My retail bedding foray proves exercise in futility
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, May 19, 2003
One of my retail readers had a tough question for me: "I was wondering: Have you ever worked in the retail bedding industry? I think a lot of times you get totally off the subject," i.e. get too far away from the retail side of the business.
That question deserves an answer. And the answer is: No, I have never sold bedding at retail. But, dear retail friend, I did try. Sadly, I was 0-for-2 in the brutal world of mattress retailing.
A while back I spent an enjoyable day in Philadelphia with Gerry Borreggine, a good friend of mine who is a longtime bedding retailer (40 Winks) and who now works mostly on the promotion side of the business with AllMedia Design Group. I told him that one of my goals was to work on the sales floor and try to sell some bedding.
We started our day together at the original 40 Winks store. We arrived before the store opened, which gave me a chance to familiarize myself with the products and get ready for that all-important first customer. A few minutes later the door opened and a friendly man walked in. This was my big chance. I stepped forward and said hello ... to the mailman.
That mailman has been a very good customer over the years, Gerry told me later. But it didn't seem right for me to hit up the mailman for a new mattress, so I spared him my pitch, which, admittedly, was only vaguely formulated in my mind.
Later that day Gerry drove me to one of the newest 40 Winks stores, where his sister, Holly Dugan, is the manager. It was a bright, attractive, well-merchandised store. I was quite sure it would help me sell a bed or two.
It being early in the week, the sleep shops weren't exactly crawling with customers. So I was ready to pounce on the first customer who walked in. This turned out to be a woman who was talking on a cell phone.
Here was another challenge: How do you greet a customer who's on the phone? I didn't know how to handle that one, so Gerry's dad, who was visiting the store, took over. He smiled at the woman but didn't get a chance to strike up a conversation. She looked around, kept her phone conversation going the whole time, then walked out.
And that was the end of my noble experiment. Two strikeouts and I was done for the day. I hadn't even come close to selling a bed. I guess I'm just not cut out for sales.
Actually, this might not be the end of the story. I still want to sell bedding, and I've heard enough about the importance of a good night's sleep to think I might actually be able to sell some high-end beds. If you are an adventuresome retailer and wouldn't be overly depressed if a reporter-turned-salesman botched some perfectly good sales opportunities, give me a call.
Hey, this time I'll even try to sell the mailman.
