Beds Magazine May 2016

BEDS | DESIGN | MANUFACTURE | RETAIL

beds

May 2016 ISSUE 09

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

z

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

z MYSTERY SHOPPER

z GUARANTEES AND WARRANTIES z EXPERT OPINION

ISSUE 09 MAY 2016

AMBASSADOR

BY BODYEASE

beds

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

Leanne Kirtley, Editor

Editor - Leanne Kirtley email: leanne@cabinet-maker.co.uk Associate Editor - Jan Turner email: jan@akapr.co.uk News Editor - Dan Squires email: Dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk contributing Editor - Katie Matthews Graphic Design - Zoe Andrews email: zoe@cabinet-maker.co.uk Sales executive - Kacem Ellabbar 01223 846825 kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk Publisher - Chris Manning email: chris@cabinet-maker.co.uk Issue no 0009 published by Information Publications Ltd, 1 Grain House, Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD VAT No: GB 945225521 Managing Director: Debbie Johnson © Information Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

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The opinions and views expressed in Beds Magazine are not necessarily those of Information Publications Ltd. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted

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Editorial Advisory Panel Tony Stuart Brown Airsprung

Nick Booth Silentnight

Shakeel Baig Bodyease

Fara Butt Shire Beds

Jim Gerety Vispring Justine Haywood

By Charles & Charles Terry Bridger Kaymed Chris France Leggett & Platt

Keeping it simple

Peter Ruddle Simmons Richard Naylor Steinhoff UK Beds

One of the best things about putting together another issue of Beds Magazine is the unique opportunity it offers for us as a reference for just how far the industry has come in even a short space of time. While working on this issue, our ninth so far, I was able to refer back to our first issue from September 2013 with the same wide eyed trepidation of one unearthing a time capsule from an era long gone by.

Back then, the NBF had only just launched its Code of Practice, something that today has proven to be one of its greatest assets, and a main selling point for the companies that count themselves as members of the organisation.

In 2013 no one had even heard of the Sleep Council Sales Academy, yet alone completed it, and now we find some of the biggest retail names in the UK eager to display their hard earned credentials for all to see.

Two and a half years ago, we also talked about a report issued at the time by GfK, which claimed online sales were, at the time, accounting for nearly half of bed and mattress sales.

I’ll admit that, at times it can feel like we never stop hearing or talking about the growth of online retail, but that is because it really does never stop. And in this issue you will read about a new breed of online mattress retailer that has its sight set on the market.

Referred to as the ‘single solution sector’, these businesses are taking aim with an offer so breathtakingly simple, you’ll wonder why it is only now, in 2015, that we are starting to notice their steady expansion. Their ethos is simple: if you only give the consumer one option then that is all they will ask for.

To the companies involved in our very first issue the idea of taking away all but the most basic of options from the consumer would be preposterous. However, today you will find the notion slowly gathering steam.

After all, one only has to glance at our Mystery Shopper feature to realise that, when it comes to mattresses, even the sales people specifically hired to sell the products can find it difficult to keep up with the latest trends and innovations. Talking to several companies, it seems we may have reached something of a turning point in the industry where manufacturers are keen to emphasise the simplicity of their offer, rather than risk bogging potential customers down with the nitty gritty.

Take Breasley, and the company’s new Salus Contempo Collection, which is, in the words of managing director Stuart Hibbert, ‘making it simpler and easier’ for retail partners and customers to understand Breasley’s product range.

On the converse side of this, while the ‘single solution sector’ might be a new phrase in Beds Magazine’s vocabulary, there are already those who have been quick to point out the slow diversification in their product offers, as more and more similar businesses peep their heads over the turrets. It really does seem that, when it comes to the business of beds and mattresses, we in the industry love nothing more than a few added extras.

Leanne Kirtley Editor

Stuart Hibbert Breasley Consumer Products Lisa Artis NBF/Sleep Council

www.bodyease.co.uk

CONTENTSS MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT DIRECTION

How TCS is improving its customer service.

