Mark and Mike unpack the latest news in the Sleep Number bankruptcy process, sharing thoughts on the factors that led to the company’s financial troubles and the steps it may take coming out of bankruptcy.
The U.S. bedding market experienced several declines in 2025, with the total market value for U.S.-produced and imported mattresses and foundations dropping 6.5% and unit shipments falling 13.2%, a new industry report says. The International Sleep Products Association’s overview of mattress industry trends in 2025 notes that the “market contraction continues, driven primarily by volume…
Welcome to the fourth installment of Bedding News Now’s look at the best mattress retailers across the country. This report profiles bedding standouts in the Southwest. We developed these reports by inviting industry submissions, combing through the latest installment of the Home News Now 125 Furniture and Bedding Retailers, and then identified other mattress retailers…
Job Title: Director of Merchandising Company: Thuma Location: San Francisco Bay Area Description: This role serves as the General Manager of their categories, responsible for identifying growth opportunities, developing category strategies, building assortments, driving financial performance, and ensuring Thuma continues to deliver a best-in-class customer experience across all channels. The ideal candidate combines strong merchant…
Job Title: Merchandise Manager, Bedding Company: Ashley Furniture Location: Tampa, Florida Description: Ashley is seeking an experienced Merchandising Manager to support and execute merchandising strategies for its bedding category. This role will be responsible for contributing to sales growth, maintaining profit margins, and ensuring optimal inventory management while staying aligned with current market trends and…
Job Title: Director, Real Estate Company: Mattress Firm Location: Remote Description: The Director of Real Estate is responsible for directing, coordinating and integrating the company’s real estate portfolio strategies by successfully growing the company through negotiating leases and transactions for future Mattress Firm stores and overseeing existing store long term strategies. Qualifications: Read the full…
For nearly two decades, Ikano Industry, a core division of Ikano Group, which was founded by Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea, has quietly powered some of the world’s most trusted sleep brands. The company announced the launch of its first consumer-facing mattress brand: Ikona. Backed by RePoliol, a pioneering and proprietary technology that delivers…
The Fourth of July has historically been an important holiday for the bedding industry. It marks the halfway point of the year, kicks off the third quarter and offers a chance to boost sales. Despite weakened consumer confidence and economic headwinds, bedding retailers remain optimistic. To get a glimpse into the marketplace, I interviewed a…
When news hit a few weeks ago that Sleep Number is filing for Chapter 11, many in the industry speculated that Somnigroup International would bid on the brand. While Sleep Country Canada is the stalking horse bidder at the moment, Keith Hughes, an analyst at Truist, said he expects “several of the better capitalized players…
The time has come to submit Las Vegas Market submissions for our pre-market product slideshow. Unfortunately, the deadline has passed. But fortunately, we’re offering an extension until EOD July 19. Please send the following to alex@homenewnow.com: Submissions sent after July 19 will not be included in the slideshow.
In a world centered on the customer, a one-size-fits-most selling approach turns many customers off. In essence, “pitches don’t work.” How can one “ditch the pitch” while still following a proven selling process? UncleMuenkel has the answers.
Not long ago, customers visited your website, compared a few brands and arrived at your store with a handful of questions. Your sales team guided them from their online research to an in-store purchase. Today, many of your customers arrive having already watched YouTube reviews, scrolled through Reddit discussions and asked an AI assistant which…
Bedding executive Doug Krinsky, who has raised more than $1.6 million to help those affected by autism, has been named the inaugural winner of Bedding News Now’s Bedding Humanitarian Award. The award will be presented at BNN’s Best In Bedding event, set for Monday, July 27, at WorldView on the 16th floor of Building B…
It’s official: The first episode of the Wake-Up Call podcast with Mark Quinn and Mike Magnuson is here. Will they be diving in for a forensic analysis of the mattress industry? Not this time. Tune in to hear Mark and Mike talk about WHY they are doing the show, learn more about their backgrounds and details on…
Diamond Mattress will feature its re-engineered Auto Pilot 2.0 Smart Sleep System at the upcoming Las Vegas Market, marking the platform’s first major trade showcase since its preview to retail partners at the winter market earlier this year. Auto Pilot 2.0 advances the brand’s adaptive sleep technology with real-time comfort adjustment, biometric tracking and a…
South Bay International is bringing Dream+ Sleep Technology to Las Vegas Market, July 26-30, opening a new chapter in fabric-level sleep innovation. Buyers and industry partners are invited to experience it firsthand at Showroom B-962. Dream+, developed in partnership with Bekaert Deslee, winner of the German Innovation Award 2025, is a sleep technology infused directly…
Paramount Sleep Co. has partnered with the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center to furnish bedrooms at the nonprofit’s Betty B. Chidester Campus, expanding access to safe, comfortable housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. The initiative was spearheaded by Anne Fleder, community supporter of the JCOC and shareholder of Paramount Sleep Co., whose longstanding involvement with charitable organizations helped…
