Mattress consumers looking for deals
And the winners are $599 and $699.
Those were the leading prices touted by two top bedding retailers in ads for those all-important Fourth of July sales earlier this month. And they underscore a basic fact about these tough times: Consumers are looking for good deals.
The $599 price was for a Sealy ultra-plush pillow-top queen set, and that was a closeout price, said the Mattress Firm ad. It added that consumers would “save $200 off our low price of $799.” In addition, the ad noted that consumers could get these lowest prices “while supplies last.”
I liked the headline on the ad: “Invest in yourself today.” That’s a great thought to plant with consumers: A good bed is an
investment in their health.
The $699 price (queen mattresses started at that price) was touted by Select Comfort in an ad in USA Weekend magazine. Like Mattress Firm, it sought to create a sense of urgency with consumers, noting that its “incredible savings” were available “this week only.”
Select Comfort also touted a 50% savings story and three years of no interest on all beds — messages it highlighted in bright circles. But the biggest feature of the ad was the picture of a couple lying on a sleep set, she on a softer side and he on a firmer side. That adjustable comfort story continues to resonate with consumers.
It’s going to be a long, hot summer. Expect more ads like those in the months to come.
Steve commented:
David; unfortunately that is what is going on in California thanks to the glut of manufacturers and distributors like Acme, Poundex, Maxwin etc. that all selling imported mattresses on the cheap. Most furniture stores we sell to ask for price first and foremost and the reason we always get is "the customers want something cheap". We sell a better quality product but can only do so much to push quality when the consumer can not afford it and the stores refuse to carry.
John Bell commented:
Derrick, 92% of Americans are paying their mortgages on time. Hamburgers? Hamburgers are delicious, loved all over the world. SUVs? How else is a family supposed to haul themselves and their gear? Are they supposed to take the bus or walk? Currently, Americans have access to more quality goods than ever before produced domestically and abroad. The American way? It's better than any other. More people have a better quality of life than anywhere else in the world. The United States is the land of opportunity and a beacon of freedom for the entire planet.
David Perry commented:
Thanks, all, for the posts. Steve: You make some good points, but I can't believe that most consumers don't care about their quality of sleep. Derrick: Your view of Americans is off base. Sorry. And Barry: Thanks for your kind words!
Barry Brown commented:
Thanks for the brilliant insightful journalism David!
Derrick Morris commented:
Aren't you americans all about buying quantity rather than quality? All your big cheap foreclosed suburban homes and televisions and suvs and hamburgers and financing... since when is this a new phenomenon? Isn't it the american way to buy lots of junk rather than something manufactured with quality and integrity?
Steve commented:
Unfortunately most consumers and stores are not interested in quality of sleep. Its the whole walmart mentality of cheap, cheap, cheap. Consumers are bombarded by these types of ads daily regardless of the product being sold. Most consumers are struggling to pay bills and price is beating value. We are so used to paying for cheap goods being manufactured outside the USA that alot of the people buying these cheap goods lost their jobs because of the outsourcing.
