Carlitz pursues dual branding
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 10, 2005
North Brunswick, N.J. — Stuart Carlitz has a 100-year-old brand and a dual-licensing concept that he says is gaining momentum.
He produces two bedding brands at his Bedding Inds. of America plant here, Eclipse and Therapedic. He is a Therapedic licensee, and he also produces and licenses the Eclipse brand, which is now celebrating its centennial.
Eclipse International has 11 U.S. licensees, two in Canada and 15 overseas. All of the U.S. licensees, with the exception of those in Florida, Texas and South Carolina, are dual licensees, meaning they produce two different bedding brands.
Until recently Carlitz himself held three licenses.
"We have parted ways with Restonic," he said, "but this allows us to emphasize our two other brands — Eclipse and Therapedic."
He asserts that dual-licenses are an idea whose time has come.
"I believe the multi-branding of factories throughout the U.S. has just begun and is building momentum," he said. "The best example of multi-branding is Sealy, which, in addition to producing the Sealy line, also produces Bassett and Stearns & Foster."
Eclipse is doing well, he said. "We had a great year in 2004, experiencing double-digit growth. Our factory in New Jersey, between Eclipse and Therapedic, had a tremendous year, up 36%. Most of our growth was in the Eclipse brand, but our Therapedic business also grew nicely in 2004."
Eclipse recently got a boost by signing a contract with the Congress of Chiropractic State Assns., which has endorsed the Eclipse Spinal Zone sleep system. Carlitz said the Congress is the largest chiropractic organization in the world, with more than 50,000 active, participating doctors. They will be introducing the benefits of the Eclipse Spinal Zone to their patients.
Eclipse is creating a marketing program centered on the endorsement, which will bring chiropractors to special events at retail stores.
No special anniversary is complete without some anniversary models to celebrate it, and Eclipse follows that bedding marketing maxim. Three beds are part of the Perfection Rest 100th Anniversary line. Two of the models are tight tops retailing at $599. The third, retailing at $799, is a Euro pillowtop featuring visco foam on top of an alternating-coil unit encased in foam. That model has a signature damask cover with "Eclipse 100th Anniversary" emblazoned in the ticking.
Those beds are flanked with specially priced models retailing from $499 to $1,999.
The promotion is tied to a dealer incentive trip scheduled for November 2005. A Caribbean cruise on a new Norwegian cruise ship awaits the dealers who qualify.
After all, Carlitz said, a 100th anniversary deserves some special recognition.
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