Retail Observer

MAY 2018 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 53 offers customers a 6-month comfort guarantee, a one-year price guarantee and much more. Last, but not least, the retailer has to deliver. "And I am not just talking about delivering the product when you say you will. You have to deliver on everything you tell them. You have to put up or shut up. It is not just about getting to them fastest or at the lowest price. You have to deliver a superior and exclusive experience from start to finish," Smith stressed. In terms of delivering a superior product experience, Smith teamed up with Kingsdown and the Sleep to Live institute offering an exclusive BedFit diagnostic system, a unique technology-driven solution that matches each customer with the mattress best suited for his or her individual body type and support needs. When customers come to the store for a new mattress, the MattressLand Sleepfit sleep advisor helps the shopper complete a sleep survey designed to uncover the possible physical, behavioral and environmental barriers to better sleep. Then, the shopper is asked to lie down on a diagnostic test bed while the BedFit system begins a series of precise pressure and alignment readings to create a digital map of an individual's back, head, and neck. The results are used to direct the shopper to the best style and support of the total sleep system best suited for each customer regardless of brand, each of which has been tested to insure proper support levels. Smith offers consumers a host of brands including Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, Sleep to Live, Kingsdown, Sleepfit, and others. As for giving customers the most compelling online experience, Smith teamed up with the BrandSource marketing team to have them create a true online presence second to none. "A number of years ago, we were attending a BrandSource event and got to sit down with digital development and marketing team. They were so clear about what they believed in and what they felt we needed to do. The fact that BrandSource is a member-owned group also convinced us that these were the people to go with," Smith confirmed. Unlike some other sources that told Smith and his team they could upgrade the site by bolting a few things on, the BrandSource team explained the wisdom of starting with a fresh platform that needed to be built from a mobile, not desktop, platform. "Considering this was a quite a few years ago, I was initially skeptical, but they were right," Smith said. "That was a great lesson and the right one, which is why I tell retailers to make sure your website isn't just mobile friendly—make sure it is mobile! Think backwards—if it is mobile friendly first, it will also be desktop friendly, because today, mobile optimization and search is everything," Smith confirmed. Brian Wattier, general manager, AVB Marketing, agrees, adding, "And while we were able to show James and his team how to enhance their digital footprint and presence, the learning process was a two- way street." Wattier stressed that the first element in the process was to educate James and his team on why they needed to pay attention to things like a strong mobile platform, Google search, social media and more. "James and everyone on his team was so open to that and because we are a non-profit internal agency, we were able to establish a deep level of trust," he said. The other benefit we were able to bring to James is that we know his industry, the brands he sells, his business model, and more. While they initially had a local agency to handle their web platform, the agency did not have the intimate knowledge of the mattress industry and his sector that we do," Wattier explained. Lastly, Wattier pointed out that, "James is amazing because he is not about selling mattresses. He is all about educating his customer to pair the consumer with the best mattress with the end goal giving the customer an amazing experience and an amazing night's sleep." Smith agreed, noting, "Make it easy for the consumer to find you, shop you, and buy from you. If we as retailers force the customer to make a decision on convenience, we lose. We have to have them make the decision on the experience," he said. When asked about the return on his investments, Smith says, "The digital enhancements have helped us get that customer in the door. And once we do, we pull out all the stops. "I tell people we are not just selling good sleep. We are selling REM sleep. If I can keep you in REM sleep multiple times a night, I will change your life, especially when you realize that most consumers don't even complete a REM cycle once a night! Armed with the science, technology, and data to back up how he sells sleep, Smith said it is the only proper way to sell mattresses to the consumer. The 'other' return on our investments can be seen in the tremendous number of five-star reviews from grateful and satisfied customers. Since November, Smith has received 775 five-star reviews that were each a paragraph or more long. And in that same timeframe, Smith said there only four reviews were less than glowing and had involved an issue with delivery dates. There is a section in the "contact us" portion of the website that allows consumers to email Smith directly. And when they do, he immediately gets back to them. "And while they are often amazed to hear from me directly and very quickly, here again, it is all part of treating your customer the right way," Smith concludes. RO E. Michael Allen, V.P. Home Furnishings – AVB/BrandSource

• Cover