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 president of marketing and communications for the International Sleep Products Association and the BSC, the consumer-education arm of ISPA.

The qualitative study, conducted this spring, in conjunction with Better Sleep Month, indicates: 

1. Consumers need help identifying when to replace their mattresses.

O “I usually replace (my mattress) when there are holes in it or it sags so bad I can’t sleep.”

O “I replace when I feel a sunken impression made by years of sleeping in the same place on my mattress.”

2.  Some consumers are overwhelmed by options and don’t know where to start.

O “I hate shopping when the options are limitless.”

O “Do I start by researching the technology or find something in my price range?”

3. Consumers are embarrassed about testing mattresses in public.

O “I hate going to a store to look at a mattress. You can never really lie down and test it like you would at home. I am afraid of messing up the mattress or of everyone staring at me.”

4. Consumers liked genuine retail associates who encouraged “test-drives.”

O “(The retail associate) immediately had me lay down on a mattress while she talked about it and asked me how it felt. She was not pushy at all and kept reminding me which ones were firmer and which weren’t to help me remember. She was very knowledgeable and shared stories from her customers. She never made me feel that I was bothering her or wasting her time.”

The BSC is using these insights to inform consumers and encourage them to start their mattress-shopping experience. 

“Our goal is to deliver a more informed, ready-to-buy consumer to retail stores,” Uusimaki says.

For more information on the BSC’s extensive qualitative study and how to address shoppers’ hesitation, visit its website