Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2016 68 Chad Fischer Furniture Trends T echnology, accessories and "cool" beds. This was all the talk at the Las Vegas Market among bedding retailers and vendors. Visiting the showrooms brought about an excitement from buyers and vendors alike. From Serta's new iComfort Hybrid, Simmons all new Beautyrest Black, to Tempur-pedic's ® new Breeze collection with "cool technology"; having the opportunity to visit the major vendors and see their new products was very exciting. Consumers are embracing the Hybrid models. This is a great opportunity for them to get the best of both worlds, without committing to just memory foam or just innerspring. There were plenty of these beds to be seen at market from many different manufacturers. The technology in bedding continues to advance as manufacturers look for ways to separate themselves from their competition. It's not just the cooling features or the power bases anymore. What is going to separate themselves from the others, is the merchandising and the "extra" things available. Did you know that you can now track your sleep without having to wear gadgets on your wrist or waist? I had the opportunity to get a full demonstration on a new power base available. This feature told me how I was breathing, any movement I had, as well as my heart rate. I was a skeptic about the heart rate claim, but when I pulled up my heart rate on my watch, it was dead on! This will change the way people sleep in the future. Did anyone realize how many beds in a box companies are out there now? This trend got its start just under 2 years ago, but is resonating with Millennials. As more consumers are going online to do research and make purchases, the bed in the box gives those customers the opportunity to never leave the house. It's important to note, most people will still buy a mattress from a Brick and Mortar store. This is focusing on those consumers that don't need to try before they buy or for consumers who have children in a distant college town that need a bed. These products will definitely add margin and improved selection to your store, but they will need to be displayed and merchandised correctly. You can have all of the best beds and cool features available if they are strategically placed on your floor with the right mix and flow. Imagine this; you have spent lots of money on advertising, letting everyone in your market area know that you have all of this new cool stuff. They get into your store and become so confused by your store layout they have talked themselves out of buying a bed all out of fear of making the wrong decision. As stores battle it out to grow their market share and margins, bedding accessories has become an important piece to their business. What once was considered an afterthought is becoming big business. From sheets and comforters and different style of pillows, this is a profit driver for retailers and will continue to grow quickly. If you're not offering a full line of accessories I would do so right away. Another way to increase margin and raise your average ticket is to offer financing. There are many programs out there to help you with this. I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of our members over the course of four days and enjoyed the conversations. The topic in most cases, how do I continue to grow my mattress business? After talking about floor merchandising, pricing and training on the product, it always led to a conversation about advertising. The avenue of advertising that is getting overlooked most is digital. If you don't have a website or its not set up correctly, you are missing out on a lot of potential customers. Over 70% of people are now looking on the internet to get info on the product and where they should go shop. While it's still important to advertise in other forms, TV, radio, newspaper etc., digital is very important and will only get bigger. THE LAS VEGAS MARKET WRAP UP A LOOK INTO 2016 BEDDING TRENDS Chad Fischer, General Manager of Mattress Division of MEGA Group USA RO

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