OPPORTUNITY 20 EXCLUSIVE Preview of the upcoming Sealy Bed Show.

MAXIMISING IMPACT

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Why brand recognition is important to Kaymed.

28

STARS IN THEIR EYES

The manufacturers teaming up with hospitality brands.

MAMMOTH THRIVES AS SPRING ARRIVES A record breaking start to 2016 for Mammoth.

News

THE DIFFERENCE 34 SPORT Marking four years of Vogue Bed’s Sports Therapy range.

74

COMING TOGETHER

Breasley Consumer Products keeps it simple.

52

The latest news from the bed industry.

Products Night Patrol

CENTRE OF ATTENTION

With Alan Christopher Williams.

What is so special about Silentnight Sleep Centres.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

16

Paying a visit to Highgate Beds’ Dewsbury showroom.

THAN EVER 64 BEDDER What to expect from the 2016 NBF Bed Show.

A WINNING FORMULA

Getting ready for the NBF Awards.

44

PILLOW TALK

70 A look at the increasingly lucrative pillow market.

62

DESIGN ANARCHISTS OR INNOVATORS?

Investigating a new breed of online mattress retailer.

74 RETAIL THE BILLION FOLLOWER QUESTION How to make your business extra engaging.

SHOPPER 36 MYSTERY Bed Magazine’s mystery shopper reports back.

BEST TRACE SCENARIO

Discussing traceability with Nimbus Emporium.

GUARANTEES AND WARRANTIES

56 Comparing and contrasting throughout the industry.

A WINNING FORMULA

NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

The impact of the Sleep Council’s Sales Academy.

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NEWS Family duo fined over £3,000 for selling fake mattresses

A father and son team has been found guilty of selling counterfeit mattresses under the ‘Dreams’ brand.

Appearing before Tottenham Magistrates’ Court on 17 March 2016, both Fred and his son Elias Stanley pleaded guilty to displaying the ‘Dreams’ trademark on mattresses, despite having no affiliation with the company.

The court heard that the pair went door-to-door in Enfield selling the fake mattresses and used a van displaying misleading signs.

An investigation launched by trading standards revealed the mattresses were counterfeit and the ‘Dreams’ logo should not have appeared on the van or the mattresses.

The court ordered Fred Stanley to pay a fine of £1,680, while Elias was ordered to pay a fine of £1,840.

Cabinet member for environment Cllr Daniel Anderson spoke to the Enfield Independent: “Displaying well known logos to advertise counterfeit goods is not only misleading but is also a criminal offence.

“The Stanley’s led their customers into believing that they were buying genuine ‘Dreams’ mattresses when, in reality, they were instead purchasing cheap fakes.”

www.new.enfield.gov.uk

Dutch bed group posts continued growth Dutch mattress group Beter Bed Holding has posted a growth in both revenue and profit in its annual results for 2015.

According to figures, total sales increased by 5.9% to €385.4m (£302.1m) from €364m (£285.3m) in 2014.

EBITDA improved by 31.4% to €41.1m (£32.2m) from €31.3m (£24.5m), with a resulting net profit of €22.6m (£17.7m), up by 33.8% from €16.9m (£13.2m) in 2014.

The company also finished the financial year on a high, with total sales for the fourth quarter up by 3.4% to €102.9m (£80.6m) from €99.6m (£78.1m) over the same period in 2014.

Ton Anbeek, chief executive officer, said: “The company’s organic (like-for-like) growth continued to increase in 2015. Beter Bed Holding was able to further improve its market position in almost all countries.

“In 2015, the new strategy 2016-2020 (‘From Good to Great’) was developed in order to strengthen the attraction power and transaction power of the various formulas in the coming years. The spearheads of this strategy are customer satisfaction, innovation, omnichannel e-commerce, IT systems, logistics, expansion and acquisitions.”

Trading across approximately 1,100 stores located in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Austria and Switzerland, Beter Bed operates in the UK via its subsidiary wholesale firm DBC International. www.beterbedholding.com

Bed manufacturer secures Harrods deal

Devon-based bed manufacturer Naturalmat has secured a contract to stock its mattresses in London department store Harrods.

