FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2015 Media Contact: Amanda Wall Office: (571) 482-5431 Cell: (713) 829-7748 awall@mattressrecyclingcouncil.org CALRECYCLE APPROVES MATTRESS RECYCLING COUNCIL’S RECYCLING BUDGET & FEE MATTRESS RECYCLING FEE COLLECTION BEGINS DECEMBER 30, 2015 ALEXANDRIA, VA – Today, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) approved the budget and recycling fee that the […]
Back to school, back to sleep
How can children get sufficient rest to learn and grow? Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Lissa Coffey offers these suggestions for an A+ year Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance from […]
Mattress sales jump in June
Mattress sales advanced 8% in June compared with the same month in 2014, according to the Bedding Barometer, a monthly report of U.S. mattress sales published by the International Sleep Products Association. The wholesale dollar value of those units sprang up 12.2%, while the average unit selling price increased 3.9% compared with June of last […]
An education in sleep
Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Terry Cralle offers these back-to-school suggestions for an A+ year Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance from Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Terry Cralle with your shoppers (with […]
How does your customer service rate?
Mattress retailers could be doing better—and could be doing worse When it comes to providing good customer service, mattress retailers are fair to middling, according to a new ranking from Consumer Reports magazine. In a rating of 22 types of stores, industries and services, mattress retailers stand solidly at No. 11, with a score of […]
BSC examines schooltime sleep routines
The Better Sleep Council conducted a survey that looked at the sleep routines of families with school-age children. Of 2,500 parents surveyed, 90% had children in grade school. Eighty-three percent of households were dual parent and among those, 40% of parents said they share responsibility for waking their children up for school. Parents said their children’s school start times have […]
Mattress retailers urged to attend Las Vegas seminar on complying with state mattress recycling laws
[sc:responsive-in-post] The Mattress Recycling Council, formed by mattress industry trade group the International Sleep Products Association, based in Alexandria, Virginia, will host a Las Vegas Market seminar, Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. (Building B, 16th floor), for retailers, manufacturers and other market attendees. The discussion will cover California, Connecticut and Rhode Island mattress-recycling laws and other […]
Americans’ love-hate relationship with sleep
Sleep—wasted time or welcome rest? New BSC sleep research sheds light on Americans’ love-hate relationship with slumber Sleep research conducted by the Better Sleep Council shows Americans are conflicted about sleep: A majority of people understand sleep is necessary to recharge, restore and refresh, but their feelings toward sleep are split. The survey, conducted in […]
Bedding Barometer: Mattress sales climb in April
[sc:responsive-in-post] Mattress and foundation sales rose 2.5% in April, compared with unit sales in the same month of 2014, according to the Bedding Barometer, a monthly statistical analysis of U.S. mattress sales published by the International Sleep Products Association. The wholesale dollar value of mattresses and foundations grew by 4.7% and the average unit selling […]
News release: Sleep, waste of time?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mary Helen Uusimaki 571-482-5436 mhuusimaki@sleepproducts.org Polly Ryder 216-533-2006 pryder@marcusthomasllc.com SLEEP – WASTE OF TIME OR WELCOME RESPITE? Better Sleep Council Research Shows Americans Are Torn on Feelings about Sleep ALEXANDRIA, Virginia – May 12, 2015 – Sleep research recently conducted by the Better Sleep Council (BSC) shows Americans are conflicted about sleep. […]
Save the date: Mattress Recycling Council information session at Las Vegas Market
[sc:responsive-in-post] The Mattress Recycling Council is hosting an information session about state recycling programs during summer Las Vegas Market. Where: World Market Center B-16 When: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1 p.m. Attendees will learn about the Bye Bye Mattress program, the proposed fee and plans for California and Rhode Island, and get an update on the progress of Connecticut’s implementation. […]
Sleep news for May
