by Between DTC players, large manufacturers like TSI and SSB, and everyone else in the industry, consumers are overwhelmed with mattress options.
And people don’t like to have too many options. When it comes to mattresses, most of them aren’t looking for another product with features — they want benefits that will help them feel comfortable at night and refreshed throughout the day.
Everyone talks about the importance of the in-store experience, which we know is vital to the health of any good mattress retailer. But what about after the sale?
Sleep is the ultimate experience that bedding retailers help customers get, and therefore the mattress needs to be a destination. That’s a new message that the industry can push.
As humans, we love to sleep because it recharges our bodies. But with so many people having sleep problems — 50 million to 70 million adults in the U.S. were affected by a sleep disorder in 2021 — making the bed a destination turns sleep into the ultimate vacation. And it can be taken every night.
As many say, mattresses are a commodity, so retailers already need to sell the idea of a better night’s sleep to make the sale. But with all the noise surrounding it — from articles about the best foods to eat to sleep better to studies finding people who sleep less are more likely to believe in aliens and ghosts — there may be a need for something deeper or different.
Think about this: Millennials most commonly say that they don’t want things, they want experiences. They would rather spend money on an Airbnb near the Grand Canyon than buy a new 72-inch TV.
If you’re just trying to sell another product, you’re not going to win over the next generation who is moving into their mattress-buying years.
Beyond that, the mattress industry has a unique opportunity to connect the product itself to its benefits of better sleep, which is something the rest of the home furnishings industry can’t do.
That’s part of the reason why marketing is so strong in the industry. But the same message can only be told so many times.