The partnership comes after the store redesigned its Harrods Bed Studio, which now includes six of Naturalmat’s products.

Mark Tremlett, co-founder of Naturalmat, spoke to the Plymouth Herald on the deal: “We are incredibly proud to display our natural beds and mattresses in Harrods.

“To have our products stocked by a store so renowned for sourcing the best in the world is a real honour. It’s testament to how far the business has come since we started it almost 14 years ago.”

Stewart Mancey, head of furniture at Harrods, added: “Naturalmat are the perfect addition to the Harrods Bed Studio. It’s also great to be able to support a British brand with such a nice story behind it.” www.naturalmat.co.uk

Bensons and Harveys push Steinhoff UK to record sales

Bensons for Beds and Harveys combined to drive sales over £500m for Steinhoff UK Retail for the first time in the group’s history.

Steinhoff UK Retail, a subsidiary to Steinhoff International, trades under brands including Bensons, Harveys, Cargo and Bed Shed, reported combined UK sales for the 52 weeks ended 27 June 2015 up by 7% to £500.8m from £470.1m in 2014.

Gross profit also experienced a 4.7% uptick to £247.2m from £236.1m on last year, while operating profit grew by 25.3% to £25.7m from £20.5m in 2014. Steinhoff UK Retail posted an overall profit for the year of £22.1m, up by 44.4% from £15.3m year-on-year.

Commenting within the strategic report, the group said: “The company has maintained good growth in revenue. Bensons has maintained is position as the market leader by size, increasing its market share during the period. Harveys has also continued its growth in revenue, despite a deflationary market environment and strong competition.

“Following the launch of Bensons new website, investment has been made in our online offering for Harveys. Combined sales orders have, for the second period running, shown double digit growth, and we envisage this being an important growth area in the future.” www.steinhoffinternational.com

Bridge exhibitor list grows for 2016 International bedroom event Bridge has announced that the exhibitor list has grown following the success of its launch last year.

Based at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum in Coalbrooke, Telford, Bridge will take place on 20-21 September 2016, with an additional afternoon added on the 19 September for the Show Preview.

Organising duo, Maud Laine and Mark Tunstall are back to host its second show, which has seen the number of exhibitors expand from last year’s five exhibitors.

Maud commented: “Following on from a first year success, we are back to expand on the international taste for the event. Concentrating on keeping a personal and curated feel to the exhibition, however extending (not to say pushing) the trend boundaries for the UK bedroom industry, returning past exhibitors and new European manufacturers will be joining in.”

To register for free and for more information on updates and exhibitor announcements, visit www.bridge-event.co.uk. www.bridge-event.co.uk

new website for the foam company Foam expert The Foam Company has announced the launch of its new website.

The new website, www.thefoamco.co.uk, offers customers an easy to use platform for up-todate information on the company’s products and services, creating users with a simple and clear navigation system.

The new online content features news on announcements, product launches and innovations, including an informative video tour of the facility and a timeline, which follows the history of this family, owned business.

Michael Nash, managing director, said: “The new website has been developed to give our customers clear, easy access to up-to-date product information and news together with an insight into the company and how we operate.

“The site is also mobile friendly helping customers stay in touch with the very latest Foam Company information wherever they are.” www.thefoamco.co.uk

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NEWS Furmanac confirms new MD Adjustable bed manufacturer Furmanac has announced the appointment of Buzz Pattar as its new managing director.

Buzz, who was production director for seven years and became managing director designate in 2015, replaces John Hilliard, who has served over 23 years in the role.

John Hilliard became managing director in 1992 and developed Furmanac into a manufacturing business to encompass the MiBed®, MiChair® and Hestia® brands. John steered the business through the recession and supported the growth of Furmanac from being a small, family-run business to a company with a £15m turnover in 2015. Over the past eight months Buzz has grown the business further and is set to achieving the £18m sales target for 2016.

