Selling Sleep: Mattress love and hate

How would you describe your relationship with your mattress?

David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 21, 2013

Kudos to the Better Sleep Council for asking this question. This is a fun way to see how consumers feel about their mattress, and in some ways it's more instructive than the more conventional approach of scoring product satisfaction on a scale of one to 10.
     The results here read like an indictment of the mattress industry, with just one-third of consumers giving their mattress relationship top scores. It's clear that many consumers responding to this survey don't have a lot of love for their mattresses.
     Viewed in another light, these results provide a big opportunity for the industry. They call for new approaches in meeting consumers' sleep needs, with the possibility of delivering higher levels of consumer satisfaction.

Applying the findings

The male/female breakdown on satisfaction levels is instructive. Women are more likely to say they hate their mattress.
     This is yet another reminder that women are the primary decision makers - and are discriminating consumers. Some men say they can sleep on anything, but that's not a sentiment you would hear from a woman.
     These findings suggest that retail sales associates need to spend more time with female consumers, making sure the sleep set they select really meets their wants and their needs.

mattress love & hate

How would you describe your relationship with your mattress?

Key demographic differences

+ Women are more likely than men to describe their relationship with their mattress as “I hate it.”

+ Consumers 55 and older are more likely to describe their relationship with their mattress as “We’re best buds,” than 18-to-34 year olds.

Source: Better Sleep Council 2012 Consumer Survey