Mattress industry should sell dreams
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, May 24, 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The mattress industry must sell dreams if it wants to elevate its image, boost its selling prices and give consumers a better shopping experience.
That's the vision of Cindy Williams, vice president of retail strategy for Atlanta-based Info Retail, who outlined for her Bedding Conference audience how other industries successfully sell dreams — and boost sales tickets.
She began with retailer Sephora — “the pearly gates experience of cosmetics” — which sells something far more powerful than cosmetics: Youth.
“I had a dream when I went into that store,” Williams said. “I wanted to look younger.” Her sales associate “did not sell me make up, she sold me youth. And people will spend more money on youth than make up.”
Then she looked at clothing stores that accessorize clothing and present it in compelling displays, and moved on to appliance stores, where “beautiful vignettes” provide a change from the “sea of white.” She ended up, of all places, at Bass Pro Shops, where “the sales people are fishermen and the environment puts you in the wilderness.”
Lingering on that last example, Williams contrasted Bass Pro Shops to Wal-Mart. Consumers can buy fishing tackle at both retailers, she said — but they won't get any sales help at Wal-Mart, while Bass Pro Shops will help them catch “the ginormous bass.” She illustrated that example by loading an audience volunteer up with handfuls of fishing gear that a Bass Pro Shops salesman might recommend.
After surveying those fields of dreams, she turned to the subject at hand: The mattress industry. And what is the dream there? Get at least 50% off, Williams said.
The problem, she continued, is that mattress retailers aren't selling a great shopping experience. “What if consumers could walk into a mattress store and felt like they were walking into their dream bedroom?” she asked. In that environment, the consumers won't be haggling over prices, Williams observed.
The mattress industry can get to that place if retailers and producers work together, she added.
“Plenty of industries have taken a chance, and so can the mattress industry,” she said, recommending that retailers hire a “chief experience officer” to improve the shopping experience.
You don't have to change everything at once, Williams continued. Try three new retail concepts in three stores. Measure what happens.
“Take one step at a time to make your changes,” she said. “It's not so overwhelming when you do that. And get outside help if you need it.”
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