As a direct-to-consumer pioneer, the Cleveland-based manufacturer-retailer continues its tradition of hand-built, quality mattresses with low-pressure sales PHOTOGRAPHY BY Owen Zubek Internet-based mattress brands that sell direct to consumer have gotten a lot of buzz — and siphoned off a lot of sales from traditional bedding retailers. The trend has accelerated with the Covid-19 pandemic. […]
Old-Fashioned Values Are Central to Square Deal
This California-based, family-run company, which prides itself on its customized, quality mattresses, is not only surviving — it’s thriving Made-to-order, high–quality mattresses and customer-friendly services like in-home mattress flipping have helped Square Deal Mattress Factory build a loyal following and have kept the independent manufacturer-retailer in business for 100 years. “It’s more difficult for a […]
There’s No Outfoxing Fox Mattress
Owned by a father-and-daughter team, this 50-plus-year-old manufacturer-retailer in Holly Hill, Florida, translates a relaxedapproach and solid craftsmanship into sales growth Rick and Chelsea Carter, the father-daughter owners of Fox Mattress in Holly Hill, Florida, don’t take themselves — or the mattress business — too seriously. “We try to keep things light,” Chelsea Carter says. […]
#WeCanLearnFromEachOther
Sleep Savvy examines best practices that have helped successful retailers thrive in the good times and survive in the tough times These are some of the most challenging times mattress retailers have ever faced. And it’s not like things had been so easy before this. Retailers that still were adjusting to consumers’ changing shopping habits, […]
Family, Tradition, Quality Are Seamless at BILTRITE
For nearly a century, this furniture store in a Milwaukee suburb has found success in proven sales strategies — and by bucking current mattress industry trends Photography by Lila Aryan Photography For BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses, a fourth-generation, family-owned furniture store outside Milwaukee, “built right” is more than just the root of its name: It is a […]
Joplimo Mattress Is Building Beds — and a Retail Brand — to Last
After buying its own factory in 2018, the family-owned sleep chain based in Joplin, Missouri, focuses on opening new stores — and helping others Photography by Drew Kimble with 12 Eighty-One Photography The idea to open a chain of mattress stores came to Brian Croft at church. It was 2009 and he and his wife, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Appliance Factory and Mattress Kingdom puts bedding front and center
Originally an appliance chain, this Denver-based retailer expanded its offerings to include mattresses and has crafted a top-of-the-line department BY GARY JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLICIA MORSE The move into mattresses started with a small step in 2010. That’s when Appliance Factory, a Denver-based appliance chain, first installed a bedding department in its stores, adding a […]
Shifting focus revitalizes Mattress Depot USA
BY GARY JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULES FRAZIER/SUGAR SHOOTS AND MATTRESS DEPOT USA A move away from deep discounts and closeouts boosts average tickets, increases sales and spurs store openings for this Bellevue, Washington-based sleep chain Mattress Depot USA Once known primarily as a destination for hot deals on factory closeouts and other deeply discounted beds, […]
2017 Retail Road Trips offer best practices for serving consumers
One of the most popular features of Sleep Savvy is Retail Road Trip, which takes readers inside the operations of mattress retailers. The idea behind Retail Road Trip always has been that the best place to learn how to improve aspects of your business is to study retailers who already are doing those things well. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Tradition meets technology at Rotmans
BY GARY JAMES This family-owned retailer in Worcester, Massachusetts, elevates customer service the old—and new—way with a well-trained sales team, extensive product offerings in a set of historic buildings and a sophisticated digital strategy Photography courtesy of Rotmans What’s the one word you never hear in Rotmans’ bedding department—or anywhere in the store, for that […]
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 […]
Nest Bedding Finds Success with a ‘Brick or Click’ Approach
BY GARY JAMES Photography by Jack Hutch Mattress industry veteran Joe Alexander is conquering the online bedding world with an Albany, California-based retail chain, Nest Bedding, that blends physical stores with internet sales. Joe Alexander always has marched to the beat of his own drummer. While other friends growing up in his neighborhood set up […]
Michael Alan Furniture & Design Draws Shoppers with Passion, Creativity
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Craig’s Beds wins hearts in the Big Apple
Good listening, straight talk and a personal touch lead independent sleep shop to top New York City ranking BY BETH ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARTISAN IMAGE INC. As a New York City native, Craig Fruchtman understands the daily grind. Every morning, he leaves home and hops on the subway. His route takes him through Times Square […]
Sleepland at Furnitureland South
This High Point, North Carolina, store within a store has it all—including a private, quiet space for shoppers BY BETH ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARTISAN IMAGE INC. Visiting Sleepland isn’t necessarily straightforward. It involves coming in through the main doors of a massive furniture store—Furnitureland South—and cutting through the Starbucks on the left. Just as you […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Retail Road Trip: Mattress Gallery in Lafayette, LA
F. Mark Hubbard makes mattress buying fun Like singer Pharrell Williams, the owner of Mattress Gallery in Lafayette, Louisiana, is a happy guy, and his ‘cruise director’ approach to bedding is downright contagious—business has more than tripled in the past five years BY DOROTHY WHITCOMB PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK HUBBARD There are people who would giggle […]
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 […]
Today’s Bed envisions tomorrow
Twin Cities area sleep shop chain, owned and operated by two industry veterans, sets a new course for mattress retailing BY DOROTHY WHITCOMB PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WAGNER When Scott Michelsen and Tim Sommer met for the first time seven years ago, there almost was an air of inevitability about the whole encounter. Both men were […]
Mattress Firm returns home
More than 27 years after launching Mattress Firm, South Dakota native Harry Roberts brings the retail giant back to his home state, opening three franchise stores in the Sioux Falls area. Sleep Savvy offers an exclusive look into the retailer’s northern expansion—and homecoming. BY MARY BEST For Harry Roberts, co-founder of Mattress Firm, the nation’s […]
Retail Road Trip: Art Van PureSleep
Midwest retailer uses diagnostics to help consumers select the right sleep surface—and sells sleep with a strong wellness message By Gary James Powerhouse retailer Art Van Furniture is gearing up for a busy year in bedding in 2014 as it continues to expand the footprint of its rapidly growing Art Van PureSleep program in its […]
Retail Road Trip: All About Backs
With an all-specialty lineup, an Oklahoma bedding retailer testifies about the saving graces of memory foam, latex and gel PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRETT NCNEILL Joe Maple, owner of All About Backs in Ardmore, Okla., is a specialty bedding evangelist. His belief in the merits of alternative sleep surfaces runs deep, with roots connected to his experience […]
Retail Road Trip: Abt Electronics
Major destination store for consumer electronics in Chicagoland expands reach with new bedding department BY DOROTHY WHITCOMB An electronics store might be the last place most consumers would consider visiting when shopping for a mattress. But in the Chicagoland area, Abt Electronics is often the first place people head when home-related products are on their […]
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 […]