This family-owned furniture store and sleep shop in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, attracts and retains customers with its selection, charitable events and dedication to its shoppers. The cookies, wine and hugs help, too. BY JULIE A PALM Photography by Bill Hofstetter/ LMP 360 Media Even before they cross the threshold, shoppers entering Michael Alan Furniture […]
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Riley’s Furniture & Mattress Doesn’t Let its Bedding Department Rest
This Monroe, Ohio-based store wins mattress sales with eye-catching design, well-trained staff and a commitment to customer care | Photography by Len Kaltman/West Chester Corporate Photography | It’s only in the store name that bedding takes second place at Riley’s Furniture & Mattress. From a can’t-miss mattress department that greets every customer entering the store […]
Shining A Light
Feature articles in this month’s issue illuminate the importance of being open to change For most of us, there comes a time when we know we need a change, when we realize our current situation is not working and we’re dissatisfied. For me, the feeling builds, just a glimmer at first that something is not […]
Retail Road Trip: Matthews Mattress Thrives With DIY Strategy
This family-owned sleep shop chain in California finds success through tenacity, flexibility and innovation | Photography by Jordan Famer Photography | From a single store, Matthews Mattress has grown to a chain of nearly a dozen locations dotting the small towns and suburbs around Sacramento, California. Even with an onslaught of online challengers and price-competitive […]
Fluffing Up Pillow Sales
By investing time and energy into merchandising and properly selling this critical part of a sleep products system, you can bolster your bottom line while winning consumer trust As Sleep Savvy visits mattress stores, something is clear. At far too many, the pillow-selling strategies are falling flat. No pillow fitting. No mention of the importance […]
Poppin’ Success
California retailer experiments with a temporary retail space and finds long-term opportunities This issue’s cover story, “Why Pop-up Shops Keep Popping Up” by Julie A. Palm, examines short-term sales spaces, which are “here today, gone tomorrow” retail events. These temporary sales spaces range from showcasing new products to serving as a community ambassador to introducing […]
How to Make a Pop-Up Shop Work For Your Store
Are you looking for creative yet simple ways to broaden your brand and introduce new products? Expand your reach with a pop-up store Wayfair did one. So did Samsung, Clinique and Goodwill. Even Facebook. In recent months, these big-name companies created pop-up shops to build a little buzz as they debuted products or introduced their […]
Media Buying 2.0: How Stores Can Find the Right Advertising Mix
Follow this step-by-step guide and make the most of your precious advertising dollars. (Spoiler alert: It’s all about audience) You are confident in your merchandising strategy, feel good about the skills of retail sales associates on your floor and know you are selling quality products that will help people sleep better and wake up feeling […]
Retail Road Trip: Mattress Direct, Where Sleep Education, Retail Professionalism Converge
|Photography by Brian Baiamonte| This Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based sleep shop chain thrives because of owners Lee Burns and Ty Hingle’s commitment to the value of rest – and their business acumen Before the term disruptor was used to define direct-to-consumer online mattress brands shaking up the bedding industry, there were upstart sleep shops like Mattress […]
Understanding the Customer Journey
In today’s multichannel world, shoppers have myriad ways to connect in-store and digitally. Consider these suggestions to navigate changing consumer habits and enhance experiences There was a time, not that long ago, when a consumer’s path to purchasing a product was straight and direct. It started with an awareness of a particular product and the […]
New Year’s Resolution: We kick off 2019 with a hearty lineup of articles designed to help your business. Here’s a preview
Welcome to 2019! For me, the start of a new year is full of anticipation and hopefulness, and it affords me the opportunity for self-reflection and resolutions for the 364 days ahead. At Sleep Savvy, our ongoing resolution — and, in fact, mission — is to provide you with articles that focus on understanding consumer […]
Smile! Great Photos Help Sell Beds
8 Ways to Improve Your Images and Create Content for Websites and Social Media Instagram. Your e-commerce site. Pinterest. Facebook. Today’s most popular marketing methods are image hungry, demanding an endless stream of photos to catch consumers’ attention. You can rely on manufacturers to provide much of the imagery you need for website product pages […]
I Wish I Had Thought of That!
