But retailers expected strong Labor Day spike
A new retail mattress survey found that sales growth slowed in July, but retailers expected sales to pick up the pace for the key Labor Day holiday.
Piper Sandler’s July Mattress Retailer Survey, which samples mattress retail sentiment across the United States, showed total sales growth in July was up by a mean of 16.2%, far below June’s mean sales growth of more than 30%, and May’s two-year sales growth, which was up by a mean of more than 23%.
The New York-based firm notes that half of the retailers surveyed said they have experienced a seasonal slowdown in demand since mid-July, but a majority of retailers expected sales growth to accelerate for Labor Day, traditionally one of the busiest times for mattress retailers.
“Conversations with retailers suggest the bedding industry is slowly returning to a more typical slowdown in demand since mid-July,” the firm wrote in its report on the latest survey.
Piper Sandler says unit demand also appears to be flattening in year-over-year comparisons, with sales increases coming from gains in average unit price. In July, retailers reported that total delivered mattress units were down 2% compared with July 2021. In contrast, the AUP for mattresses, foundations and adjustable bases was up 20% year over year, the survey says.
Looking ahead, retailers estimated sales growth of 14% in the third quarter — the same third-quarter prediction that retailers gave in the June survey.
Asked which of the direct-to-consumer mattress brands retailers carry, Purple led with 45%, up from 33% in January. Nectar was next, cited by 36% of retailers, down from 42% of retailers carrying the brand in January. Casper was next, with 18% of retailers carrying the brand, up from 8%.
The survey found a significant number (36%) of retailers don’t carry any DTC mattress brands, but that’s a drop from 43% that didn’t carry DTC brands in January.
Piper Sandler also asked retailers which DTC brands they would like to add in the coming year. Purple led at 36%, followed by Casper at 27% and Nectar at 18%. Thirty-six percent of retailers said they don’t plan on adding any DTC brands during the next year.