John Hilliard said of Buzz’s appointment: “I am delighted to pass the mantle to Buzz, who has proved he will be a more than capable MD to Furmanac.

With his product knowledge, enthusiasm and persona I have every confidence he will continue to drive the business forward and maintain our high levels of service, product and company values.”

Buzz Pattar commented on his appointment: “I have the utmost respect for John and have learned a great deal from him over the past few years. It’s an honour to now follow in his footsteps as the next MD, although I will of course be blazing my own trail as I have high ambitions and plans for the future of Furmanac.” www.furmanac.co.uk

Vogue hire new agent Vogue Beds Group and Limelight Beds Ltd has announced the appointment of Mark Dunn as its new sales agent for the North West area of the UK. Mark, who has been within the furniture industry since 1995, has had previous roles at Rose Cabinets, Welle Möbel, and for the ensuing 11 years was BDM for Restwell a division of Drive Medical. In early 2014 Mark had a short stint as sales director at another mattress company, before returning to an area sales role, setting up his furniture agency in September 2014; becoming the agent for Vogue Beds and Limelight Bedsteads in January 2016.

James Appleyard, national sales manager, said: “We’re really pleased to have someone of Mark’s calibre on board. As well as working in the industry for a number of years, he’s also worked at some of our competitors and has a great reputation with key independent retailers in the North West area and beyond. It’s already great to have him on board and part of the team.” www.voguebeds.co.uk

Investment delivers ‘pleasing’ growth for bed manufacturer West Yorkshire-based guest bed specialist Jay-Be has posted ‘pleasing’ growth for the year ended 30 August 2015, with both sales and profit significantly improving.

Stevro Limited, the company in which Jay-Be trades under, saw an uptick in total sales by 27.7% to £9.2m from £7.2m in 2014. Gross profit grew by 21.4% to £1.7m from £1.4m over the same period, while operating profit also showed positive growth, up by 12.5% from £391,658 to £440,936.

Jay-Be posted an overall profit for the year of £306,698, up by 12% from £273,333 in 2014, as the business grew ‘in line with company targets’ and ‘achieved

greater market penetration’ both at home and overseas.

Attached within the balance sheet, the strategic report read: “The board is pleased with the results for the year.

The business has invested in further strengthening the management team and continues to invest in new product development, marketing and infrastructure to ensure that maximum potential future growth is achieved.

“The business has a strong team ethic and is passionate about its workforce and will continue to invest in people.”

The company was first launched in the 1980’s and manufactures British made products from its Dewsbury-based headquarters. www.jaybe.com

Bedding glue firm hires new sales agent Furniture adhesive company Abrabond has welcomed Rashid Qayoom as its new sales agent for Northern England.

Rashid will be responsible for the sales of water-based, solvent-based and hot melt adhesives into the extensive bedding and mattress sector in Northern England.

Commenting on his new role, Rashid spoke of his excitement: “I love a new challenge and we have already converted many customers in my first three month period.

“We are a large independent company based in Bradford and we focus totally on providing customer solutions involving adhesives and application equipment.”

Contact Rashid at Abrabond Ltd on 01274 727276 or 0781 118 0855 or email nadia@ abrabond.co.uk. www.abrabond.co.uk

Tempur UK appoint new area manager Mattress manufacturer Tempur UK has appointed Hannah Whitman as its new area account manager for the South West.

Hannah will report to Geoff Elliot, key account and regional manager south, and has officially commenced into the role today, being 25 April.

Commenting on her appointment, Tempur UK said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Hannah Whitman as area account manager South West for TEMPUR UK Ltd. “Hannah looks set to be a great addition to the team, with a strong field sales background, industry experience and knowledge of the Tempur brand.” www.uk.tempur.com

UK sales down as overseas rise A growth in European and overseas markets counteracted a lull in UK sales for mattress source Relyon, keeping revenue broadly in line with its previous year.