Picking sides Survey of bedside practices: Where Americans lie down affects sleep quality, relationships Could something as simple as picking the right side of the bed actually make a difference in how people sleep? It may, according to a new Pick Your Side survey that looks at the bedside practices of Americans and their impact […]
A sleep plan for travel
As summer approaches, your customers’ thoughts turn to upcoming vacations. These strategies should help them rest soundly while away from home BY LISSA COFFEY Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance […]
Connecticut debuts nation’s first statewide mattress-recycling program
Plan requires those who produce, sell or renovate mattresses to collect a recycling fee on each mattress and box springs sold On May 1, Connecticut’s Mattress Stewardship Plan took effect, making it the first state in the nation to launch a statewide recycling program for used mattresses and box springs. The program is administered by […]
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 […]
2015-16 mattress forecast
International Sleep Products Association predicts continued gains in U.S. bedding sales, dollar values The U.S. mattress industry is expected to see continued gains in both the dollar value and number of units shipped in 2015 and 2016, according to the latest forecast from the International Sleep Products Association. The forecast, released in April, expects the […]
Bedding Barometer: Mattress sales, values spike in December
Unit sales of mattresses and foundations increased 15.1% in December, compared with bed sales in the same month of 2013, according to the Bedding Barometer, a monthly sales report published by mattress-industry trade group the International Sleep Products Association. The wholesale dollar value of mattresses and foundations sold in December grew 25.1%, compared with December 2013, and […]
News from the Better Sleep Council
BSC, Diabetes Influencers team up BSC spokeswomen, health educators to participate in podcast, Twitter chat party to promote Better Sleep Month To help promote its annual “May Is Better Sleep Month” campaign, the Better Sleep Council is partnering with Diabetes Influencers to raise awareness about the relationship between sleep and health. The BSC is the […]
The power of internal innovation
Keynote speaker tells ISPA Industry Conference attendees the keys to business success are in their own backyard Inspired by his business book of the same name, John Spence’s “Awesomely Simple” keynote at the International Sleep Products Association’s 2015 Industry Conference March 4-5 in St. Petersburg, Florida, offered this important takeaway—for business success, companies must focus […]
The sleep-allergy connection
With the beauty of spring comes the agony of allergies. These insights can help your customers minimize their symptoms for restful sleep BY LISSA COFFEY Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and and tips. Feel free to share this […]
Sleep news for March
Shifting to daylight saving time Five tips from the Better Sleep Council for springing forward On Sunday, March 8, most Americans will move an hour from the morning to the evening, adding an extra 60 minutes of sunlight to the end of the day—and wreaking havoc on their sleep habits. To help ease the transition, […]
Mattress sales climb in January
The Bedding Barometer, a monthly statistical analysis of U.S. mattress sales (paywall) published by the International Sleep Products Association, shows that mattress sales climbed a healthy 7.8% in January, as compared with January 2014. ISPA says the wholesale dollar value of mattresses and foundations sold in the U.S. in January grew 12%. The average unit selling […]
U.S. mattress sales see modest increase in November
Unit sales of mattresses and foundations in the United States increased by 0.5% in November 2014, compared with unit sales in the same month of 2013, according to the International Sleep Products Association’s Bedding Barometer (paywall). The wholesale dollar value of those units also grew 2.5%, compared with November 2013, and the average unit selling price […]
March mattress-recycling updates
Connecticut approves recycling plan Mattress Recycling Council program to begin May 1 The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has approved the Connecticut Mattress Stewardship Plan developed by the Mattress Recycling Council, a nonprofit organization created by the mattress industry to develop and manage mandated statewide mattress-recycling programs. The approval Dec. 31 makes Connecticut […]
