John Rachid, the CEO of Imaginarium, is coloring outside the lines with new products. And he’s using Crayola crayons to do so.
Rachid, a bedding veteran who previously worked at Serta Simmons Bedding, Protect-A-Bed and Tempur Sealy International, joined West Long Branch, New Jersey-based Imaginarium six months ago. He was at the recent Las Vegas Market with several eye-catching introductions, including a colorful line of Crayola memory foam pillows retailing for $29.99.
Those pillows, designed for kids 3 and older, were accompanied by the launch of Sleep Monster, a pillow companion product designed for add-on sales for the Crayola pillows and other kids’ pillows. Pillow Monster holds a child’s pillow and creates a fun friend for the child in the bedroom, the playroom and on trips. It retails for $24.99 to $29.99.
“These cute, compelling products will help retailers increase their basket,” Rachid told Bedding News Now, echoing language he used in the sleep accessories category as he helped retailers find additional sales opportunities to boost their tickets — and their profits.
He said retailers who sell the Sleep Monster with a Crayola pillow will lift their ticket sales, in turn helping them grow their share in the kids’ bedding market, a market that he said is underserved on many retail floors.
“Retailers are not getting more customers,” he noted. “They need to manage those sales tickets.”
The Crayola pillows are prototypes that convey the breadth of the line to be offered through a license with Crayola. They sported a wide range of colors that will help them pop on retail sales floors.
Imaginarium, a Michael Fux company, also had new products for adults at the Las Vegas Market. It introduced the Jennifer Adams line of mattresses, toppers and pillows. The seven-bed line retails from $699 to $1,499. Adams, a popular designer and the author of “Love Coming Home,” was in the showroom to meet retailers and talk about her line.
The collection includes a new king pillow measuring 20 inches by 36 inches that will give sleepers additional comfort and support. Two of those pillows will fit the width of a king mattress.
Imaginarium describes itself as an innovator, distributor and seller of home goods, specializing in pillows, mattresses, mattress toppers and a number of furniture categories. The company has developed strategic programs with retailers like Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club and Home Goods, among others.