Sleep Savvy offers a retrospective of previous Retail Road Trips, highlighting best practices and brilliant ideas — and providing inspiration for the new year It’s no surprise that Sleep Savvy’s most popular and longest running regular feature is the Retail Road Trip, which gives readers a glimpse into the strategies and practices of successful mattress […]
Changing Directions in Bedding
What’s in store for the coming year? Sleep products industry leaders discuss their expectations, concerns and strategies for the swiftly moving retail landscape 2018 was quite a year for mattress retailing. One of the nation’s oldest retailers, Sears, and the nation’s largest sleep shop chain, Mattress Firm, both filed for bankruptcy protection, shuttering hundreds of […]
Focus, People! Focus!
Learning to strengthen your attention span will keep you productive and engaged in the task at hand, no matter what you’re doing BY JULIE A. PALM A construction crew banging away next door. A talk radio program. Thirst. A long to-do list. Email alerts popping up on my computer. Social media alerts pinging on my […]
“Can I Speak With a Manager?” How to Handle Customer Complaints
On the front page of my local newspaper this morning, a columnist recounts his ongoing frustration dealing with a cable and internet provider. “I’ve been to the ninth ring of hell,” he begins. “Perhaps you know it, too. It’s known as calling ‘customer service.’ ” Crabbing about a bad experience with a company is reliably […]
The Next Chapter
In my farewell column, I want to thank readers and friends, as well as share lessons I’ve learned and imparted during my tenure with Sleep Savvy BY GERRY MORRIS The time has come for me to turn the page (pun intended) and move on to another chapter in my life. So, this is my final […]
Serenity Abounds at Tucked in Organics
Emily Aborn, founder of this all-natural sleep shop in Amherst, New Hampshire, offers luxury bedding in a friendly, relaxed environment Tucked in Organics is among the most specialized of specialty sleep shops — a single store in Amherst, New Hampshire, that focuses on natural and organic mattresses and accessories. But that doesn’t limit its appeal […]
How to Hire, Train and Keep an All-Star Staff
To remain competitive in a tight job market, retailers need to attract, invest in and keep engaged, knowledgeable employees Sleep Savvy offers these practical suggestions for talent recruitment, education and retention Customer experience. It’s among the buzz-worthiest phrases in retail these days, referring to everything from store décor that wows shoppers to intuitive e-commerce sites […]
ABCs of Accessories
BY MARY BEST Sleep Savvy explores how you can get protectors and sheets off the shelves and into shoppers’ homes “The most luxurious item is a beautiful bed and beautiful, simple sheets.” — Andre Leon Talley This month’s cover story, “Finishing Touches” by Julie A. Palm, addresses the issue of the well-dressed bed, which besides […]
Just the FAQs
BY JULIE A. PALM What are the most effective ways to answer consumers’ common questions? Consider these 6 suggestions Consumers have so many questions: Do you offer financing? Can you deliver to my house, even if I live in another city? What if I don’t like the mattress when I get it home? The challenge […]
Finishing Touches
BY JULIE A. PALM Mattress protectors and sheets can boost sales while helping customers sleep more soundly. Follow these suggestions to accentuate your lines. Just as a complete outfit includes touches like comfortable shoes and a coordinating belt, a new mattress set requires a fresh protector and a soft, inviting set of sheets to be […]
Mark’s Mattress Outlet’s Dream Team
BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO Originally a seasonal fireworks operation, this Evansville, Indiana-based sleep shop has grown from a local mattress outlet to a regional 23-store chain with its own line of sleep products With his chain of mattress stores based in the land that gave us NBA legend Larry Bird […]
The Future of Retail
BY JULIE A. PALM Sleep Savvy identifies trends shaping mattress retailing and offers strategies for staying ahead of dramatic changes on the horizon What will your retail mattress business look like in five years? Even without a crystal ball, we can comfortably make predictions. If you’re successful in 2023, your retail operation will be omnichannel, […]
Summer school for retailers
BY JULIE A. PALM Here’s a reading list for the beach, lake or wherever your vacation takes you As you pack for your summer vacation, be sure to include a few good books. It’s the perfect time to read: long blocks of free time, an empty hammock calling to you. We won’t begrudge you the […]
Product Showcase