The ‘sweet sleep’ diet
To slumber well, avoid some foods and increase your intake of others. Keep the list handy for evening eating BY LISSA COFFEY Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance from Better […]
2015 Retail forecast
Retailers should enjoy a gradually improving economy in 2015. Rising employment, a healthier housing market and a willingness by larger corporations to invest in infrastructure should add some needed oomph to consumer shopping and make cash registers ring louder and longer BY PHILLIP M. PERRY Blue skies and cool breezes—that’s the economic forecast as the […]
The Better Sleep Council: A sound message for sound sleep
For more than 35 years, the Better Sleep Council has moved the industry forward by helping you help your customers get a good night’s sleep. Today, it’s stronger and more committed than ever to promoting healthy sleep for healthy sales BY BETH ENGLISH Quick—name the three major components of a healthy life. Diet, exercise and […]
Connecticut statewide mattress-recycling plan approved
BedTimes magazine reported today that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has approved the Connecticut Mattress Stewardship Plan developed by the Mattress Recycling Council. The plan goes into effect May 1. MRC is a non-profit created by the mattress-industry trade group, the International Sleep Products Association, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Connecticut is the first state to […]
Sleep news round-up
Nightmares, demystified What’s the difference between a nightmare and a bad dream and what can you do about them? Antonio Zadra, a professor of psychology at Université de Montréal and director of the school’s Dream Laboratory, answered a few questions about nightmares in the October issue of Real Simple. O What exactly qualifies as a nightmare? […]
U.S. mattress sales rise 5.8% in October
Unit sales of mattresses and foundations increased by 5.8% in October, compared with unit sales in the same month of 2013, according to the International Sleep Products Association’s Bedding Barometer. The wholesale dollar value of those units grew 9.3%, compared with October 2013, and the average unit selling price increased 3.3%. Year-to-date unit sales and […]
Generation Z—coming to a store near you
A recent national survey from Boston’s Northeastern University reveals that members of Generation Z—those born in the mid-1990s or later—are highly self-directed, demonstrated by a strong desire to work for themselves, study entrepreneurship and design their own programs of study in college. According to the survey, 63% of the respondents—all between the ages of 16 and […]
Hiring for the long haul
Smart hiring managers use a variety of methods to find employees who will stick around. Tom Gimbel, founder of LaSalle Network, a nationally recognized staffing firm based in Chicago, shares these strategies at Fastcompany.com: 1. Always be interviewing. The right time to be interviewing is before you are in need of a new employee, Gimbel […]
MRC staff grows with two hires
The Mattress Recycling Council has hired a program coordinator and a marketing and communications coordinator. Mark Patti has been named MRC’s Southern California program coordinator. He will work with municipalities, retailers and other generators of mattresses, as well as transporters and recyclers, as the MRC develops and implements its mattress-recycling program in the state. “We […]
Poll: Millennials less invested in recycling
Conventional wisdom that Millennials are more eco-conscious than their parents and grandparents may not be accurate—at least when it comes to recycling, according to a Harris Poll conducted in November for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. The online survey found that younger adults (ages 18 to 34) are significantly less likely to always recycle—just […]
Gov. Brown signs bill to tweak California mattress law
California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that adds specificity and assurances that preserve regulatory oversight to mattress-recycling legislation that was originally signed in 2013. The International Sleep Products Association supported the changes to the law, which were introduced through legislation in August and signed by Brown in September. The Mattress Recycling Council, a […]
Three lessons from the Apple Store
Some furniture stores are segregating or creating entirely different sleep shops solely focused on sleep. Many specialty-sleep stores use multimedia to educate consumers while they are in store. Other retailers help prequalify a shopper’s desired comfort/firmness by having her try preselected mattresses in different firmness levels to further reduce confusion and streamline her shopping experience. […]
