Better Bedding to sell Select Comfort line
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, March 14, 2005
Minneapolis — Select Comfort, the nation's No. 1 airbed manufacturer and retailer, has established a retail sales relationship with Better Bedding, a leading New England specialty chain.
Better Bedding, based in East Hartford, Conn., is headed by brothers John and Tom Wholley. It will feature Select Comfort's Sleep Number airbed in its 17 stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. This marks Select Comfort's first East Coast retail partnership.
Select Comfort continues to sell nearly 80% of its volume through its own 370 stores nationwide, and remains selective about adding retail partners, company officials said. About 5% of its volume is generated by other retailers, of which Better Bedding is the sixth.
The company continues to sell through Sleep Train in California, Sleep America in Phoenix, Benchmark in Kansas City, Furniture Enterprises in Alaska and C.S. Wo & Sons in Hawaii.
"We are partnering only with those retailers who share our commitment to improving peoples' lives by improving their sleep." said Keith Spurgeon, senior vice president of sales. "Better Bedding ensures that all 37 of its sales associates are certified as sleep experts by the National Sleep Foundation, and that they are dedicated to helping customers choose a mattress that will help them achieve a better night's sleep."
Select Comfort Chairman and CEO Bill McLaughlin said the company plans to increase its store base by almost 10% this year, "while pursuing new retail partners to supplement our company-owned distribution."
In 2004, 12% of Select Comfort's sales were through its direct marketing channel, and 5% through its Web site. The 5% generated by other retailers includes QVC.