Total sales for the year ended 30 June 2015 hit £52.4m, the same-recorded turnover in 2014. However, UK sales were down by 2.7% to £46.1m from £47.4m over the same period. Meanwhile, European sales grew by 27% from £4.8m to £6.1m, along side an overseas growth of 17% to £137,000 from £117,000 in 2014. Gross profit for the period rose by 5.1% to £16.2m from £15.4m, while operating profit grew to £3.2m, up by 14.2% from £2.8m. Overall profit for the

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financial year increased by 15.7% to £2.2m from £1.9m year-on-year.

Attached within the balance sheet, the strategic report read: “The company’s revenue has remained consistent with the prior year. The current year gross margin of 31.1% represented an improvement on the prior year (29.5%).

“The increase in overhead costs is directly attributable to higher distribution costs incurred as a consequence of the increased sales to independent and European customers.” www.relyon.co.uk

Sealy UK launches global ‘state of sleep’ study Bed manufacturer Sealy UK will be entering into a partnership with Loughborough University’s Clinical Sleep Research Unit as it launches the largest worldwide sleep wellness study.

The new census, which is being launched globally including Australia and South Korea, will explore sleeping topics such as the amount of sleep people get each night, to pre-sleep routines and any disturbances people encounter during sleep.

The data will be used to compare the ‘state of sleep’ across the globe. Sealy is not only offering respondents the chance to be part of the biggest sleep study in history, but the opportunity to win their very own Sealy bed too.

Neil Robinson, sales and marketing director, Sealy said: “We’re very excited to be conducting the Census in association with Loughborough University’s Clinical Sleep Research Unit and our partners across the globe. It is set to be the largest sleep wellness study of its kind and we’re very excited about it.

The study will provide invaluable insights into sleep, which will inform both our product development and the work of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit.”

Professor Kevin Morgan from the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be involved with the study and we’re looking forward to seeing the results, and identifying trends across the globe. This is certainly a ground-breaking project.”

The study takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete and can be found at www.sleep-census. com.

Leggett & Platt celebrate apprenticeship award Global components firm Leggett & Platt has named Thomas Hesling as its ‘First Year Apprentice of the Year’.

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), in a ceremony last month at the University of Sheffield, awarded the accolade to Thomas, of L&P Springs UK, who is training as an electrical engineering maintenance engineer.

The award recognises new apprentices who have produced outstanding work,

overcome barriers or have been a great ambassador for the AMRC Training Centre.

Tom was specifically acknowledged as having made an excellent transition to his role at Leggett & Platt by using the training delivered by the AMRC. Kerry Featherstone, AMRC Training Centre heads of operations, said: “The awards ceremony is about recognising our apprentices and their incredible achievements.

“Sitting on the judging panel I saw some incredible examples from the workplace and how all the nominees had grown as individuals.”

www.lpeurope.com

Silentnight sponsors cyclist Bed manufacturer Silentnight has announced it will sponsor promising UK cycle athlete Amy Gornall.

Amy, aged 19 from Barnoldswick, will be cycling professionally with Podium Ambition Pro Cycling in 2016, a UCI (International Cycling Union) Women’s Team.

As part of the sponsorship, Amy will receive financial aid to support with her training costs, plus a new Silentnight bed, whilst branding for the bed maker will be featured on Amy’s training clothes.

Amy said: “I am delighted that Silentnight has chosen to support me and I can’t wait to take them on this adventure with me.”

Nick Booth, marketing director at Silentnight, said: “Amy is an inspiration as an athlete and is already achieving great success in her cycling career, so we’re excited to see where she will go next.” www.silentnight.co.uk

www.sealy.co.uk

One-Call strengthens team Bedroom cabinet manufacturer One-Call Furniture has announced the appointment of Paul James as its new director of sales and marketing.

Paul, who has 25 years of furniture experience, previously worked as sales and operations director at Origin Red Furniture. Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: “I am extremely pleased to be joining One-Call Furniture. Working with a team who are forward thinking is extremely important to me and on hearing of the ambitious plans for the future, I was very keen to join the existing management team to help bring the excellent product range and swift delivery service to a greater audience.”