ISPA expects gains in bedding unit shipments, wholesale values in next two years
The U.S. mattress industry is projected to enjoy healthy increases in both units shipped and the value of those shipments for the next two years, according to a new forecast from the International Sleep Products Association. The forecast, released in October, projects that the number of mattresses and foundations shipped will rise by 2% and the […]
Real Simple offers on-point, mattress-shopping advice
Article has useful tips for buying new bed When consumer magazines advise their readers on buying a new mattress, the editors at Sleep Savvy often hold our breath as we read along: We’ve encountered too many articles that tell consumers foundations are a rip-off and that there’s little difference between mattress brands or technologies. A […]
MRC releases educational videos on mattress recycling
The Mattress Recycling Council, a nonprofit organization formed by the International Sleep Products Association, has released three videos that provide retailers in Connecticut, California and Rhode Island the basic information they need about new recycling laws as preparations for launching mattress-recycling programs in those states move ahead. Connecticut is the first state to implement its […]
Experts to tackle guidelines for optimal sleep
How much sleep is too much or too little? A panel of medical specialists and researchers, funded in part by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hopes to find a more definitive answer to that question, according to a story published Monday in The Wall Street Journal. Experts tapped by the CDC, the American Academy […]
Mattress and sleep tips for managing arthritis pain
BY TERRY CRALLE The term arthritis can refer to many different rheumatic diseases and conditions, the most common being osteoarthritis. Arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, pain and inflammation and affects approximately 52.5 million Americans. According to the CDC, it is the most common cause of disability. People who suffer from arthritis tend to […]
Consumers share mattress-shopping concerns
BSC research reveals confusion, hesitation about buying a new bed set The Better Sleep Council’s latest research uncovered reasons why consumers hesitate to shop for and purchase a new mattress. Understanding the consumer mindset can help retailers sell the value of better sleep that comes with a new quality mattress set, says Mary Helen Uusimaki, vice […]
Mattress recyclers to the rescue
The International Sleep Products Association maintains a mattress recyclers locator for the United States and Canada. To find a recycler in your area, visit the Bye Bye Mattress Recycling Locator. Recyc-Mattresses Corp. Headquarters: Montreal Founded: 2007 Principals: Eric Castro and Pascal Cohen Mission statement: “Recyc-Mattresses’ commitment is to help protect the environment.” Fees: Fees vary depending on the […]
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 […]
Bedding Barometer: Revenues up in April
According to the International Sleep Products Association’s Bedding Barometer (pay wall), a monthly sales report on the U.S. mattress industry, unit sales of mattresses and foundations decreased 1.2% in April, as compared with the same month in 2013. The wholesale dollar value of those units grew 3%, as compared with April 2013. The average unit selling […]
Internet-only Casper offers solution to ‘terrors’ of mattress shopping
What happens when today’s connected Millennials have bad experiences at mattress retailers? Sure, they vent in social media, but some—like the founders of new mattress brand Casper Sleep—take things a step further. They attract $1.6 million in venture capital and start their own e-commerce mattress brand, targeting dissatisfied Gen Y-ers. Watch New York-based Casper Sleep’s […]
BSC consumer research: They like you–they really do!
In recent qualitative research, the Better Sleep Council studied the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of a group of sleep-deprived mattress shoppers. In the process, the BSC uncovered this myth-buster—most study participants thoroughly enjoyed their interactions with retail sales associates. Despite feeling overwhelmed by store choice and massive selection, despite anxiety about high prices and trepidation […]
True colors: What is your logo saying?