Leggett & Platt Inc. 1 Leggett Road Carthage, MO 64836 417-358-8131 mark.kinsley@leggett.com LPBeddingComponents.com A weak mattress edge leaves a bad first impression and can kill a sale. Research shows the edge of a mattress comes up during 93% of sales interactions. Leggett & Platt Inc.’s ActivEdge™—a groundbreaking solution for the problem of weak foam encasement— […]
Shovlin Mattress Factory elevates customer service to a new level
BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY WALT BLAU/GENERIC BRAND HUMAN At this Fanwood, New Jersey-based factory-direct manufacturer and retailer, Ron and Kara Shovlin use uncommon practices to win the loyalty of their hometown You’d be hard pressed to find a mattress retailer bucking more industry trends than Shovlin Mattress Factory, a factory-direct manufacturer and retailer […]
Merchandising makeover
BY JULIE A. PALM Looking for ways to freshen up your store? Consider these 30 creative ideas to refresh your sales floor I recently had to run into an office supply store for, well, office supplies, of course. It’s an uninviting, cavernous space, overly lit with fluorescent fixtures that bounce even more light off the […]
Moore’s Sleep World revolves around restorative rest
BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY TINA’S PHOTOGRAPHY This four-store sleep-shop chain in northern California scores big by promoting and providing its customer base with quality bed sets Jennifer Rudick is something of a mattress evangelist, wanting everyone in her area of coastal Northern California to shop Moore’s Sleep World and experience a great […]
Um, we need to, like, talk
BY JULIE A. PALM Annoying verbal tics can distract shoppers from your outstanding sales presentation So, today, we’d like to, um, discuss how you can, like, get rid of all those conversational space fillers that, uh, distract from what you’re, er, trying to communicate, you know what I’m sayin’? The most common verbal tics are […]
Hacked! How vulnerable is your store to cyberattacks?
BY JULIE A. PALM Sleep Savvy examines the risks retailers face and ways you can protect your business from online criminals Target. Ebay. Neiman Marcus. Home Depot. It’s an impressive list of category-leading, innovative retailers with loyal customers. But it’s not a group you want to be part of. Each one of those retailers has […]
How to make rest-tests better for customers
BY JULIE A. PALM It’s your job to help shoppers get the most out of trying mattress models in your store. It’s a service they can’t get browsing online At brick-and-mortar stores, the rest-test is at the heart of the mattress shopping experience—and it’s one of the main reasons many people prefer browsing in-store. They […]
Color experts forecast vibrant hues for 2018
BY JULIE A. PALM Discover what shades of dramatic purples, blues, blacks and reds are appropriate for your store’s identity and the message you want to convey to shoppers. From the sign in your parking lot to the carpet in your store to the landing page of your website, you’ve had to make a lot of choices […]
New year’s (daily) resolutions
BY JULIE A. PALM Looking for ways to be more productive during the next 12 months? Try small changes to your routine to make every day of 2018 the best you can “Temporary becomes permanent, so start the way you want to continue.”—Gretchen Rubin The new year gives you 365 chances to start every day […]
Join the AV club
Retailers who want to capture consumers’ attention should jump on the video bandwagon. Follow this A-to-V guide to use this medium on social media, the web, and more The numbers are staggering: One billion hours of video are watched on YouTube—every single day. More than 500 million people watch a video on Facebook—every single day. […]
A talented team
BY MARY BEST How grateful am I for the Sleep Savvy staff? Let me count the ways… Like operating a sleep shop, producing a magazine is a complex process with dozens of moving parts that must be coordinated. I can say with confidence that Sleep Savvy would never reach your hands if it weren’t for […]
Give them something to talk about
BY JULIE A. PALM Sharing customer testimonials widely can drive more shoppers through your doors and onto your website In the October Tip Sheet, we talked about the importance of testimonials and gave you tips for soliciting feedback from your customers. (You can get a refresher here.) This month, we want to show you how […]
What you need to know about mattress components
BY JULIE A. PALM This easy-to-follow guide on the latest innovations in springs, foams and latex will help you understand how such advancements affect comfort, cost, durability, support—and, most of all, a good night’s sleep Springs, foams and latex. Put together in seemingly endless configurations, they are the key components of every bed you sell. […]
When it comes to beds, All Sleep is all in
BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL FERREIRA PHOTOGRAPHY LTD. Once a waterbed specialist, this destination sleep shop in South Windham, Connecticut, pairs a broad selection of mattresses with a passion for customer comfort and consistent pricing. All Sleep, a single-store retailer in the northeastern corner of Connecticut, certainly lives up to its name, offering […]
How to solicit positive customer testimonials after a sale
BY JULIE A. PALM Customer testimonials are one of the most effective marketing tools. Here’s how to solicit them from satisfied shoppers at the end of a sale: Happy customers can do more to drive business than the cleverest ad campaign because, as consumers, we trust the recommendations not only of friends and family but […]
Creative marketing, community focus make Trent Bedding unforgettable
BY JULIE A. PALM Photography by Josh Salley/Frozen in Time Residents of south-Central Kentucky know—and adore—Trent Ranburger through his sleep shop’s hilarious commercials, customer service and commitment to area charities. Folks in and around Bowling Green, Kentucky, have gotten used to the likes of Uncle Sam, Fred Flintstone and Austin Powers telling them about the […]
Social media that’s a snap
BY JULIE A. PALM The photo and video sharing app Snapchat can be great for your store—if you use it right Of all the popular social media platforms, Snapchat may be the hardest for mattress retailers to grasp. It’s ephemeral by nature—the amorphous-looking logo is a ghost. The messaging app allows users to share photos […]
Never a dull moment at Sweet Dreamzzz
BY JULIE A. PALM In Southern California, fun-loving Spencer Ace and Robin Stuart attribute success at Sweet Dreamzzz to personalized service, differentiation and promoting sales Photography by Brian Valente Years of selling mattresses and managing stores for other retailers taught Spencer Ace and Robin Stuart how they would run their own bedding shop. Their philosophy […]
Turn Up the Tunes to Create Great In-Store Ambience
Playing the right background music in your store can make shoppers tap their toes and put them in a buying mood BY JULIE A. PALM It may be called background music, but the sounds that play in your store should be at the forefront of your mind. Background music is all about creating a mood. […]
Best Web Practices to Refresh Your Website and Increase Online Presence
BY JULIE A. PALM Have you refreshed your website lately? Increase traffic to your site—and store—by following these best web practices for a robust online presence What’s more important: How your store looks and functions, or how your website looks and functions? It’s a trick question. Both are mandatory for success. It’s easy to think […]
Sign up for Sleep Savvy’s new E-Newsletter Shop Talk
BY MARY BEST Boy, do we have an exciting new digital tool for you! Sleep Savvy launches an e-newsletter to help retailers boost sales and have a blast doing it The editors of Sleep Savvy are delighted to introduce Shop Talk, a twice-monthly email newsletter for mattress retailers who want ideas to improve sales in […]
How to Sharpen Your Pinterest Strategy
Of all the social media platforms, this one is designed for users who love to daydream, plan and shop BY JULIE A. PALM As one of the first social media apps designed to help people collect, organize and share images of the things they covet—from fabulous wedding dresses to delicious-looking recipes to stunning room designs—it’s […]
How to Make Every Customer Leave with New Pillows, Too
By building a library of pillow offerings—and emphasizing the critical role pillows play in restorative sleep—bedding retailers can wake up to this category’s cushy sales potential. You wouldn’t sleep a single night—at least not comfortably—without a pillow. So why would you let any customer who has just purchased a new mattress set leave without new […]
BSC research says shoppers understand a good mattress means a good night’s sleep
Exclusive Better Sleep Council research: Sleep-mattress link clear In the final installment about the Better Sleep Council’s 2016 study, Sleep Savvy examines consumers’ attitudes toward sleep, accessory shopping habits and demographic profiles. Download a PDF of the entire three-part series here. BY JULIE A. PALM Everyone wants to be healthy, and the majority of consumers […]
6 Steps for Boosting Your Facebook Visibility, Likes and Following
Looking for more exposure on the world’s most popular social media network? Let us introduce you to the Facebook factor. BY JULIE A. PALM If you’re frustrated by Facebook, you’re not alone. You’d like to reach just a tiny fraction of its 1.86 billion monthly active users, but the social media site’s algorithms practically push businesses […]
New BSC Research: What Moves Consumers to Replace Their Mattress?