Symphony Sleep is continuing its investment in science-based retail education, providing furniture and mattress retailers with evidence-based resources designed to help sales associates communicate the health and wellness benefits of adjustable bases. The initiative includes educational materials that are being developed with input from the International Chiropractors Association, whose specialists in spinal biomechanics, clinical neuroscience and…
After identifying a significant lack of business, marketing and merchandising resources available to luxury mattress retailers, Shifman Mattress Co. has launched Shifman Presents, a new educational platform designed to help retailers better attract, engage and serve affluent consumers. Subtitled The Business of Luxury, the webinar series was created in response to what Shifman sees as one of…
Welcome to the third installment of Bedding News Now’s look at the best mattress retailers across the country. This report profiles bedding standouts in the Midwest. We developed these reports by inviting industry submissions, combing through the latest installment of the Home News Now 125 Furniture and Bedding Retailers, and then identified other mattress retailers…
Job Title: Senior Operations Manager Company: Wayfair Location: Romeoville, Illinois Description: The Senior Operations Manager build and lead a high-performing team of Operations Managers and Supervisors, fostering a strong culture of safety, employee engagement, and collaboration. They will oversee daily fulfillment center operations, monitoring end-to-end metrics to exceed business plans for safety, quality, throughput, and…
Job Title: Manager of Production Company: Sleep Number Location: Irmo, South Carolina Description: In this Production Manager role, you will create a culture of teamwork, engagement and accountability and develop a team through coaching, mentoring and challenging them with high expectations. You will also help implement changes to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Production Manager…
Job Title: Media Strategy & Measurement Manager Company: Saatva Location: New York Description: Saatva is seeking a strategic and mathematically-minded Media Strategy & Measurement Manager to help shape its upper-funnel media investment across linear TV, streaming, sponsorships, audio, and emerging channels. The person in this role will partner closely with the Director of Paid Media…
Two bedding industry veterans are launching a new podcast to give the industry a weekly wake-up call. Bedding News Now will be airing the Wake-Up Call podcast, hosted by Mark Quinn, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Shifman, and Mike Magnuson, CEO of GoodBed, a leading provider of mattress testing, ratings and product…
Before it was City Furniture, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based retailer was Waterbed City. In 1971, recent college graduate Kevin Koenig used $1,500 in savings to open Waterbed City in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His brother, Keith, also joined the company, and together, they began a successful business selling waterbeds for $29.95. In the 1990s, however, waterbeds…
Aireloom, the premier mattress brand of E.S. Kluft & Co., announced that its newly launched Preferred Collection has achieved Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification. Aireloom is the first luxury handmade mattress brand in the United States with an entire collection to meet this globally recognized, rigorous standard for safety, according to the company. The standard is an independent testing…
AVB BrandSource has promoted Chad Fischer to senior director of home furnishings and bedding – membership, effective July 1. Fischer, formerly director of bedding solutions, will now lead membership strategy across BrandSource’s Furniture and Bedding divisions, with participation in member recruitment, support of member retention and the overall health of both programs. He will work…
Consumers shop differently whether they are shopping for a NEED versus a WANT. Knowing the difference matters more than we think. UncleMuenkel explains how in his latest training video.
Though artificial intelligence has come a long way over the past five years, many still think of AI in terms of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Anthropic. According to Abdul Basharat, CEO of AI logistics startup Cartage AI, the technology can be used for so much more in the retail world. Cartage AI helps…
As the bedding industry speculates about Sleep Number after its recent acquisition by Sleep Country Canada, let’s not forget who they are or what they’ve built. The company has 572 stores and a known household brand name that’s nearly as popular as Tempur-Pedic and Serta. Despite recently filing for bankruptcy, it reported $1.4 billion in…
Welcome to the second installment of Bedding News Now’s look at the best mattress retailers across the country. This report profiles bedding standouts in the Southeast. We developed these reports by inviting industry submissions, combing through the latest installment of the Home News Now 125 Furniture and Bedding Retailers, and then identified other mattress retailers…
Welcome to the first installment of Bedding News Now’s look at the best mattress retailers across the country. This report profiles bedding standouts in the Northeast. We developed these reports by inviting industry submissions, combing through the latest installment of the Home News Now 125 Furniture and Bedding Retailers, and then identified other mattress retailers…
Job Title: VP, eCommerce Company: FXI Location: Radnor, Pennsylvania Description: The Vice President of eCommerce is responsible for owning and scaling FXI’s eCommerce business, with full accountability for strategy, revenue, profitability, and execution across digital channels. This role will lead the development and expansion of FXI’s eCommerce platform, while building the operating model, capabilities, and…
Job Title: VP, Merchandising Company: RH Location: Corte Madera, California Description: The VP, Merchandising at RH leads multiple assigned departments and the development of consumer-relevant products that deliver against strategic, financial and brand equity objectives. This role is accountable for product strategy whilst achieving financial goals. Qualifications: Read the full job listing for more information.
