New bedding players, lines debut
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, November 3, 2008
HIGH POINT — New bedding producers and new bedding lines raised the profile of the mattress category in the Furniture Capital of the World.
The biggest bedding news here was the debut of the new Martha Stewart mattress line: Martha Stewart: The Good Bed, shown at Market Square in a second-floor showroom that evoked 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.
“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 was Kindel, which is selling its own brand of mattresses made under private label by Hypnos. The three new sleep sets were offered with several new bed styles that marked 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.”
Also new this market was Top 15 bedding producer Restonic, represented by the company's Alliance Sleep Products licensee. 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 was 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.”
Also returning to the market was Top 15 producer Corsicana, showing in the Bedding Center.
New designs were in the spotlight at Otis Bedding Manufacturing, which showed its iForm Bright Mornings mattress. That mattress features the new “Telescoping Supports” system of encased coils, paired with temperature-regulating Celsion latex foam and BodyClimate performance fabrics by Polartec.
Martha Stewart adds mattress line
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