BY JULIE A. PALM Recent research from the Better Sleep Council indicates health, comfort, deterioration, new technologies and product choices all play a role in shoppers’ willingness to head to retail stores and websites to buy a new bed set. And many plan to take that step sooner rather than later. Retailers get ready: Four […]
Tipsheet: Better Business Blogging
Use your store blog to answer customer questions, drive traffic to your website and store, and burnish your reputation. BY JULIE A. PALM A blog can help your retail mattress business accomplish many things—push traffic to your website and store, build awareness for your retail brand, answer consumer questions, even give you and your staff a […]
BSC Survey Finds Consumers Adopting Savvier Shopping Habits
Exclusive Better Sleep Council Research – Download a PDF of the entire three-part research series here. BY JULIE A. PALM A 2016 study from the Better Sleep Council, the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, reveals changes in bedding-shopping behavior, including shorter replacement cycles, an expectation of higher ticket prices, a commitment to brick-and-mortar […]
Tip Sheet: Attract Shoppers in the Christmas, Hanukkah or Solstice Buying Spirit
BY JULIE A. PALM The big selling season for mattress retailers has long opened with the three-day Memorial Day weekend in May and run through the three-day Labor Day weekend in September. Let’s face it: The mattress industry loves the three-day holiday weekend, regardless of the time of year. Bring on Presidents Day! The major […]
New BSC Research Tracks Changes in Mattress Shopper Behaviors
Exclusive Better Sleep Council Research A 2016 study from the Better Sleep Council, the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, on what motivates today’s mattress shoppers reveals changes in bedding-shopping behavior, including shorter replacement cycles, an expectation of higher ticket prices and the influence of technological trends on research and purchasing habits. Download […]
Giving Thanks This Holiday Season
This holiday season — and every day — I am grateful for our talented publications team. Like editors before me, I periodically like to use this column to acknowledge and thank the members of the publications staff of the International Sleep Products Association. What better time than the holidays—a time of remembering the blessings in […]
Mattress Recycling: A Success Story
Three years after California, Connecticut and Rhode Island passed mattress-recycling laws, statewide programs are flourishing under the management of the Mattress Recycling Council BY JULIE A. PALM Collectively, new statewide recycling programs in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island have recycled 1 million mattresses and box springs since the first program in Connecticut got underway just […]
Seattle’s Bedrooms & More Chooses A Different Path
BY JULIE A. PALM This family-run sleep shop takes a hands-on approach toward the making, branding and selling of mattresses, accessories and furniture. Jeff Garfield, founder and president of Seattle-based Bedrooms & More, doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about what his competitors are doing or trying to figure out how his store can […]
Tip Sheet: Keeping Social Media On Schedule
BY JULIE A. PALM What’s more important to managing your store’s social media efforts than a mobile device? A calendar, of course. When you are responsible for creating and managing social media content, those social media “streams” can feel more like flooding rivers. One way to manage the flow and keep yourself afloat is to […]
Subscribers to Sleep Savvy Share Questions, Thoughts and Even Poetry
BY MARY BEST Sleep Savvy FREQUENTLY receives emails from readers who want to comment on a story, ask a few questions or share an idea. Here are a few recent ones: Question: “I have been reading Sleep Savvy for many years and quite often I see articles that I would like to run for advertising […]
Shoot for the Stars with Sleep Accessories Sales
BY JULIE A. PALM How to get sleep accessories off your shelves and into your customers’ shopping bags Imagine you buy a new pair of running shoes. Ready to go for a run, you take them out of the box, slip them on—and flop around because they came without the necessary shoelaces. Turns out, […]
Tip Sheet: Watch Your Language
Replace lazy, off-putting phrases with customer-friendly substitutes and watch your sales jump BY JULIE A. PALM Words matter and what you say to a customer matters a lot. Throwaway phrases and poorly thought-out responses to questions can send customers scurrying away from your store and over to a competitor. Retail Training Services, a firm based […]
Spiller Furniture & Mattress Banks on Relationships
Third-generation retailer Spiller Furniture & Mattress continues family tradition while building a strong brand in Alabama, Mississippi. BY JULIE A. PALM Spiller Furniture & Mattress, a 13-store chain of full-line furniture stores in Alabama and Mississippi, sells a wide selection of home furnishings and mattresses at a good price. But its real secret to success […]
How to Become a Retail Service Associate
