SSA Vice President Dale Read Gives Retailers the Rundown on Specialty Sleep Products

Furniture World Magazine

The Specialty Sleep product category has come a long way from the days of strobe lights and love beads. In their quest for rest, a growing number of exhausted consumers are gravitating toward the sophisticated technologies of Specialty Sleep, but it's an opportunity largely untapped by traditional furniture retailers. Dale Read, Vice President of the Specialty Sleep Association and an industry writer who specializes in bedding and sleep products, says it's time for retailers to take close look at latex, visco, flotation, air and adjustable beds. "Consider that the total market for mattresses and box springs is about $7.6 billion retail," says Read. "The Specialty Sleep segment of that market is somewhere between 12 and 18 percent, and growing. So if you're not in the Specialty Sleep business, you are losing your piece of a billion-dollar business." In addition, Read notes that Specialty Sleep offers solid margins . typically two or three times greater than case goods sets. Specialty Sleep products are comparable in price to the premium and ultra premium innerspring price points (from $700 to $2400 queen size retail) and are not promoted by sales and discounting. "Specialty Sleep taps into the Baby Boomer's quest for better health and wellness," says Read. "The customized comfort and exceptional support offered by Specialty Sleep allows for the restful sleep that is so important to physical and mental well-being. And many customers are willing to pay $1,000 or more for a mattress that will make a difference." The idea that each consumer must select the sleep set that is right for his or her preference and need continues to drive product innovation in the Specialty Sleep category. According to Read, each category has unique characteristics and sales potential: Latex is hot. Latex mattresses are the largest growing category in the bedding business. Latex is a rubber product that can be developed to create a range of "feel." Traditionally, a latex bed has been defined as having just latex in the mattress construction; however, many manufacturers are using latex as a component because of its unique properties. Visco is strong. Visco-elastic foam, or "heat sensitive foam," is generating growing interest among consumers and retailers. TempurPedic has significantly raised consumer awareness of this category, but a number of others, including Strobel Supple-Pedic, are growing and innovating as well. Air is gaining. Driven in visibility by SelectComfort, consumer interest in sleeping on air has gained in recent years. Yet, the industry has been around for many years. The quality concerns that plagued the category in years past have been addressed with the better technology and higher-quality components used by manufacturers today. Flotation is niche favorite. Ninety percent of consumers do not know about today's waterbeds, but those who do tend to be devoted fans! While there is some demand for the old-style, hardside waterbeds (remember those big bags of water?), most flotation beds today look just like a conventional mattress from the outside. And, unlike their early predecessors, today's flotation beds are easy to assemble and maintain. Adjustable is new. Adjustable frames are no longer ugly, awkward, medical-looking beds! Adjustable beds have seen great design and quality improvements in recent years. They are quiet, smooth and attractive and offer exceptional comfort for reading, watching TV or working on a laptop in bed. An adjustable frame is a perfect companion for a latex or visco mattress. Read suggests that retailers research the various Specialty Sleep constructions and talk to several different manufacturers to determine the best mix of product to add to their stores. Retailers should also take into account the importance of good sales education and marketing for maximizing the sales potential of specialty sleep. The Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) is a national not-for-profit organization created to facilitate the growth and positive awareness of the specialty sleep category. Its members develop and/or sell specialty sleep products, including air, flotation, latex, foam and adjustable sleep surfaces, and related merchandise. SSA membership is comprised of more than 100 manufacturers and retailers ranging from small, family-owned businesses to large corporations. For more information, visit http://www.specialtysleepnet.com