Before they set foot in your store, consumers have formed an impression of your company based on your logo or, more specifically, your logo’s colors, according to an article posted March 31 on FastCompany.com. For logos, many mattress retailers favor blue or red—or a combination of both. Blue makes sense: It’s traditionally associated with peacefulness, […]
Better Sleep Month targets consumer confidence, purchasing indecision
Join the push to ‘Get on Top’ this Memorial Day A NEW awareness campaign to encourage Americans to “Get on Top of a New Mattress” kicked off May 1 as part of the Better Sleep Council’s annual Better Sleep Month. The BSC is the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association. Get on […]
Bedding Barometer: Mattress sales slide in February
U.S. mattress sales declined in February, as compared with the same month of the previous year, according to the Bedding Barometer (pay wall), a monthly sales report published by the International Sleep Products Association. Unit sales decreased by 3.4% , while the wholesale dollar value of those units decreased by 0.9%. The average unit selling price […]
Industry leaders give specifics on recycling programs
Fees, education, legislative outlook top ISPA EXPO session The International Sleep Products Association announced several important updates regarding recent mattress-recycling laws at ISPA EXPO, March 26-29 in New Orleans. Legislation was passed in 2013 in Connecticut, California and Rhode Island. The session included the following information for bedding retailers: Point-of-purchase recycling fee According to Mike […]
‘Get on top of a new mattress’
BSC launches new Better Sleep Month Campaign “Get on top of a new mattress and get to the bottom of making the right purchase” is the theme of this year’s Better Sleep Month, which begins May 1 and is sponsored by the Better Sleep Council, the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association. […]
Bedding Barometer: U.S. mattress sales increase slightly in January
U.S. mattress sales increased in January, as compared with the same month in 2013, according to the latest Bedding Barometer (pay wall), a monthly sales report published by the International Sleep Products Association. Unit sales rose 1.2%, while the wholesale dollar value of those units remained flat. The average unit selling price decreased 1.2%, compared with the […]
What’s in a product label?
A lot, thanks to the marketing efforts of mattress makers Mattress manufacturers are sharing more information—and making it easier to present and sell their products—via the creative use of tags and printed labels. It’s a trend Sleep Savvy has noticed while reporting on new products at recent bedding shows. Labeling is a way for individual […]
Selling better sleep
How to promote a quality mattress message that improves consumers’ lives BY GARY JAMES The bedding industry could do a much better job of explaining to consumers the core idea that a quality mattress can improve sleep and quality sleep improves life, bedding executives agree. “If you were to analyze all the messaging that the […]
Mattress recycling facilities in the United States and Canada
Use this Mattress Recycling Facilities Locator to find a recycler in the United States or Canada.
Go to jail
Notorious slammers turned into luxurious hotels If a night in jail is on your bucket list, well, that’s just weird, but thanks to a trend of converting old jails and prisons into upscale boutique-like hotels, you can still have a good story about a night behind bars—with no inconvenient criminal activity required. The Charles Street […]
Retailer happily loses big in Super Bowl wager
Family-owned Harkness Furniture in Tacoma, Wash., is reimbursing customers close to $70,000 after the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Prior to the game, the retailer ran a special promotion promising to refund all furniture and mattress purchases made Thursday through Sunday before the big game—if the Seahawks managed to return their opening kickoff for a […]
Magazine issues bedding review
Consumer Reports’ analysis delivers mixed bag In its annual review of mattresses, the March issue of Consumer Reports provides a four-page package of mattress scores, retail store ratings, purchasing advice, mattress myths and insights into better sleep. The magazine evaluates 12 innerspring and 12 memory foam models through a series of comprehensive testing, yielding its […]
Bedding Barometer: U.S. Mattress sales see modest gains in December
U.S. mattress sales rose in December, compared with the same month in 2012, according to the Bedding Barometer (pay wall), a monthly sales report published by the International Sleep Products Association. Unit sales (mattresses and foundations) increased 4.8%, and the wholesale value of those units rose 7%, compared with the same month in 2012. For the same […]
Mattress-recycling levels reach 1 million pounds for West Virginia retailer
Mattress retailer Innovative Mattress Solutions recycled more than 1 million pounds of mattress material in 2013. The Winfield, W. Va.-based company does business as Mattress Warehouse, Sleep Outfitters and Mattress King in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Alabama. According to Spring Back Mattress Recycling, an award-winning mattress recycler based in Nashville, Tenn., IMS […]
6 tips for a more creative retail business
The 21st-century workplace faces many challenges, including a diverse and multigenerational workforce, limited resources and ineffective leadership. Employees want leaders who recognize their abilities and make them feel valued and respected. They also want a challenging workplace that encourages experimentation. Glenn Llopis, in an article recently posted on Forbes online, offers these six tips for […]
5 ways to get comfortable being uncomfortable
The rewards of risk taking BY WALT GRASSL Early in Karl’s career, he had no problem accepting a promotion from retail sales associate to the mattress store’s sales manager. But a few years later, when asked to be store manager, self-doubt became his constant companion. He agonized over the decision for days. He had trouble […]
5 tips for skillful succession planning
BY LOIS LANG When it comes to family business succession planning, one of these three things is certain: Most family business leaders don’t do it, they don’t do it well or they wait to do it until it’s too late. While the longevity of chief executive officers in nonfamily businesses is an average of six […]
New words hitting your sales floor?
