It has been a year of fits and starts for mattress retailers, with major holidays generating traffic and sales, but lackluster results following those bursts of activity. Overall, the business climate has been challenging for many retailers.
That was the assessment offered by several bedding exhibitors at the recent High Point Market. They presented a mixed view of the retail landscape, noting some positives this year but also seeing significant issues facing retailers.
Retail mattress sales started off slowly this year but shifted into a higher gear as the year progressed, some exhibitors said.
Sales have been solid during some major mattress sales periods, including Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day, but dropped off after those periods of increased promotional activity, the exhibitors said. Shaky consumer confidence, geopolitical concerns and economic uncertainties continue to take their toll on the mattress industry.
Business has been challenging overall, and many retailers are reporting that their sales are down anywhere from 2% to 5% or more for the year, the exhibitors told Bedding News Now. They painted a portrait of a generally difficult year for mattress retailers.
“In general, 2025 has been a challenging year for retailers,” said Derek Leishman, national sales director for Mlily. “There has been geopolitical uncertainty, a back and forth on tariffs, and the country’s biggest employer, the federal government, is shut down. With all of that, consumers may be holding off on purchases until things get better.”
AW Industries, based in Landover, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., said the government shutdown has affected retailers in its trading area. But the company is making aggressive product moves to boost its business in the coming months, said Adrian Wertz, vice president of sales.
Richard Fleck, president of Paramount Sleep, said some retailers are doing well in the current climate.
“Is there retail momentum?” he asked. “It depends on the retailer. Retailers with robust omnichannel strategies are rebounding. Retailers who don’t have those strategies are suffering. Internet search is such a big part of our business today. The internet keeps growing in importance.”
Toby Konetzny, CEO of South Bay International, said consumers have been pulling back on spending at a time when consumer confidence is down. “Life feels more expensive these days,” he said. “That makes consumers think, ‘I don’t really need a new mattress.’ Products have to be on sale for consumers to buy.”
“Retail has been inconsistent and spotty,” observed Bill Hammer, president of Shifman Mattress. “Several retailers told me their business improved in the last three weeks, but several also told me the opposite. We are hoping for more stability in the marketplace.”
He said that major mattress holidays have spurred business “when the perceived values are strong enough to bring consumers into the stores for larger-ticket purchases.”
Hammer’s takeaway for mattress retailers: “In difficult times, you have to be more aggressive, be more intentional. You have to work harder to drive the business.”
Ian Hays, vice president of sales for Magniflex, says that retailers with strong brand assortments and compelling marketing messages are doing well while other retailers are struggling to maintain sales and margins as business costs rise.
Gerry Borreggine, CEO of Therapedic International, said mattress sales have picked up as the year has progressed. “The industry had a slow start,” he said, noting a poor performance for the President’s Day holiday, the first major holiday of the year. “Sometime in March business kicked into a higher gear,” he added. “The tariff issue started to spur business. Consumers were buying American to beat the tariffs.”
As the year enters its final months, Borreggine is optimistic about the outcome for retailers. “I think we will finish the year in plus territory,” he predicted.
Chris Taheny, vice president of national accounts and business development at Cariloha, who attended the High Point Market, said there “is some retail momentum, but it is not shared equally.”
Retailers who are enthusiastic about their business and are trying new things are doing well, but retailers who are “stuck in their boxes and waiting for the good old days to return” are struggling, he said. Success comes from “selling sleep and not just slinging mattresses,” he added.
