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Bedding business looks bouncy in Tupelo

With 20-some exhibitors, this market may be category's largest

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, February 27, 2005

Tupelo, Miss. — Bedding is off to a strong start this year, key exhibitors in the category here said.

They offered their assessments at a market that some say is the nation's leading bedding show. More than two dozen bedding producers show in Tupelo, an assemblage that rivals the bedding lineup in High Point in sheer number of exhibitors.

Bedding's Big Three — Sealy, Simmons and Serta — don't show their flagship innerspring lines in Tupelo, but just about everyone else in bedding is here. And they generally liked what happened at the market, saying that retailers were embracing the bedding category, a sign that a good bedding year is in the offing.

"Tupelo has been a very good bedding market for us," said Todd Nieting, vice president of sales and marketing at Symbol Mattress, a big independent producer. "Right now I think it is the strongest bedding market there is. High Point is not a bedding market, in our view."

Symbol, which doesn't show in High Point, exhibited its remerchandised product lines here.

"We've had a strong traffic flow in our showroom," Nieting said. "Dealers are very optimistic about business prospects this year. I've heard very positive things about retail this year. January was very strong for us."

The biggest bedding brand in Tupelo was Spring Air, whose Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala., operator had a strong show. Among the hits in that showroom were new Back Supporter Comfort Caress models with chocolate brown upholstery-like fabrics on the borders and box springs. The top panels on the beds, retailing from $1,299 to $2,499, are in more traditional off-white colors with embroidered accents.

"The retail reaction has been outstanding," said Jim Brooks, vice president of sales for the Spring Air licensee. "Retailers like that they can get more color on their floors. These beds are dramatic. Retailers like the look."

Therapedic was another bedding major in the Tupelo mix. That producer showed its new fire-resistant promotional Medicoil line, which Therapedic President Gerry Borreggine proclaimed "the hit in our showroom." He added, "The new line really struck a chord with our retailers. It was very well received."

Englander, another Top 10 producer, also did well. "We are off to a strong start this year," said David Clark, vice president. "January was very strong for us, although it softened up a little at the end of the month. But now it looks like business is picking up for us once again."

Englander successfully previewed its new "e-sleep Synergy" foam line, cushioned with visco-elastic and latex foams.

Traffic in the Englander showroom "has to have quadrupled from last market," Clark said.

Corsicana Bedding, another large independent, reported plenty of action before the market's official start on Thursday.

"We had people in all day on Tuesday," said Tim Tyler, sales manager. "Wednesday is typically a big day, and it was a very good day for us. We couldn't get around to everyone."

Corsicana specializes in bedding at promotional and medium price points. Its line tops out at about $799 for visco-cushioned beds from China. Most of its beds are produced in its growing network of U.S. bedding plants.

Hickory At Home did well with its new line of visco-elastic foam pillows and toppers, said Jim Wall, director of consumer products.

He said the visco toppers are a good alternative for retailers who might lose a bedding sale if consumers are turned off by the prices of visco mattresses.

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