to consumers and retailers alike," said Tim Close, vice president of marketing communications. "We've had lots of interest from those retailers we don't sell who want to learn more about it, and the people we do sell are gaining enthusiasm and want more marketing support because they are getting a good response."
Carolina Mattress Guild continues to see support build for its Safe Dreams line of fire-resistant bedding. "It is growing and growing," said Neal Grigg, president.
Comfor-Pedic, a new visco bedding vendor, said it will incorporate FR protection in its entire Chinese-made lineup by July. "In everything we do, we try to set the standard," said Jack Squires, president. "We want to be on the leading edge of comfort and safety."
He said FR protection is good for consumers. "To spend a little more to increase your safety in a fire is a pretty small price to pay for insurance," Squires said.
Futon leader Gold Bond, showing on the 14th floor of the International Home Furnishings Center, says retailers are optimistic about business in the coming months.
"Retailers' advertising plans for May are significantly ahead of where they were last year," said President Bob Naboicheck. "That's the ultimate indication of their confidence."
Naboicheck said he saw the people he wanted to see. "All of our important customers were here," he said.
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Bedding enjoys solid market
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