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High Point Market Fall 2008: New bedding players in town

New companies include Kindel, Restonic, Otis Bedding

David Perry -- Furniture Today, October 21, 2008

AT THE MARKET - New bedding producers and new bedding lines are raising the profile of the mattress category in the Furniture Capital of the World.

The biggest bedding news here is the debut of the new Martha Stewart mattress line, Martha Stewart: The Good Bed, being shown at Market Square in a second-floor showroom that evokes the feel of a stylish Manhattan loft.

The mattress line, starting at $1,299 and topping out at $3,999, features embroidered names and a concise merchandising story, company officials said.

"Martha is providing consumers with the ability to make informed shopping decisions," said Rob Casey, president of Martha Stewart: The Good Bed.

Another bedding newcomer is Kindel Furniture, which is selling its own brand of mattresses made under private label by Hypnos. The three new sleep sets are offered with seven new bed styles that mark Kindel's largest presentation of bedroom furniture in the company's history.

"Our new lines of bedroom furniture and agreement with Hypnos underscore Kindel's return to its roots, because we started out as a bed-making company," said Jonathan Smith, Kindel's CEO and president. "Hypnos shares our philosophy that there is a sizable segment of consumers who appreciate products that stand the test of time, and we feel now is the time to more thoroughly serve this segment with quality bedroom frames, box springs and mattresses."

Added Adrian Jones, vice president of sales and marketing for high-end bedding producer Hypnos, which is showing the line in the Kindel showroom here: "We appreciate the emphasis that Kindel places on the value of a product that lasts for decades."

Also new this market is Top 15 bedding producer Restonic, which has a space at the Bedding Center at Plaza Suites. Restonic's Alliance Sleep Products licensee, which has a plant in Fayetteville, N.C., is showing new high-end and promotional models. The producer's "Falling Prices" event features seven beds retailing from $499 to $799.

"Retailers need to offer value in these challenging times," said Laurie Tokarz, a Restonic vice president. "Instead of looking at $1,299, consumers are looking for $699 beds. They have less disposable income."

Showing with Restonic is Outlast, which offers temperature-regulating technology in a branded program of pillows, mattress pads and pillow protectors. Outlast technology is also used in five of Restonic's sleep sets.

Guy Eckert, executive vice president of Outlast Technologies, said the products are geared toward "the fastest-growing segment of the population - Boomer women."

New designs are also in the spotlight at Otis Bedding, which is introducing its new iForm Bright Mornings mattress in the Lifestyle Solutions showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center, space M-632. That mattress features the company's new "Telescoping Supports" system of encased coils, paired with temperature-regulating Celsion latex foam and BodyClimate performance fabrics by Polartec.

In addition, that mattress has a zipper cover that enables consumers to renew various components to extend the life of the mattress.

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New bedding players, lines debut

Nov 2, 2008

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