For now, forget being a retail sales associate—the essence of your job is to help people improve their lives by sleeping well. Cultivate the following 4 skills and qualities to become a true Retail Service Associate. BY JULIE A. PALM As a retail sales associate, how do you describe your job to people? Do you […]
Selling Children’s Bedding
Retailers that offer mattresses and sleep products for children and teens can grow sales and help families provide a comfortable nighttime sanctuary for their little ones. Editor’s Note: Many products, including mattresses and other sleep products, that are intended for use by children (typically defined as those 12 and younger) are regulated by the U.S. […]
How to Manage Millennial Employees
There’s no doubt Generation Y is shaking up the workplace. Here are insights into—and ways to motivate—the young millennial employees of your team. As a mattress retailer, your business is undergoing a major shift. No, we’re not talking about how consumers research and buy mattresses. This transformation is coming from the inside as millennials—the youngest […]
Coach Your Team To A Winning Summer Selling Season
Time to play ball! Major League Baseball isn’t the only organization to benefit from the annual rite of spring training. The following nine pregame exercises will help you coach your bedding team to a winning summer selling season. BY JULIE A. PALM Major League Baseball’s spring training is over for pro players, but as mattress retailers, […]
The Changing Mattress Industry
BY GERRY MORRIS While the mattress business has transformed itself, over the past two decades, the need for retail sales associate training is more important than ever Each time the deadline approaches to submit my column for Sleep Savvy, I get a friendly reminder from Editor in Chief Mary Best. I’m sure she pads the […]
Tip Sheet: Scents and Salability
Hitting the right note with in-store fragrance can put shoppers in a buying mood BY JULIE A. PALM Smell is one of our most powerful senses. Fragrances are evocative and compelling. A whiff of baseball glove leather can transport you back to summers spent on Little League fields; the scent of hot popcorn can make […]
Believing the ‘Mattress Matters’
Sleep Savvy columnist compiles past articles to give retailers an educational, inspiring book they can turn to again and again BY GERRY MORRIS It doesn’t seem that long ago that Nancy Butler, founding editor in chief of Sleep Savvy, called to ask me if she could include an excerpt from my then-recently published book, “Spring […]
5 New Year’s Resolutions For Mattress Retailers
BY JULIE A. PALM Make 2016 your best year yet Try one of these five easy resolutions to invigorate your store or your professional life during the coming 12 months The new year is a nice time to take on new challenges. Many of us make personal resolutions as the calendar turns to January. This […]
Meet The Millennials
All grown up, ready to tackle the world and 80 million strong, this generation of digital natives is revolutionizing America’s retail landscape. How can you adapt your sales strategies to fit generation Y’s values and lifestyles? BY JULIE A. PALM With their financial futures thrown off course by the Great Recession and their lives shaped […]
Selling to Millennials
An 18-year-old shares perspectives on her generation and the retail world with Sleep Savvy As I prepared for this issue’s cover story on selling to millennials—that huge, diverse generation of 80 million people born at the end of the last century and introducing its own ways of shopping—I sat down with a millennial I know well […]
Pipe the Perfect Background Music Into Your Store
Playing the right background music in your store can make shoppers tap their toes and put them in a buying mood BY JULIE A. PALM It may be called background music, but the sounds that play in your store should be at the forefront of your mind. Background music is all about creating a mood. […]
How To Sell Beds to Couples
Couples Counseling It’s an uncomfortable scene, to say the least: Partners need a new bed but their mattress preferences are incompatible, and retail sales associates may be called on to settle differences. Sleep Savvy delves into this issue and offers suggestions to avoid trouble in paradise and to keep sales strong BY JULIE A. PALM You […]
US-Mattress Makes Mattress Shopping Easy
An effortless experience—whether online or in-person—is the goal for this omni-channel retailer BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY US-MATTRESS US-Mattress, one of the earliest and one of the most successful online sellers of mattresses, is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence, recently adding two new stores—for a total of five in its headquarters state of Michigan—and […]
A Little Privacy, Please
When customers rest-test to find a comfortable mattress, don’t make them so uncomfortable they want to flee the store BY JULIE A. PALM The last time Sleep Savvy checked, there weren’t a lot of clothing retailers that encouraged people to try on outfits in the middle of the store—just pull off those jeans and slip […]
A down-and-dirty guide to springs, foams and latex
This easy-to-follow primer on mattress components will help you understand what the latest advancements mean for comfort, durability and support—and, most important, how they affect your customers’ sleep. BY JULIE A. PALM There was a time when springs, foams and latex knew their place in beds. Innersprings provided a durable, resilient mattress core with strong […]
