Six months since the debut of Bedding Industries of America’s digital consulting program at the Summer Las Vegas Furniture Market, more than 30 participating retailers are averaging an increase of 300% in page views.
According to a news release, the program is led by industry veteran Joe Mulcahy and is offered exclusively to provide BIA’s retail partners with guidance and resources to improve their digital presence. The program’s leading services include SEO consulting to optimize the dealers’ local search engine presence to ensure their stores deliver impressions in shoppers’ searches.
“More often than not, we run into retailers that are struggling in the online marketplace and are unsure how to remedy the problem, which is where we come in,” Mulcahy said. “We run individualized reports and meet with them about ways to improve their sites and we’ve been very happy with the success rate so far.”
With initial consultations lasting about an hour, Mulcahy said he quickly identifies what retailers lack in their online stratrgies, including descriptive issues, duplicated text, overused words and corporate jargon that can be hard for consumers to understand.
Greg Jaron, president of Jaron Furniture Outlet in Bordentown, New Jersey, who has been a BIA retail partner for more than a decade, said the digital consulting program has enhanced the consumer experience and provided insights unseen before its introduction.
“As a retailer, our website is the first ‘store’ that our consumers visit and it’s important for it to be easy to use and understand so that they choose to shop with us,” Jaron said. “Being able to learn from Joe about where to put our focus and what questions we should be asking our marketing team has really made a huge difference in understanding consumer behavior digitally; we have really seen improvements since we began consulting.”
Andrew and Lacee Warneke, owners of Bargain Bedding in Sioux City, Iowa, have enjoyed the consulting process, specifically Mulcahy’s ability to connect with the retailers and their individualized needs.
“Joe’s collaborative approach to this program fosters a sense of partnership with frequent suggestions and ideas, proving that he is fully invested in our success and always has our best interest at heart,” the Warnekes said. “We are very pleased with the advice and invaluable support that Joe and the BIA team was able to provide us.”
Heading into the new year, Mulcahy is prepared to target new service areas to retailers, focusing on attracting a new generation of consumers.
“Many retailers are struggling to attract aging Gen Zs who are now becoming home buyers. My focus in 2025 is to help these dealers better understand these demographics and reach this emerging market,” Mulcahy said.
“The program has been very successful for our dealers and we look forward to enhancing our offering in the coming year,” said Phil Carlitz, chief operating officer for the North Brunswick, New Jersey-based mattress manufacturer and licensing group. “Joe and his team are really adding value and sales for retailers, elevating our offering for dealers carrying our brands.
