HFIA members share tips on best practices
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, June 12, 2006
Henderson, Nev. — A consistent schedule of promotions, a mattress giveaway, a trip to Sweden and "take-with" pricing are some of the tools successful bedding retailers are using to drive business.
Members of the Home Furnishings International Assn., appearing on a panel at Furniture/Today's Bedding Conference, shared those tips and others in a Best Bedding Practices session. HFIA President Mary Frye moderated the session. HFIA was a co-sponsor of the conference here.
She asked each of the retailers to describe a good bedding promotion.
Doug Brashears, president of two-unit Brashears Furniture in Berryville, Ark., said his company occasionally gives away a mattress. The customer must go through the sales process and then gets to choose the bed that he or she wants. The process is exciting for the customer and for the sales force, and gives the retailer a list of pre-qualified customers the store can follow up with later, he said.
Serena Cole, owner of two Duxiana stores in the Dall-as/Fort Worth market, offered a trip to Sweden, where Dux beds are manufactured, to the winner of a 10th anniversary promotion.
Gary Mutter, co-owner of Bedding Plus and Doerr Furniture, two operations in the New Orleans market, said "free" is a good word in his promotions. Also, during closeout sales he offers 50%-off on floor samples to clear them out, and offers an extra $50 off if customers will take the bedding with them.
Steve Kidder, owner of three-unit Vermont Furniture Galleries, based in Williston, Vt., said a "non-promotion promotion" worked for him. He said a store redesign and a focus on alternative sleep — with no mention of prices — helped him double his volume and boost his average unit selling price.
The panelists also were asked how they sell better bedding.
Brashears advised, "Start at the top and work down." He has done well with Kingsdown's Dormo Diagnostics line, which uses computer technology to find the right bed for each customer. He offers no-interest financing on premium beds. And he embraces the possibility of selling better beds. "Selling premium mattresses is a mindset," he said.
Cole said she has four high-end beds on her floor. She generally starts at the lower end of the line and works her way up, and has found that consumers tend to buy a king-sized bed retailing for $9,100.
Mutter said it doesn't make sense to sell low-end beds. "Why sell at $59 or $399 when you are not making any money?" he asked. "We are selling higher-end goods."
The panelists also were asked what change they would like to see in the bedding industry.
Mutter said he favors producers getting together, charging more for their products, and pooling some of that money to run commercials talking about the dangers of sleep deprivation and "making people more aware they need a good night's sleep."
Cole said the industry should "get rid of chemicals" in fire retardants and "teach people not to smoke in bed." Those comments drew applause from the audience.
Brashears said producers need to remain sensitive to the needs of retailers and the business demands they face.
Asked about opportunities in the industry, Mutter noted there is a lot of rebuilding going on in New Orleans. "We are looking to expand," he said. "If anyone needs a job, come on down."
Kidder said he would like to see "some concurrence on the warranty issue." Retailers could sell extended warranties, he noted, and add revenue to their businesses.
His comments got a boost later in the conference when Barrie Brown, CEO of Mattress Giant, based in Addison, Texas, called for shorter warranties and said that selling extended warranties is a good idea.
