Sleeptronic has camo mattress
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2007
Dallas — Regional bedding producer Sleeptronic, which roared into the market this fall with animal print ticking, is now seeking to cover its tracks with camouflage.
The company's newest bed, covered with digital camouflage ticking from Truetimber, continues Sleeptronic's quest to find mattress customers in unlikely places.
"Sleeptronic has taken the unusual step of designing a mattress that is targeted squarely at men," said Anthony Klatt, director of marketing and sales. "Every hunter in America should have one of these mattresses. I grew up hunting deer and quail and know that market well. It is no surprise that this product is selling like crazy."
The new Woodsman 1000 model, retailing at $399, is the first in a planned series of sports-themed products in the new Outdoorsman — Expedition Bedding collection. It will be shown at the Tupelo market this week.
Klatt said the camouflage bed bucks conventional wisdom.
"It appears that most bedding producers have one target market in mind — wealthy women from metropolitan areas," he said. While Sleeptronic has product that appeals to that group, it also targets other consumer groups with distinctive product, including the Woodsman bed and the models with animal print ticking in the Seven Continents collection.
The Woodsman bed features Truetimber's Mixed Pine pattern, which Paige Sellars, Truetimber president, describes as "a subtle mixture of pine boughs and oak leaves, with a few pine cones tossed about." She said the colors blend in natural, rustic tones.
South Carolina-based Truetimber says it uses a 15-color palette and a heat-transfer printing process to achieve a realistic look.
The company already has been in the home furnishings market with covers for recliners and other upholstery. And it has found that men aren't the only ones who like outdoor patterns.
"We are pleasantly surprised that so many women are excited over our camouflage furniture," said Jan Skinner, vice president of product development at Truetimber. "With the consumer's swing to casual dress in the workplace and in home decorating, our patterns are a 'natural' fit. In all walks of life, we constantly hear 'green space ... more green space.' Our patterns allow consumers to bring nature into their homes."
Sleeptronic has partnered with furniture wholesaler C&L Supply to bring the Woodsman to market. C&L is stocking the bed at its distribution centers and is the exclusive distributor in its eight-state service area.
At this week's Tupelo Furniture Market, Sleeptronic shows in space 4022 in the Tupelo Complex Building IV. For this show it acquired an additional 1,500 square feet of temporary space it named the "Safari Annex" in honor of the leopard, tiger and zebra ticking in the Seven Continents collection.
