The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.
For the April issue of our sister magazine, BedTimes, I interviewed Ryan and Michael Rowden, the brothers behind Franklin Park, Illinois-based manufacturer Made Rite Bedding. (Shameless plug: Check out their Industry Spotlight feature on BedTimesMagazine.com.) Due to space constraints, the following quote from Michael Rowden didn’t make the cut, but I’m happy to share it here:
“The bedding industry is one of the oldest and most vital industries. Since man has lived in caves, people have found ways to make their sleep just a little better. From goose feathers to microcoils, (we) have continued to find new ways to bring a little extra comfort into people’s homes.”
Ever since he said it, it’s been echoing in my head. Why? Because it captures why so many people working in our industry find it fulfilling. Just ask Ryan Farris, founder of Oklahoma-based retailer Mattress King, the subject of our latest Retail Road Trip. When Farris started his business 20 years ago, he decided to focus on consumer comfort instead of brand names. But I don’t want to give away too much.
And what’s a great mattress without the right pillow? Pillows — often called the mattress for your head — are a crucial part of a good night’s sleep and your overall selling strategy. I did a deep dive into today’s pillow marketplace to find out what’s resonating with consumers. The short answer? Customization. Today, it isn’t enough to sell shoppers on memory foam or down. They’re looking for a range of profile heights, double-sided options, adjustable fill and even antiaging covers for, quite literally, beauty sleep. As retailers, curating the right lineup to give your customers enough choices without overwhelming them is key.
In other news, Mattress Recycling Council is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Since launching its first program in Connecticut in 2015 — followed by California, Rhode Island and, this year, Oregon — MRC has recycled 15 million mattresses. It’s incredible to think about how each of those beds started with the pursuit of comfort and now, parts of them, like steel from recyclable coils, are in new beds, giving someone else a good night’s sleep. What a beautiful circle.
Speaking of cyclical natures, since this is the spring issue, I’d be remiss if I didn’t wish you a sense of peace and renewal. There is something inherently inspiring about a new season — particularly one marked by longer stretches of daylight and blooming flora.
For as often as things evolve in the bedding industry, like consumer preferences and technologies, the baseline will never change — and that’s the human interest in a better night’s sleep.
