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Boosting bedding in '07

Top execs have ideas to jump-start sales

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, December 31, 2006

Naples, Fla. — Bedding executives attending Furniture/ Today's Leadership Conference here last month offered a variety of strategies for jump-starting business this year.

The bedding industry has a great story to tell, they agreed, but needs to do a better job of getting the message out.

The conference attracted more than 220 home furnishings retailers, producers and suppliers, including a strong contingent from the bedding sector. The Big Three bedding producers — Sealy, Simmons and Serta — were there, as was fellow Top 10 producer Therapedic. In specialty sleep, producer Natura and supplier Latex International attended. The supplier ranks also included Leggett & Platt and Protect-All.

In interviews, executives responded to a question that looms large: How can the bedding industry kick-start business in what is expected to be a year of declining unit sales?

Sealy's Mark Hobson, vice president of sales, East, cautioned that there is no magic wand for bedding retailers. "As business becomes increasingly harder and more competitive," Hobson said, "there is no one single action, in my opinion, that the industry as a whole can take."

But he maintains that retailers and manufacturers can maximize resources and work together to drive bedding sales.

"That requires a mindset and an effort to first identify, and then rank, the key sales drivers from the strongest to the weakest," Hobson said. "Once ranked, plans can be made to maintain the strongest performers and correct or improve the under-performers. This approach requires some resources and effort to be applied up front, but the investment would result in sales and profit returns for the retailer."

Charlie Eitel, Simmons chairman, says the industry must find better ways to tell its story.

"The bedding industry still has so much upside," Eitel said. "It's a very misunderstood and under-communicated category. There are still millions of people who don't realize the difference that a bed can make in their life. We can communicate the message that we have new technology and that we are all getting better. As a result, the consumer will sleep better. Overall, the whole industry is doing better with marketing, communications and technical improvements."

Therapedic President Gerry Borreggine agrees that selling the importance of a good night's sleep is critical.

"If we all invested individually in telling our stories in product innovations, and leveraged that with the angle of better sleep," he said, "that might draw attention to our category and take dollars that are going to things like flat-screen TVs. Right now they are cleaning our clock."

Borreggine said the health and medical aspects of better sleep offer the potential to substantially boost bedding sales. He cited the example of the toothbrush industry, which has boosted sales with sophisticated electric toothbrushes that deliver more health benefits, and provide higher sales tickets.

Mark Quinn, group executive vice president in sales and marketing in Leggett & Platt's bedding unit, also sees untapped potential.

"We have an opportunity to tell our story to consumers," he said. "We have to look at our industry as what it could be instead of what it is. There is so much upside potential."

Will Veitch, vice president of sales at Latex International, had a pragmatic suggestion for bedding retailers.

"Retailers should never lose confidence in their advertising," he said. "Maybe they can find creative ways to generate additional traffic. If they stop spending on advertising, things will only get worse."

Dave Powers, president of Protect-All, said that in a tough sales climate, retailers can benefit by selling sleep accessories.

"Retailers need to look for ways for their salespeople to compensate themselves," he said. "Items like latex pillows and bed protection products give the sales associates a way to augment their income. And they provide a way to add value to the sale. Those kinds of products really do help consumers."

Ralph Rossdeutscher, president of Natura, said he is fortunate to be reaping the rewards of strong interest in specialty sleep products.

"For me," he said, "business is already jump-started. The specialty sleep and bedding accessories categories are extremely strong and are growing exponentially. And the accessories are helping our mattress sales."

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