The ‘R’ Word
BY JULIE A. PALM Mattress comfort returns are unavoidable–and frustrating. Here are ways to deal with them that will keep customers happy and your bottom line in the black. For a mattress retailer, a ringing phone is a good thing. It usually means consumers are in the market for a bed and are at least […]
Midwestern values thrive at Mattress Factory
Retailer’s ‘Locally owned, locally made’ message in Grand Forks, North Dakota, resonates with customers, community BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN BROSE Matress Factory in Grand Forks, North Dakota, counts nine mattress-selling competitors—including big boxes, sleep shops and national furniture chains—within just a mile or two of his store. Arnold never forgets about those […]
How to welcome customers to your store
Greetings and salutations: How you welcome customers to your store can determine whether they feel comfortable staying, shopping and buying BY JULIE A. PALM 1) “Hey.” 2) Silence 3) “Can I help you?” Which of those is the worst way to greet a customer? OK, we admit it’s a trick question. All three are inexcusable—likely […]
Selling to aging baby boomers
The times they are a-changin’ As baby boomers—the massive generation that revolutionized consumerism in post-war America—age, so do their buying habits. How can bedding retailers adapt to the shifting needs and values of this demographic juggernaut? By Julie A. Palm What’s made your store successful? Is it hiring a great team? Crafting a creative marketing […]
May is Better Sleep Month
As Better Sleep Month kicks off the summer selling season, we offer ideas for add-on sales, ambience As I’m sure you know, May is better sleep month, an annual industrywide public-relations campaign sponsored by the Better Sleep Council (the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association) that raises awareness about the importance of sleeping on […]
Building a sleep sanctuary
In honor of Better Sleep Month, Sleep Savvy examines how adding bedroom ambience to your showroom floor can boost shopper comfort and increase sales. We offer a suggestions to help your customers create a restful retreat at home, too BY JULIE A. PALM In the mattress industry, we talk a lot about “selling sleep.” It’s shorthand […]
Tweet worthy
How to keep your Twitter followers engaged and entertained #SocialMediaTips @SleepSavvyMag BY JULIE A. PALM At this point, you’re probably on Twitter. You might even be using it for your store. But do you ever wonder exactly what you should be tweeting to your followers? Are you worried about tweeting too much? Too little? Is your […]
Spring cleaning
A sparkling store can help build your competitive edge—especially during the summer selling season. Here are practical tips to make your store fresh as a daisy BY JULIE A. PALM If the idea of spring cleaning your store sounds as appealing as spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon in April cleaning out your garage, remember this: […]
Learning by example
Sleep Savvy’s Retail Road Trip shines the spotlight on successful bedding retailers. Are you one? My mom and dad were teachers—both in the traditional sense of serving in the classroom and as the parents of five rowdy, curious and roaming children. A cornerstone of their successful pedagogical practices at school and home was recognizing that everyone […]
Remembering to say thank you
Sending your customers a thank-you note is a simple touch that can make a lasting impression. Follow these simple steps to make your store unforgettable BY JULIE A. PALM If the last time you wrote a thank-you note was for the candlesticks Aunt Ruth and Uncle Harvey gave you for your wedding—or worse, the sweater […]
The psychology of pricing
What do shoppers think—and how do they respond—when they see that $599 or $2,599 tag? Consider these influential marketing aspects and strategies for finding the right price points to increase traffic and profit BY JULIE A. PALM As much as we’d like consumers to buy a mattress based solely on how much they love the […]
Sign, sign, everywhere a (store) sign
How well does your store signage attract and inform customers? Here are 10 less-is-more tips to help convey effective and useful messages BY JULIE A. PALM Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign? —“Signs” by Les Emmerson, 1970 If there’s […]
BedMart goes its own way
For this Portland, Oregon-based chain, an ambitious growth strategy, selection and ‘Lexus-level’ customer service steer its success BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIMBERLI RANSOM When the Great Recession hit in 2008 and other retailers shuttered stores, BedMart Mattress Superstores President Steven Stone opened new locations. While owners of other mattress chains are selling their enterprises […]
A grateful editor
This year, I give thanks for Sleep Savvy’s talented publications team—and our newest member Like most people, during the holiday season, I often think about how thankful I am for the blessings in my life. This year, I am especially appreciative of the publications team with the International Sleep Products Association. I have been a magazine editor […]
Retail Road Trip: Now that’s a good idea!
