Blacker's wins national attention in competition
David Perry -- Furniture Today, November 18, 2011
Blacker’s has a large mattress department and says the categ
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - A full moon looked down on this peaceful and pleasant city, a retail hub that draws shoppers from a 100-mile radius. It was the end of a beautiful autumn day here, one filled with a beehive of activity on the local mattress scene.
On this day, the stars in the mattress industry lined up in just the right way to shine a spotlight on Blacker's Complete Home Furnishings here. It wasn't just moonlight that was gleaming in Idaho Falls.
The retailer, which also operates a store in Blackfoot, Idaho, received national attention when one of its retail sales associates, Collin Cook, took top honors in Leggett & Platt's Sleep Geek contest. RSAs from around the country participated in the contest, which challenged their knowledge of the mattress industry and of bedding components supplier Leggett & Platt.
Mark Quinn, L&P's vice president of marketing, residential, presented the $10,000 grand prize winnings to Cook and the Blacker's team. Collin Cook's share is $5,000; the store gets an equal amount.
The award presentation illuminated a retail market that is surprisingly vibrant, and one that serves an eclectic consumer base consisting of barley and potato farmers, cattle and sheep ranchers, nuclear engineers and well-to-do retirees, among others. Here, far from the hustle and bustle of the bigcity sleep shops and furniture stores, Collin Cook, anointed as "Geek Overlord" by L&P, quietly goes about his work.
His success goes to show that the business of mattresses is an important one across the country, even in small markets like this.
Idaho, of course, is famous for its prowess with potatoes. Nearby Bingham County is the largest potato-producing county in the U.S., and it is home to the Idaho Potato Museum, where the world's largest potato greets tourists.
But the state also has deep roots in the nuclear power industry. A nuclear reactor first produced electricity for a city near here way back in 1951. The Idaho National Laboratory is a big employer today and keeps the nuclear economy humming.
Idaho Falls (2010 population: 56,813) has been on a number of "best places to live" lists.
What's selling in this idyllic retail setting?
"We sell a lot of specialty beds," Cook said. Sales of Serta's new iComfort gel memory foam beds are strong, as are sales of Tempur-Pedic's memory foam models. Those lines are helping boost sales tickets, generating significant dollar volume at Blacker's, the retailer reports. The Simmons line is also a strong performer.
Bedding, in general, does well at Blacker's.
"You have to own a bed," Cook said. "Beds are a big part of what we sell. We devote a big part of our showroom to beds. It's important to us."
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