If cost was not the driving factor, how would you design the ultimate pressure-relieving bed? That’s the idea that set Bob Duncan, founder and chairman of Artisan Lane (formerly American Leather), on a journey to create Ciridian, an ultra-luxury intelligent sleep system that continually adapts to the sleeper in real time. Duncan tells Bedding News…
Keith Koenig, who started his career as a waterbed retailer and built City Furniture into a home furnishings powerhouse, has been named a Bedding Legend and will be honored at a Bedding News Now event at the Las Vegas Market next month. Koenig, chairman of City Furniture, will be the featured speaker at the BNN…
Objections are generally a smokescreen hiding the truth. The truth is there if you know how to find it. In this episode, sales training expert Bob Muenkel explains how to find that truth and what to do with it.
“What happens in your store definitely should not just stay in your store. Every signal — from what people pick up to what they pause on to what closes the deal — should travel.” That observation from Karin Tracy, group lead, retail and e-commerce at Meta, captures one of the biggest shifts in retail today.…
Paramount Sleep Co., the only mattress manufacturer licensed to carry the Seal of Cotton trademark of Cotton Inc., has more than doubled its commitment to 100% pure cotton since launching its exclusive program in January 2025. What began with 75,000 pounds of 100% cotton in its upholstery layers has grown to approximately 200,000 pounds as…
Serta will debut its all-new Skechers Collection, powered by Serta innovation, developed in partnership with Skechers U.S.A, a global lifestyle brand known for engineering comfort into every step. The co-branded collection will be officially introduced at the July Las Vegas Market. The Skechers Collection, powered by Serta Innovation, combines Skechers’ expertise in lifestyle comfort and broad…
Job Title: Regional Sales Manager Company: Mattress Warehouse Location: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Description: As a Regional Manager, you will serve as the strategic leader for a large geographic territory, leading a team of Area Managers and Store Managers responsible for more than 25 retail locations. You will be responsible for developing talent, driving sales…
Job Title: Co-Director – Manufacturing Company: Sherwood Bedding Location:Tolleson, Arizona Description: This leadership role is critical in ensuring products are manufactured on schedule, meet the highest quality standards, and align with established cost and safety objectives. The ideal candidate will foster collaboration across departments to drive operational efficiency, continuous improvement, and a positive workplace culture…
Job Title: Director of Bedding and Sleep Company: FurnitureMart USA Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Description: The Director of Bedding & Sleep will own one of the company’s most important and fastest-moving categories, representing approximately 20% of total company revenue. This high-impact leadership role is responsible for driving category growth, optimizing profitability, building best-in-class vendor…
Keeping in line with the dramatic success of Spring Air’s Sleep Copper Mattress collection, the brand’s new Sleep Copper pillow line sold a record 5,000 units in its first 60 days at retail. The pillow line is built on the heritage of the bestselling health and wellness-focused Sleep Copper Mattress collection that is a blockbuster…
Following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last week, Sleep Number has agreed to partner with Sleep Country Canada to merge the two companies. As part of the voluntary Chapter 11 process, Sleep Country Canada will serve as the stalking horse bidder in a court-supervised sale. But the proposed transaction remains subject to other offers, court…
Too often, members of the mattress industry conflate the number of stores with the success of a retailer. Keith Moneymaker, owner of Sweet Dreams Mattresses & More in Southern Pines, North Carolina, breaks down the reality of what makes a strong retailer and why a two-store operation could be as strong as a 15-store one.
Objections are a daily occurrence for mattress retailers, but it’s how they handle the situation that determines whether they win. UncleMuenkel reveals how to reopen the sale after an objection.
Retailers spend lots of time analyzing foot traffic. Is it up, down or flat? How does it compare to the year before? Recently, I’ve heard from lots of retailers that foot traffic is mostly down, but the average ticket price is up. It’s a notable shift in consumer behavior, and retailers have been adjusting their…
An ancient Chinese business strategist made a surprise appearance at the spring High Point Market. So did a wise Roman military writer. I heard their voices in mattress showrooms, although I didn’t realize it at the time. One of the great things about markets is the unexpected insights they can provide. In the hustle and…
E.S. Kluft & Co. has promoted Christopher Chbat to vice president of sales, Canada. In this role, Chbat will oversee the company’s Canadian sales strategy, leading initiatives to expand market presence, strengthen partner relationships and drive continued revenue growth across the region for Aireloom, Kluft & Marshall Mattress brands. He will continue to report to…
Mark and Mike unpack the latest news in the Sleep Number bankruptcy process, sharing thoughts on the factors that led to the company’s financial troubles and the steps it may take coming out of bankruptcy.
