Bedding's star rising at High Point market
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, November 11, 2002
One problem with the High Point market, a bedding producer friend tells me, is that you get only 15 minutes of a busy retailer's time. Many of the bedding buyers who come to High Point have other buying responsibilities, and they just don't have much time for bedding producers.
The producer was explaining to me why his company doesn't show in High Point. He's a member of a club that is growing smaller. Majors Serta and Simmons were in the bedding mix in High Point last month, joining Sealy in rounding out the presence of bedding's Elite Three.
Other conventional producers in High Point included Therapedic, the new Englander, Kingsdown, Bemco, United Sleep, Fraenkel and newcomer Hypnos.
Hypnos is a British-based producer that is entering the U.S. market with the Royal Comfort Collection, produced under license by Jamison. The luxury bedding line carries the Royal Warrants of the Queen and Queen Mother. That's a big deal on the other side of the pond, and an interesting story on this side.
In case you are wondering about the name, Hypnos was the ancient Greek god of ... hypnotism. Just kidding. In reality, Hypnos was the ancient Greek god of sleep. I'm serious about that.
The specialty sleep contingent included Halcyon Waterspring, Boyd, Comfortaire, Tempur-Pedic, Gold Bond, Natura, The Big Sleep and Wolf, among others.
It was an unusually active bedding market.
Simmons created the biggest market buzz, rolling out a number of innovative new lines and marketing programs. The company's showroom at the Grandover Resort was literally swarming with top bedding retailers. Chairman Charlie Eitel estimated that swarm represented about half the company's volume.
I asked some of the bedding producers showing at market if they agreed with the "15 minutes of attention" comment made by one former High Point exhibitor. Most disagreed, or said that even 15 minutes of time with their dealers — and prospects — is time well spent.
"Retailers have lots of things on their minds at market," said Serta President Ed Lilly, "but if we have something important to talk about, they give us the time we need. It is an opportunity for us to see a lot of customers in a short period of time. I think the retailers like that too."
Serta, which exhibited with Largo in a striking, Connie Post-designed Retreat to Sleep gallery, plans to be back in High Point for the next show. Simmons will continue its strategy of using the High Point market for major introductions.
Sealy executives enjoy productive "top-to-top" business reviews with their retailers at market, according to Mark Hobson, corporate vice president of marketing.
It all adds up to plenty of important activities in showrooms from Trinity (Sealy's home) to the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, with several key stops in High Point.
Bedding, clearly, is on the ascent in High Point.