We look back at Retail Road Trips to cull some of the best strategies from the past year—and challenge you to take them to the next level BY JULIE A. PALM In every issue, Sleep Savvy takes our readers along on a Retail Road Trip to visit successful mattress retailers across the United States and […]
Adjustable bases, the new ‘power tools’
Sparked by growing consumer awareness, changing lifestyles and a variety of upgraded, easy-to-use features, adjustable beds are poised for another round of substantial growth this year. Sleep Savvy explores this dynamic category, identifying trends and sales strategies. BY JULIE A. PALM There is an important segment of the bed-buying public that is interested in high-end, high-tech sleep products, […]
McRoskey Mattress Co. thrives on hand-crafted heritage
As maker and retailer, this venerable San Francisco-based mattress business builds its service from the springs up BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK HUTCH At McRoskey Mattress Co., being a mattress manufacturer makes a difference at retail. And closing the sale always includes this question: “May we make your mattress?” A 115-year history of […]
Uncovering the art of sleep accessories sales
Sleep products such as protectors and linens help your customers relax and rejuvenate—and they’re healthy for your store’s bottom line as well. Consider these ways to differentiate and accentuate your accessory lines. BY JULIE A. PALM As a mattress retailer, how you think about protectors, linens and other sleep accessories can be a pretty good indicator […]
A heavy issue: How to tactfully assist overweight mattress shoppers
How does the nation’s size epidemic affect mattress retailers? Sleep Savvy explores the relationship between weight and sleep and its affect on the sales floor. We also offer insights into how you can steer shoppers to the best mattress for their body type—and deal with an awkward conversation BY JULIE A. PALM When setting out […]
What you need to know about mattress recycling
WHAT IT MEANS HOW IT WORKS WHY IT MATTERS BY JULIE A. PALM Retailers selling mattresses and foundations in three states soon will need to make some changes to the way they operate, as part of those states’ efforts to recycle bed components and reduce the number of mattresses and foundations heading […]
Bedcrafters’ success rests on passion
In eastern Virginia, the owners of two bedding boutiques are brand evangelists—and driven by customer satisfaction BY JULIE A. PALM PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA W. CUMMING The owners of BedCrafters by Michelle, a two-store retailer in eastern Virginia, believe so strongly in the bedding products they sell, they have no qualms about suggesting customers shop other stores before […]
Marketing to Millennials
Bedding retailers can benefit from lessons learned by the GOP when it comes to selling to this unique generation BY JULIE A. PALM Looking at the numbers, the Millennial generation is a mattress retailer’s dream market: 80 million strong and at the age (18 to 33) when young adults typically move out on their own, […]
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Editor in Chief Mary Best 336-500-3816 mbest@sleepproducts.org Content Manager & Digital Editor Barbara Nelles 336-420-7234 bnelles@sleepproducts.org Managing Editor Beth English 336-575-4365 benglish@sleepproducts.org Contributors Gary James Gerry Morris Julie A. Palm Creative Director Stephanie Belcher The Jimmydog Design Group stephanie@jimmydog.com Vice President/Advertising Sales Kerri Bellias 336-945-0265 kbellias@sleepproducts.org Advertising Production and Sales Coordinator Julie Lewis Dossey 571-482-5443 […]
Learning from those who do it best
BY JULIE A. PALM We all have different learning styles. Some of us absorb knowledge through the written word. Some of us are more auditory: Tell us directions to a new location and we’ll remember them forever, without a GPS to help us along. Others are visual learners and turn to YouTube videos to discover […]