FR feature proves tough benefit to sell
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, June 12, 2006
Henderson, Nev. — The president of Serta, the first major bedding producer to aggressively market the fire-retardant features of its mattresses, now admits the effort was a mistake.
During a panel discussion at Furniture Today's bedding conference here, Serta President Bob Sherman said the effort failed to resonate with dealers and consumers. As a result, the company is redirecting the marketing dollars that had been set aside for the program.
"As a marketing tool, I wouldn't recommend it," Sherman said. "It was not on our list of successes."
The company launched the marketing campaign before he became president, but Sherman said he continued the effort for several months before realizing it was having little or no impact on sales.
"We are not going to market FR going forward," he told conference attendees.
Panel member Larry McKay, president of Comfort Solutions by King Koil, said he wasn't surprised the effort didn't work. He said few dealers and even fewer consumers would put fire retardency on their list of the 10 more important features of a mattress.
"I don't see it as a marketable benefit to consumers," McKay said.
Flammability issues have been at the forefront among producers in recent months, with new federal regulations regarding mattress flammability set to take effect July 1, 2007.
The manufacturers' panel also included discussions on the potential impact of Chinese-made bedding in the U.S. market, the benefits of a single-vendor versus a multi-vendor store, and the effect of frequent line changes by producers.
Gerry Borreggine, president of Therapedic, said he doubts Chinese imports will affect bedding the way they have affected case goods.
"The furniture industry model is broken, but the bedding industry model is not," he said. "I don't think it's going to change our industry like it did the furniture industry."
Sherman, whose company generates about 80% of its sales through Serta-only stores, was very supportive of single-vendor stores, while Simmons Chairman Charlie Eitel endorsed multi-vendor stores.
Eitel noted that even Sleep Country USA, a Kent, Wash.-based retailer owned by Simmons, doesn't carry the Simmons brand exclusively.
"A multi-vendor strategy is especially effective in smaller markets," Eitel told the audience.
Sherman said most consumers don't realize they're entering a store that only carries Serta products, and he doesn't think it would be an issue if they were aware of it.
"The consumer doesn't view it that way," he said. "Our strategy simply allows us to help the retailer meet his goals ... to grow his business."
