Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2017 52 J ust recently, my wife and I went out and shopped bedding in both furniture stores and mattress specialty stores because, a) we needed a new bed, and b) I really enjoy listening to sales pitches in different environments. But what I really was hoping to find was just how many operations and/or retail sales associates offered the entire package as opposed to simply selling us a new bed. And by the entire package, I am referring to all the bedding accessories that we will be purchasing along with the new bed. After all, my wife will not hear of buying a new bed and then putting that old mattress protector we have now on our new bed. Sound familiar? But it does not end with the mattress protector; we are talking pillows, sheets, comforters/duvets and more. And what do these necessary accessories add up to? An industry in excess of $5 billion and added profitability for you! So, the million-dollar question in my mind is this: If a mattress purchase is a significant factor in driving the demand (I prefer the word "need") for bedding accessories and, if mattress retailers could use the additional sales dollars and additional gross profit dollars that bedding accessories can provide, then why are most mattress retailers letting that business walk out of the door? There are lots of reasons (or shall we say excuses,) that retailers aren't selling bedding accessories, but none are acceptable. For example: • We need to focus on our core business, which is selling mattresses; accessories just aren't worth the effort. • We've tried selling them in the past but we just weren't successful. • Our sales people just don't want to sell them. The positives of selling bedding accessories far outweigh the objections, and here are just a few: • Consumers both want and need these accessories. • Bedding accessories increase your average sale with minimal effort. • These products help to increase the comfort of the mattress. • They decrease the chance of a comfort return. • Bedding accessories help set you apart from your competition. • And the most important reason: you make more money! Let's take a quick look at the two top bedding accessories, pillows and mattress protectors. Choosing the proper pillow for how you sleep leads in to the mattress selection process, so let's start there. Finding the proper pillow is essential to a good night's sleep, so first determine how your customers sleep. 1. Side sleepers – The neck must be supported in straight alignment with the spine when viewed from the side. 2. Back sleepers – The spine must be supported by gently filling in the cervical curve and maintaining spinal alignment. 3. Stomach sleepers – It is essential that stomach sleepers sleep in a neutral position without restricting their airway or elevating their head too high. Now that you have matched the proper pillow to your customer's needs, help them take ownership of their pillow type as they are now going to use it when selecting the perfect mattress. Remember that a hard sell of pillows makes them harder to sell, so make it a part of the mattress selection and a key component to a restful and healthy night's sleep. Next up, the mattress protector. Refer to the mattress protector as "protecting your investment." It's really no different than protecting an automobile. Collision insurance costs thousands of dollars and can be as much as 20% of an automobile's purchase price over a ten- year period. Investing in a mattress protector insures the mattress against accidents for as little as $79 and is a one-time purchase that protects your customer's investment for 10 years. As for sheets, there will be 2 new sets coming in to my house with that new bed, and I bet your customer is no different. And by the way, did you know that 65% of consumers purchase a new mattress protector, new pillows and new sheets within 2 weeks of a new bedding purchase? So, who is capturing these purchases, you or your competition? Sounds like a no brainer to me. RO Bill Bazemore is the SVP of Furniture and Bedding for Nationwide Marketing Group. Call (770) 442-9726 or visit furniture@nationwidegroup.org for more information. BEDDING ACCESSORIES— A NO BRAINER Bill Bazemore Furniture Trends

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