The appointment comes after the firm recently invested £2.5m in machinery supplied by Germany’s Homag Group and increased their manufacturing site by 20,000sq ft.

Howard Cohen, director at One-Call Furniture, said: “We are very pleased to have secured the services of a leading sales professional in Paul. We are very confident we will see rapid growth in our sales across the company to utilise the new investment which will treble our production capacity.” www.1cfl.co.uk

Latexco invests in production Belgian bed company Latexco has installed its first FOM foam production line at its site in Tielt, investing over €5m (£3.9m).

The new installation, which has seen a year of research go into the project, will allow Latexco to create unique technical foams with comfort features unseen in the bedding industry.

Alexander Bolliou, CEO of Latexco, said: “By expanding our range, we can now provide our customers around the globe with latex cores as well as exclusive comfort foam. More than that, we’ll also be able to develop exclusive hybrid products, which combine latex with FOM foam.” www.latexco.com

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NEWS AT A GLANCE SHIRE BEDS UNVEILS NEW TRUCKS Dewsbury-based manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has invested in two new delivery vehicles.

The new DAF Trucks form part of the company’s already established multi-coloured fleet, with the new additions being coloured in ‘hot pink’.

The company, which also sponsors Yorkshire County Cricket Club, is encouraging people who spot the new lorries on the road to send in a photograph and its location to twitter @shirebeds.

Fara Butt, marketing director, The Shire Bed Company, said: “Hot pink’ is actually part of our corporate colours, we also have trucks in ‘active purple’ and ‘eco green’. We want to give road users something a little different to look at and feel the brighter colours do the trick.”

Established in 1997, The Shire Bed Company is a family-run business with roots firmly based in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, where it produces beds, mattresses and divan bases. www.shirebeds.co.uk

Furmanac embraces ‘zero to landfill’ commitment Adjustable bed manufacturer Furmanac has announced that it is officially ‘zero to landfill’, meaning that no manufacturing or furniture waste is being sent directly to landfill or being incinerated.

Furmanac conducted a full audit trail highlighting where each of its materials ends up, which showcases the commitment the West Midlands-based company has put in to become a greener business.

Harmz Pattar, Furmanac purchasing director, said: “At Furmanac, we are committed to doing the right thing for our customers, consumers, employees and our communities, which includes looking after the environment and reducing our carbon footprint.

“Being one of the few UK manufacturers to achieve this, we are hoping to set a standard so that collectively we can all start to take better care of the world we live in.” www.furmanac.co.uk

SLEEP EVENT KEEPS GUESTS WIDE-AWAKE Independent retailer Francis of Malvern held a ‘Science of Sleep’ event at its Worcester based showroom.

The event welcomed international sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley as he spoke about key areas on how to get the best night’s sleep, and revealed information on how sleep deprivation can impact everyday life.

Guests were also able to try beds and were treated to refreshments, as well as receiving more advice from Jerry Baker of Vi-Spring, one of the stores mattress brands.

Donald Francis, managing director of Francis of Malvern, spoke to the Tewkesbury Admag: “It was a

really lovely evening with a great atmosphere. Neil’s talk was fascinating and very amusing, and taught us all something new.

“We were really delighted to welcome him and Jerry Baker from Vi-Spring. This is part of an ongoing series of events across our three Malvern Link stores.”

Francis of Malvern has been established for over 80 years and has three stores across Worcestershire.

www.francisofmalvern.co.uk

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Sealy sponsors charity football event Bed manufacturer Sealy has confirmed it is to sponsor the annual Furniture Makers’ Football Tournament for a fourth year running.

The 5-a-side event, which is also supported by Cabinet Maker, takes place on Sunday 17 July 2016, with a kick off time at 1pm, at the Powerleague Centre in Derby.

Sealy will once again be represented by the Vintage Clarets, who are a team made up from exprofessional footballers including John Deary, and the event will also host a BBQ. All proceeds raised will go to the Furniture Makers’ Company, the charity for the furnishing industry, which fosters the craft of furniture making, marketing and retailing in the UK. The charity also helps to encourage new talent into the industry with its extensive education programme.

