Focused approach helps Paul Rich & Sons score sales
David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 18, 2011
Paul Rich & Sons occupies an entire city block in Pittsfield, Mass.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Furniture stores seeking to improve their bedding business could look to full-line furniture retailer Paul Rich & Sons here for some helpful suggestions.
Paul Rich & Sons occupies an entire block in downtown Pittsfield, where it has expanded a number of times in its almost 30-year history.
Tom Rich, one of the company's founders, says the retailer is doing well in bedding with a focused approach.
"Steady advertising is key," Rich said. "We have placed ads more regularly in recent months and we've noticed more in-store traffic as a result."
What is working on the advertising front?
"We find that direct mail and print ads work really well for us," Rich said. "We also use inserts to promote special deals or events. The great thing about bedding is that it is easy to track the effectiveness of an ad through in-store traffic and the amount of business. People wake up in the morning knowing their mattress needs to be replaced, they see our ad in the paper, and they immediately think to go out and purchase a new mattress."
Another reason for the bedding growth at Paul Rich & Sons is an emphasis on selling the benefits of a good night's sleep.
"Consumers are not always interested in the technical features behind a mattress, such as the coil count," Rich observed. "More often consumers are concerned with comfort and want to know what this product will do for their body and mind. This helps our salespeople connect with the consumer on a more personal level."
Like a number of furniture stores succeeding in the bedding category, Paul Rich has a dedicated bedding department. The 2,500-square-foot space on the lower level of the store provides an "intimate showroom" that helps put customers at ease, Rich said.
"Not everyone is comfortable trying out mattresses," he noted, "but our private atmosphere away from the flow of other shoppers helps them feel at ease and relaxed when testing our high-end mattresses."
Another key is offering unique products. While most bedding producers have switched to single-sided mattresses, Paul Rich still does a big business with two-sided beds from Shifman Mattresses. Two sides are often better than one, the retailer says.
Paul Rich & Sons features a video in its bedding gallery that shows consumers how Shifman makes its handcrafted beds. Consumers enjoy that behind-the-scenes look at how those beds are created, Rich said.
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