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RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boost
March 20, 2012
This week's business building lesson: Sell more sleep accessories.
Mattress retailers would always like more customers, especially on those lean weekdays, and smart retailers have long realized that selling more stuff to existing customers can be almost as helpful to their business as having more customers.
We recently quantified the value of add-on sleep accessory sales with a survey of furniture stores. We found that the average increase in ticket size with an add-on accessory is often in the $50 to $99 price range; 42% of responding furniture retailers cited that price range in telling us how accessories boost their tickets.
Another 29% said they get an average ticket increase of $100 to $199, while 17% reported average ticket increases of $200 and up. That means that almost half of the furniture stores are adding $100 or more to their tickets with sleep accessories items. At the other end of the spectrum, 12% of the respondents said their accessory add-on sales are less than $50.
Overall, those survey findings illustrate the importance of add-on sales, especially at a time when promotional bedding continues to sell well. A $200 add-on sale looks pretty healthy when it is paired with the sale of a $299 queen.
Our survey also found that add-on sales accompany mattress sales 40% of the time at furniture stores, and that mattress protectors are the most frequently purchased add-on sale item, followed by sleep pillows and adjustable bases.
How can furniture stores sell more sleep accessories? We asked those retailers that question and they provided a handy roadmap for success. Among the keys: Introduce sleep accessories early in the sales process and stress the benefits they provide. And the foremost of those benefits is the additional comfort that comes from a resilient topper or a smoothly functioning adjustable base or a so-comfy pillow.
To take a broader view, training of retail sales associates is critical. RSAs need to make a habit of introducing sleep accessories into the mattress-buying process.
It's a rare event when a server at a good restaurant fails to make a pitch for the desserts; "Did you save some room for dessert?" is a common question. Mattress RSAs can help their stores get their just deserts in the sleep accessories category by following that lead and presenting those accessories to each consumer they meet on the sales floor, and by beginning the pitch early in the process.
RSAs who treat sleep accessories as an afterthought face an uphill struggle to add them to the ticket. And that's not a good thing.
Our research shows that sleep accessories often add hundreds of dollars to the sale at furniture stores. Is your store getting its share of that business?
Posted by David Perry on March 20, 2012 |
Comments (9)
Industries:
Bedding
, Bedding (Themed)
March 23, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostSteve Chandler commented:
Not ashamed. Every industry is out to make money. We provide a wonderful service. Besides helping the world sleep better, we provide jobs for thousands upon thousands of families. Plus it cost a fraction ofwhat health care cost. I can not tell you how many warranties I have seen refussed because of a stain. Because that RSA did not do their job and offer a protecror. Those with out sin cast the first stone.
March 22, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostTalking Smack commented:
Who is Pete Primeau?
March 22, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostPete Primeau commented:
Whover doesn't put their real name up on the comments when they are talking smack is the one who should be ashamed of themselves. Oh I guess you are ashamed of yourself since you won't identify yourself!
March 22, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostWarren Littrell commented:
Ashamed, your "holier than thou attitude" is alarming. If they can upsell you at McDonalds, Jiffy Lube and most every other place then what is the big rub? The last time I checked the client has the right to say NO! I am not aware of any 30 year mortgages in the mattress retail industry.
March 21, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostAshamed of this Industry commented:
"Selling more stuff" and "sales malpractice".....boy are you "guys" full of yourselves! Sure, sell them an "ergo" or a mattress protector, then help them finance it with a thirty year mortgage. You should all be ashamed of yourselves!
March 21, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostChuck Harmon commented:
There should be at least 3 upsells or cross sells presented with every purchase. The first can be as much as the original sale or higher. The next offer should be lower like 10 to 20% of the sale and then the third should be about 50% of the sale. This will end up in a very substantial increase to the bottom line of every sale. If an $8 per hour McDonald's employee can ask if you want to super size that, even more a RSA in a furniture or mattress store. The buying mood is a happy one and if you strike while the credit card is in their hand you have a very good chance of increasing the sale amount.
March 21, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostPete Primeau commented:
Great Article David. Support & protection are essentials to the customer enjoying their new sleep set. Without those basics the retail consumer is put at risk of possibly voiding their mattress warranty. In my mind it is immoral to sell a sleep set without showing the customer how to protect their warranty and investment. It is then up to the consumer to say yes or no. But an RSA who chooses not to show proper protection and support commits sales malpractice.
March 20, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostLisa Stansbury commented:
One super easy way to sell mattress protection is to require it to go out the door with manufacturers sleep trails. iComfort has a sleep trial. My rep doesn't want to see stains coming back on a sleep trail mattress. Company policy states that a mattress protector needs to be on the same invoice with any of my sleep trail beds. That one is easy. For sheets, to compete with the big box stores you have to be different. The DreamFit display is out of this world. The sheets stay on like no other brand. They can sell themselves too with the display. You just have to ask for the sale.
March 20, 2012
In response to:
RSAs must tout accessories to give sales tickets a boostSteve Chandler commented:
I agree, mention early and build value. However, most customers that purchase their mattresses at furniture stores are not as savvy. Those shopping at mattress only stores are doing so to save money. Most furniture stores are selling finance. The mattress only retailers are much more competitive with each other. Now in recent years as the price of bedding has risen, mattresses are no longer considered add on sales by furniture stores. They are getting more competitive. You must train your RSA to be able to maximize every sale. Not just the mattress. Also why are your top of bed items better than Targets. Down here in Texas it is a crazy competitive market. It's sad that for years the accessories have been give me's. We must teach them to sale it. These items are part of the sleep set.
Thank you,
Steve Chandler
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