What does the Fourth of July have to do with a pillow top? Why does Labor Day mean it’s time to replace the mattress? When did Presidents’ Day become a mattress holiday, and what does George Washington have to do with an adjustable base? Originally, nothing.
But over the decades, these holidays have become intrinsic to the bedding industry. So much so that when consumers think of sales during those periods, mattresses are most likely to come to mind. By capitalizing on long weekends, the industry created a compelling reason for consumers to shop during slower months.
What started as strategically useful shopping weekends has evolved into something protracted. Today, the mattress industry doesn’t just have holiday sales; it has holiday seasons.
On Aug. 7, Architectural Digest published “The Best Labor Day Mattress Sales Are Already Underway,” a full month before the holiday, which is on Sept. 7. Nectar started promoting Labor Day deals on Aug. 12; My Green Mattress announced a Labor Day promotion from Aug. 14 to Sept. 8, and Saatva’s sale started on Aug. 14.
There is a legitimate business case for it: Holiday promotions work. Retailers have told me that these events can create big sales days for their business. This can be a particular boost for mattress sales, which have long replacement cycles. By giving consumers a holiday, a deadline and a compelling offer, it can make bedding feel more urgent. During the past several years, the promotional periods tied to holidays have stretched from days to weeks, and now, up to a month.
If consumers know Labor Day sales are coming weeks before Labor Day, does their sense of urgency get stronger? Or does the opposite happen? That may be the strange paradox of the modern retail calendar: The longer promotional events become, the harder it may be for any one event to feel distinctive.
And that’s the bigger question for the bedding industry: Not whether holiday promotions work, because they do, but whether starting them earlier is a help or a hindrance?
In the age of e-commerce and an ever-evolving retail landscape, it’s easy to keep reaching for the same promotional playbook. But there are ways to create a sense of immediacy without well-worn strategies. In March, Jordan’s Furniture, based in Taunton, Massachusetts, promised its customers free furniture if both the men’s and women’s University of Connecticut basketball teams advanced to the NCAA finals. (Ultimately, neither team made it, but the retailer sold millions in merchandise during the promotion.)
At Exclusive Furniture, which operates locations in the greater Houston area, the retailer ran a “No No No Sale” from Aug. 14 to Aug. 16 that used no sales tax, no delivery fee and no setup fee on purchases as its hook. Both of these examples grabbed consumer attention without relying on a traditional retail holiday.
The answer may not be to abandon holiday promotions, but to be more intentional about them. The bedding industry has spent decades teaching consumers to associate mattresses with holiday sales, with successful results. But now, the next best strategy might be more creative promotions, rather than stretching the same holiday promotions for longer.
