1800mattress.com Reestablishes Direct Mattress Sales In Southern California

Furniture World Magazine

1800mattress.com said today it had re-established direct sales operations to consumers in Southern California, following the Chapter 11 filing of its local franchise, Mattress Gallery. Any consumer who places an order through 1800mattress.com’s telephone call center or website will get their delivery and service as planned. “There are contingencies in place for this scenario and we will make sure that all 1800mattress.com customers will receive the same high level of customer service they have come to expect from us in Southern California, despite the filing by Mattress Gallery,” said Bill Johnson, chief operating officer of 1800mattress.com. Mattress Gallery’s 52 showrooms in Southern California, spread from Los Angeles to San Diego, joined the 1800mattress.com franchise network in January of 2006. The company had been a distributor for the national tele-retailer for a few months prior to upgrading to franchise status. 1800mattress.com said that it would immediately start servicing its existing customers from its San Francisco distribution center, running delivery trucks to Los Angeles several days a week along with utilizing local recommended bedding retailers until a longer-term solution is finalized. The company has begun discussions with other retailers about possible franchise relationships in these markets. “Los Angeles has always been a strong market for us, and we will act aggressively to assure we can continue to provide outstanding service and value to our customers in the market,” said Joe Vicens, executive vice president of national and international. Prior to the franchise agreement being signed in late 2006, 1800mattress.com operated its own warehouse and delivery operation in Los Angeles that serviced Southern California. The operation was absorbed by Mattress Gallery after the franchise agreement became effective. Founded in 1976, 1800mattress.com is the leading national multi-channel (internet, call center and showrooms) retailer of mattresses, box springs and bedding products. It features products by Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Tempurpedic and King Koil among others from its 30 beds and mattress menu, including custom sizes, futons, and adjustable and organic beds. Its award winning customer service is well chronicled in thousands of media articles and books. The company is the first to sell mattresses through new online chat software available on their website as well as being the first mattress retailer to introduce a two-hour delivery window, and fast national and international delivery of its products. Its business-to-business sales division supplies schools, hospitals, hotels and other institutions. For more information, please visit www.1800mattress.com.