Neil Robinson, marketing and sales director at Sealy, said: “The tournament is always a fantastic event and is one which has become a key date in the industry calendar. We’re delighted to be the main sponsor and even more pleased to be supporting such a worthwhile charity.

“It does so much for the industry and it’s great to be able to give something back. We hope to see lots of businesses supporting the cause by entering a team and coming down to Derby to take on the Clarets on the day!”

John Deary from the Vintage Clarets, added: “We’re excited to have been invited to compete in the five-a-side tournament again this year, by our shirt sponsor Sealy. Last year was loads of fun and we loved meeting teams from businesses across the UK, as well as raising money for a worthy cause.

“As professional players, we all had very strict training regimes and understand the link between sporting success and sleep – that’s why we support Sealy’s World of Sport campaign. We’re looking forward to defending our title in Derby in July.”

To find out more about the event, contact Sally Kent, email: events@furnituremakers.org.uk or phone: 0207 562 8526. www.sealy.co.uk

SLUMBERLAND TEAMS UP WITH HEPTATHLETE Cambridgeshire-based bed specialist Slumderland has teamed up with European Indoor Champion and Olympic 2016 hopeful Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson to support its ‘Healthy Sleep Campaign’.

The campaign highlights the importance of sleep, indicating a lack of sleep increases stress levels, muscle fatigue and lowers energy levels.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who made

her international debut in London 2012, said: “The importance of sleep – to me it’s vital.

My coach has a strong mentality on getting the right recovery. He says it’s important to have rest days to make sure my body recoups properly and I’m ready to train the next day. I always try to get the most sleep I possibly can, I aim for 10 hours.”

www.slumberland.co.uk

Mattress maker receives investment Mattress manufacturer Simba Sleep has raised extra funds through investment from a number of entrepreneurs.

Simba, which only launched back in August last year, has ambitious plans to expand into the pillow market this year, as well as launching across the globe in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, after raising £1m investment from Innocent Drinks.

James Cox, founder and chief executive of Simba Sleep, spoke to news source Business Matters: “Retailers have recently started to educate people about how often they should change their mattresses.”

Based in Mayfair, London, the company mainly trades online through its website, as well as in multiple retailer John Lewis. www.simbasleep.com

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PICTURE

THE SCENE Beds ‘looks’ back at a selection of industry developments from the last quarter.

NBF announces comedy host The National Bed Federation (NBF) has announced that British comedian Marcus Brigstocke will host the 2016 Bed Show Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony.

The event takes place on Tuesday 20 September 2016 at the Telford International Centre and will reveal the 2016 Bed Industry Award winners.

Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Marcus to our Gala Dinner. A natural presenter and comedian, Marcus is sure to make the Gala Dinner a lively night of humour and great entertainment.”

Agent says ‘thank you’ to Cyprus for saving his life The Foam Company agent Neil Kirkpatrick has announced a string of fundraising events to help generate funds for the Cyprus hospital that saved his life last year.

Neil was on holiday in July 2015 when he suffered a heart attack, which was followed by a massive Arrhythmia. Cardiologists at the Evangelimos hospital acted swiftly and saved Neil’s life.

To say thank you to the hospital, Neil has decided to launch a number of events to raise funds for a new emergency transport ventilator, which costs around £6,000.

A Golf day at Cumberwell Park in Wiltshire and an auction is to take place on 13 May 2016, while a sponsored walk will launch on 15 May 2016. For more information, or to sponsor and get involved, please contact Neil on: Tel: 07971091965, Email: kirkpatrick864@btinternet.com.

Shire Beds invests in facility expansion Dewsbury-based manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has invested almost £750,000 expanding its production facility.

