A gold mine of insights for bedding retailers

Do you want to know what motivates today’s shoppers to buy? What role does research play in a consumer’s buying decisions? How much do consumers expect to pay for a new bed?

These are just a few of the insights revealed in new research conducted by New York-based Fluent Research on behalf of the Better Sleep Council, the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association. The survey, conducted in 2016, is the fifth sponsored by the BSC since 1996.

For the first time, consumers’ expectations for how long a mattress should last have dropped below 10 years. This is good news for consumers: A shorter mattress replacement cycle means they can take better advantage of new component technologies and advancements in construction techniques. They can benefit by enjoying mattresses that offer different levels of comfort and support as their bodies change and age.

Other revealing statistics from the BSC study include:

• Pricing: Today’s shopper expects to spend more on a new bed set. BSC research reveals consumers expect a new mattress to cost, on average they say, $1,110—a significantly higher price point than the $929 from 2007, the last time the BSC research was conducted.

• Research: Consumers are spending more time researching their purchase. Seventeen percent of respondents report spending one or two days researching and browsing prepurchase, while a full 50% spend from three days to two weeks gathering information before buying.

• Store preference: While consumers are doing their homework online about a new mattress purchase, they still show a strong preference for buying a bed from a traditional brick-and-mortar store. In fact, 85% said if they were looking for a new mattress today, they would visit a local store and buy it there.

Mary Best
Editor in Chief

“This research demonstrates just how much consumers’ attitudes and perceptions have changed in recent years,” says Mary Helen Rogers, ISPA vice president of membership and communications. “The research included additional questions regarding how consumers link sleep to their overall well-being, factors that motivate or deter them from replacing their mattresses, and insights into other purchasing behaviors.”

You’ll want to read the whole story and take an especially close look at the illustrated data and charts. Enjoy, and as always, I welcome your thoughts.