“Selfie,” “bitcoin,” “twerk” and “phablet.” No, they’re not misspelled words. These odd-looking letter combinations are among the most recent Internet-speak additions to the Oxford Dictionaries Online, which focuses on modern meanings of English words. If someone wants to show you the selfie he took with his phablet on one of your beds, he’s not a […]
Half of Americans are sleep deprived
Are you feeling sluggish this morning? You’re not alone. The latest Better Sleep Council survey conducted this spring reveals that more than half of Americans are don’t get enough sleep, which can have dire physical and mental consequences. According to the BSC, which is the consumer arm of the International Sleep Products Association, it’s a […]
Latinos set shopping trends
Latinos view shopping differently than their non-Latino counterparts, a study finds. For the fastest-growing demographic in the United States today, shopping is a social experience that involves many sources of information, their senses, multiple generations and trendsetting. The survey, conducted by Lapiz, a marketing agency for emerging cultures based in Chicago and an affiliate of […]
Sleep is key to wellness
The staff of Self magazine recently selected 55 things that contribute to good health and asked experts to rank them. The results were published in the December issue, and, not surprisingly, sleep was considered “really important.” The article noted that losing even a half-hour of sleep can affect your mood and weaken the motivation to […]
Sleeping pills linked to pneumonia
Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England have discovered that patients taking a class of commonly prescribed sleeping pills called benzodiazepines are at an increased risk of contracting and dying from pneumonia. Scientists studied about 5,000 patients who had been diagnosed with pneumonia. They were each compared with six similar people, matched by age […]
Diet can affect sleep duration
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes, but is what you eat playing a role in how much you sleep? According to a study by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, diet may influence sleep duration. People who report eating a large variety of foods—an indicator of an overall healthy […]
Two-thirds of Americans don’t get a restful night’s sleep
If you’re counting sheep at night, chances are you’re doing it on your side, in your pajamas and between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on a Sunday, according to a national sleep survey conducted by Costa Mesa, Calif.-based home furnishings retailer Anna’s Linens. The study reveals that 74% of Americans wear pajamas to bed (8% […]
Chicago named worst metro area for bedbugs
The dubious honor of being deemed the most bedbug-infested city in the United States goes to Chicago, according to pest control giant Orkin’s ranking of the top 50 bedbug cities for 2012. Last year, Orkin’s parent company, Rollins, which operates eight pest control brands nationwide, saw a 33% increase in its bedbug business over 2011. […]
Sleep news roundup
Research: Belly fat disrupts sleep quality Dropping extra pounds enhances the quality of sleep among people who are overweight, according to a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “We found that improvement in sleep quality was significantly associated with overall weight loss, especially belly fat,” says Dr. Kerry Stewart, professor of […]
ISPA expects more state-level bills in 2013
The International Sleep Products Association and the mattress industry have long supported the need for mattress recycling. As a result, last year ISPA sought a cost-effective, efficient national solution to waste problems associated with used mattresses. At the same time, the entire industry faced costly legislation in 2012 in three states that would have forced […]
Don’t go there: Phrases that get on customers’ nerves
We’ve heard them over and over again—tired phrases that are repeated ad nauseam on TV, in the workplace and, yes, at retail. On the website FirstToKnow, Rick Andreoli took the liberty of tallying the most annoying cliches currently in circulation. Sleep Savvy offers this abbreviated ranking. Retailers can post the list to encourage sales associates […]