I received an interesting letter from Therapedic President Gerry Borreggine in response to my July 31 column, in which a retailer took issue with my call for one-year bedding warranties.

Borreggine writes: “I could list a myriad of reasons why I disagree with today’s (long) mattress warranties. However, I will limit my argument to one reason — they are dishonest.

“That’s right. Mattress warranties mislead consumers by giving them a false impression of the product’s ‘useful life.’ A 10-year, or worse yet, 20-year warranty implies that the product should perform as if it were new for that period of time. We know this is wrong.

“Regardless of the cost or quality of the mattress, it should be replaced well before the expiration of its warra...Read More

Mattress Firm, one of the country’s largest bedding specialty retailers, gave consumers several compelling reasons to buy with a recent single-page newspaper insert. We’ll take a detailed look at the insert in a moment. But first, a quick story about serendipity.

I was tossing in piles of old newspapers the other day at our neighborhood recycling bin. As the last pile headed toward the bin, a single sheet of paper shook loose and fluttered to the ground. It did not want to be recycled. I picked it up and found the aforementioned Mattress Firm insert. The bedding gods clearly wanted me to take another look at it.

The insert, a promotion for the key Memorial Day weekend, was loaded with promotional artillery. It began with a special purchase offer, backed by an “urgent” letter f...Read More

Our recent series of stories on the Chinese bedding industry has sparked some interesting responses, ranging from anger to appreciation. And those reactions say a lot about how different companies view the challenge of China. (Click here to see the exclusive report Inside China's Bedding Industry)

One school of thought holds that I devoted far too much space to what is happening in China, that I “glorified” Chinese mattress, fiber and foam factories. Why, these critics wonder, don’t I write about the advantages that U.S. companies have to offer in product innovations, strong marketing programs and fast customer service?

On the other end of the spectrum are the bedding executives who have thanked me for an insightful series of stories. One prod...Read More

Before we close the books on another strong bedding market in Las Vegas, let’s hand out some awards for notable achievements.

* Best limo ride: Simmons. Believe it or not, your humble bedding writer occasionally finds himself comfortably ensconced in a stretch limo, getting the lavish attention he so richly deserves. (Just trying to make you laugh.) This market, Simmons provided that perk to yours truly and to other members of the trade press. During the limo ride, Simmons executive Tim Oakhill provided a briefing on the new way Simmons is bringing products to market.

* Best product innovation: Technogel by Simmons. The producer did a nice job of telling the gel story in retail display and merchandising...Read More