Sleep to Live stores offer glimpse of retailing's future

Kingsdown’s new Sleep to Live stores present an intriguing glimpse of the future of mattress retailing. Or should we say “sleep science” retailing?Sure, there are mattresses in the stores. But there is so much more than just sleep sets, and it is those additional elements that really set these stores apart.

Importantly, there are interactive kiosks where consumers can learn more about what goes into a good night’s sleep. Mattresses, it turns out, are but one arm of the “sleep triangle.” The other arms - behavior and environment - also get their due in this sleep science shop. It is Kingsdown’s goal, according to CEO Eric Hinshaw, to educate consumers about all three arms of the sleep triangle.

This holistic approach to sleep is critical, because a good mattress by itself may not be enough to provide a good night of sleep. Kingsdown understands that, and is going to great lengths to give consumers empowering information that can help them break out of a cycle of sleeplessness. Consumers who answer basic questions about their health and sleep behavior, and who lie down on a diagnostic mattress in the Sleep to Live stores, are given a printed sleep prescription that contains not only mattress recommendations, but tips about behavioral and environmental factors they should consider.

I visited the new Sleep to Live store in Raleigh, N.C., last month and was extremely impressed with what I saw. The “virtual concierge,” a perky woman whose image greeted me as I entered the store, is a clever touch. This is one sales associate who never has a bad day; she is invariably happy to see me and warmly welcomes me into the store.

I learned more about the science of sleep as I watched screens above and to the side of the diagnostic bed that took more than a dozen readings of me. Screens around that room provided a sense of privacy, something consumers want but don’t often get in sleep shops.

The store is white and airy and invites exploration. “Sleep enhancers” - everything from sleep masks to moisture-wicking sheets - are displayed throughout the store. Pillows are featured in their own display area.

These new Sleep to Live stores, five of which are in central North Carolina, are retail laboratories. Consumers will help dictate changes in the formula.

Kingsdown will offer versions of the concepts in the stores to retailers visiting the producer at the Venetian at next month’s Las Vegas Market.

While I would recommend some changes here and there in how the stores present sleep information and in how they are merchandised, I believe Kingsdown is definitely on the right track with its education-rich approach to mattress retailing. We are not just selling mattresses; information can change a sleep-deprived consumer’s life.