Bedding business brisk
Buyers respond to innovation, comfort
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 14, 2003
High Point — Bedding retailers put the pieces in place for a strong second half as buyers snapped up new bedding lines here, showing an appetite for innovative lines that emphasize comfort.
Specialty sleep products, always strong in the comfort arena, again did well.
The strong retail response to Sealy's new single-sided Posturepedic line was the biggest bedding news of the market, but other bedding lines also scored. Traffic was spotty in some bedding showrooms, but the retailers who were here were making plans for what many expect to be a much-improved second half.
"There's no question that overall traffic was down," said Denny Boyd, president of Boyd Specialty Sleep. "But there's also no question our traffic was better. Our numbers were slightly up and we saw some good people. Retailers are putting more specialty sleep products on their floors."
Boyd did well with a waterbed that fits conventional bedding configurations.
Larry Klein, director of sales at specialty sleep producer Natura, said, "Once again I saw less people in the hallways. This is a continuing trend. But the people that were here were here for a reason. They were looking for ways to show value to their customers."
Serta, which again showed with Largo, was pleased with its market.
"High Point was better than ever for Serta this year," said Bob Malin, vice president of marketing. "We saw many old friends and established many new friendships. We look forward to continuing our relationship at High Point with Largo."
Kingsdown introduced improvements to its DormoDiagnostics computerized custom comfort system, which tells consumers which beds are best for them. "The retail response was unbelievable," said Pat Flippin, president. "This system is easy for consumers and retailers to understand. It's a logical choice to sell better bedding."
Kingsdown's Co-Z products, which offer different comfort levels in the same mattress, won "tremendous placements," Flippin said. Those products are being offered at $2,999 in queen, and typify the way "Kingsdown is marketing up while the rest of the industry is marketing down."
Visco-elastic bedding did well in a growing number of showrooms, including Strobel, a longtime player in that category which offers a visco line from $799 to $2,999 retail.
"Dealers came in and asked what we had in visco," said President Mark Strobel. "There is more awareness of visco."
Temper-Pedic, whose aggressive marketing of its visco products is credited with creating strong consumer awareness of the category, had another strong market.
Englander, whose new lines include visco and latex in the mix, enjoyed an excellent market, said David Clark, vice president. Response to the new encased-coil Tension Ease line, retailing from $499 to $999, was "phenomenal," he said.
"Retailers are getting squeezed on margins," he added. "We have a line retailers can make excellent margins on."
At higher price points, Englander's new 21st Century line was well received. Fraenkel, an Englander licensee that also markets its own lines, said the adjustable comfort feature of the 21st Century line was a hit.
"Customers love to have choices," said Brian Akchin, Fraenkel vice president. "The individual can choose what they want in comfort. That eliminates the potential of high-dollar mattress returns."
Hypnos, a high-end British line now being marketed here, continued to see growing interest in its bedding. "We haven't failed (to win placements) with anyone we got in front of and presented the program," said Adrian Jones, director of sales.
