Sustainability stories, high-end lines, sleep accessories command the spotlight.
The spring edition of the High Point Market April 13-17 featured sunny skies — and hopes for a brighter sales outlook in the months to come.
The mattress and sleep accessories companies showing in High Point — a lineup bolstered by a number of new exhibitors — brought a wide range of introductions to this market. Companies aimed to give retailers more ways to lift their sales tickets at a time when retail traffic remains slow and business conditions remain challenging.
The exhibitors rolled out new high-end lines, new adjustable bed bases and a range of new sleep accessories — all designed to help their dealers generate more sales volume and higher profits. There was also an emphasis on mattresses offering strong margins at volume price points. Sustainability, with an emphasis on natural products, was a theme in some showrooms.
New exhibitors were looking to reach East Coast-based retailers as they round out their distribution. The exhibitors generally gave the market good reviews, saying they were pleased with the quality of retailers they saw and noted positive responses to the new mattresses and sleep accessories they saw in High Point.
Some bedding exhibitors commented that business conducted before the official Saturday start of the market is on the upswing and added that they saw significant retailers in the days before the official start.
Overall, exhibitors said retailers were interested in new products and new training programs to help their retail sales associates step up their selling games. They said that successful retailers are taking aggressive moves to grow their business, including heavy advertising schedules. They expressed confidence that the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, traditionally the start of the important summer selling season, will once again provide a strong springboard for the industry.
Dynamic Duo
With Ashley Furniture’s recent acquisition of Resident, Nectar beds took a prominent spot on the showroom floor. “It is a fantastic partnership,” said Brad Rogers, senior vice president of Ashley Bedding, headquartered in Arcadia, Wisconsin. “The Nectar team is second to none when it comes to marketing. When you take a group that is so good with marketing and combine it with the best manufacturing organization in the industry and distribution capabilities, it is just fantastic.” Ashley also showcased its new natural, three-bed latex collection, Terra Sleep, which debuted at the winter Las Vegas Market. In addition to natural latex, the collection has pocketed coils and is covered with a fabric made from recycled materials. It starts at $1,499 and tops out at $1,999.
Homegrown Luxury
AW Mattresses, the Landover, Maryland-based bedding producer, successfully expanded its Highclere collection with a new limited edition line that features wool sustainably sourced from sheep raised on the Highclere Castle estate in Newbury, England. The label pictures the sheep in front of the iconic castle, well known to viewers of the “Downton Abbey” TV series and movies. “Retailers are looking for new and exciting products with a unique story,” said Adrian Wertz, vice president of sales. The new line retails from $2,799 to more than $4,000.
Two Heads Are Better Than One
Bedgear CEO Eugene Alletto has a catchy tagline for the company’s new split-queen mattress, the M3 Hybrid, retailing for $2,999. “Two heads,” he declared, “are better than one.” The split-queen model offers retailers a $500 step-up selling option over the flat-top model, a significant increase when retailers are looking to maximize every retail transaction. Farmingdale, New York-based Bedgear continues its push to help its dealers build their average order value, a metric that Alletto said is key to boosting business in a difficult business
climate. Retailers need to sell additional product categories and provide complete sleep systems to their customers, he said.
Long-Term Sustainability
Shifman Mattress Co.’s redesigned Pure Comfort line embodies its dedication to natural materials, said Bill Hammer, president of the Newark, New Jersey-based luxury mattress manufacturer. Made with natural latex and wool, the adjustable base-friendly collection retails from $4,399 to $6,799. “Shifman is a 131-year-old manufacturer that has always been committed to sustainability; it just wasn’t popular to talk about it until now,” Hammer said. “We’ve always used natural materials. They’re superior; they hold up better.” Shifman recycles its remnants, including donating lumber to a local pallet manufacturer. “It’s a commitment,” Hammer said. “It’s a deeply ingrained philosophy that Shifman has been committed to for years, decades. We’re very proud of that.”
A Fab Five Comfort Story
Bedding Industries of America, based in North Brunswick, New Jersey, expanded its Your Comfort program with the introduction of the Eastman House Durobuilt series, a 14-inch mattress offered in five comfort choices, which the company calls “the Fab Five.” Those five distinct comfort feels are softest, soft, medium, firm and extra firm. All five models retail for $1,699, giving retailers who carry the entire lineup five opportunities to meet the customers’ comfort preferences in the midtier price category. Stuart Carlitz, BIA’s CEO, said retail sales associates should start with the medium model and ask if their customers want a firmer or softer feel. “This program helps consumers choose the right bed for them in a simple, methodical way,” he said.
From One Coast to Another
Rancho Dominguez, California-based Diamond Mattress traveled cross-country to make its first showing at the High Point Market, debuting a curated collection of its most popular products. Two new lines, a hybrid line starting at $2,999 and a gel, latex and memory foam line starting at $4,499, expanded the company’s offerings in its Technogel lineup. Diamond’s Hank Hegert, regional sales director (left), and Kevin Martin, Technogel’s national sales manager, introduced the new gel beds to retailers. Diamond shared a space with partner supplier Fashion Bed Group.
Accent on Accessories
Magniflex USA, based in Miami, did well with a revamped sleep accessories program, said Billy Curtright, vice president of sales and marketing. “We are giving retailers more tools to sell and to upsell,” he noted. “We’ve got the whole package now.” New mattress protectors retail from $89 to $149, while new pillows retail from $79 to $159. The expanded adjustable bed base line retails from $999 to $2,199. The new models will help consumers upgrade their sleep experience and will help retailers improve their sales tickets, Curtright said.
East Coast Luxury Returns
Four years after the debut of the Paramount collection, the line has gotten a new look and updated components. In a soft launch, Paramount Sleep Co. showed two potential cover designs that emphasized the line’s coastal vibes, complete with abalone shells in place of buttons on the handles. The beds feature numerous natural and recycled components including locally sourced cotton, New Zealand wool, a silk wool and cashmere quilting fiber with latex in the lumbar region, as well as latex in the upholstery and pocketed coil units made with recycled steel. Suggested retails range from $1,999 to $5,000. “Everything we do is built to last,” said Richard Fleck, president of the Norfolk, Virginia-based company.
Building on a “Good” Base
Mattress and sleep accessories supplier Mlily USA, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, rounded out its adjustable bed base lineup with the launch of the upholstered-deck MS100 model, the “good” model retailing at $999. It joins the “better” model at $1,299 and the “best” model at $1,699. “The adjustable bed base market is not as strong as it should be with retailers,” said Derek Leishman, Mlily’s national sales director (left). “Retailers should be offering a wider selection of adjustable bases.” Leishman was joined in Mlily’s showroom by Kyle Robertson, chief operating officer (right).
A Successful Sheet Partnership
Sleep accessories supplier DreamFit returned to the High Point Market with the successful launch of a custom sheet program it introduced for American Leather’s sleeper sofas. Chris Taheny, senior vice president of sales for the Cullman, Alabama-based company, described the retail response to the program as “phenomenal.” It was, he added, “the most exciting week in my 13 years in the business.” The new sheet line expands DreamFit’s line of Enhanced Bamboo sheet sets with more than 25 SKUs designed for various styles of American Leather’s sleepers. The suggested retail for a queen-size sheet set is $299.
Read about previous High Point Markets, All the High Points.