The company has increased its factory from 30,000 to 47,000sq ft and has created an additional 20 jobs, with the latest development allowing the business to begin its production of its new range of roll-up mattresses Fara Butt, marketing director, The Shire Bed Company, commented on the development, where the company has been based since 2001. She said: “With the expansion now complete the extra space means we can start to manufacture a new product range we will be launching next month.”

Land of Beds celebrates record year with in-house awards Independent retailer Land of Beds has revealed the winners of its Annual Staff Recognition Awards at a gala awards evening that celebrated the businesses recordbreaking year.

The company smashed its projected turnover target of £5m by more than £400,000, and has recently opened its second showroom in Frodsham to cap off a top year.

To mark the milestone, the Land of Beds gala awards were presented in three categories. Marcus Lightfoot won the Rising Star Award, Tony Coward picked up the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award, while for the first time ever, the Employee of the Year Award went to joint winners Lauren Large and Hannah Rushton-McGregor, who were both voted for by every member of Land of Beds staff.

Matza UK tour underway West Yorkshire-based bed manufacturer Matza has hit the road with its mobile showroom as its nationwide tour gets underway.

The company, which specialises in design-led, upholstered bedroom essentials, is taking its message out to retailers starting this month in the South West of England, showcasing its mattresses and bedsets to independents and smaller retailers across the country. The van started its journey in Bath and is based in the South West until mid-May. It is available on request to visit existing and potential customers by calling Mark Davidson on 07813 088330 or Louise Chung on 01924 458699 for other areas.

Asif Ayub, Matza managing director, said: “The show van will travel the length and breadth of the country allowing retailers to see our collection at first hand.”

[ 14 [

DESIGN

ANARCHISTS OR INNOVATORS?

ANARCHISTS OR INNOVATORS? ARISE THE SINGLE SOLUTION SECTOR A new breed of online mattress retailers is said to be taking the market by storm. Their offer? A breathtakingly simple, single solution product where the only choice to be made is the size itself. So are these ‘one trick ponies’ anarchists or innovators? And how should the industry respond? Jan Turner takes a look.

H

e may be turning over millions, but Jas Bagniewski, who founded the Eve online mattress company with Kuba Wieczorek, will find few friends in the bed industry.

He believes that retailers are simply out to sell the most expensive bed possible to consumers. And that choosing a new bed is not as subjective as people would have you believe. An article in The Times at the end of last year quoted him as saying: “If you go to a hotel room, they don’t say ‘Hey, would you like a medium or soft bed? You just go into the room and it feels great.”

Eve has been created, says the website, “to challenge everything the sleepy mattress industry represents”. It offers free delivery, a 100 night trial and a 10 year guarantee.

Eve is one of a number of ‘new wave’ online sellers operating in the UK and offering a single solution mattress made, mostly, from three layers of foam. Like Casper, the online mattress company that has taken the US by storm, success would appear to lie in the sheer simplicity of the offer: one type of mattress in a choice of sizes, swiftly boxed and delivered to the consumer’s home, free-of-charge and with a 100 night free trial. And they all cost in the region of £500 for a standard double.

It’s a Henry Ford school of ‘you can have any colour as long as its black’ kind of choice which the ‘Casper-concept’ traders, including Leesa, ‘the One’ (from the Made. com furniture website) The Ministry of Sleep and Simba have all chosen to position as a marketing virtue. Then there’s Sleeping Duck which entered the market last Autumn and takes the story one stage further, offering an element of choice. Its website says it has “re-engineered the traditional mattress to make it modular allowing you to pick (and even swap) the firmness that’s exactly right for you”.

This time it’s a 100 night ‘guarantee’ that’s on offer with a ‘firmness swap or full refund’ if you’re not completely satisfied after that time.

Indeed, such is the rate of new arrivals on the scene that this very article is in danger of being out of date between writing and publishing!

Among the newcomers is Simba which teamed up with John Lewis at the beginning of February. According to the John Lewis press office, JLP is Simba’s exclusive retail partner and will only be available online and through five branches.

The website says the mattress – which includes springs (standard double £599) - has been developed with the Sleep To Live Institute. And its publicity blurb claims to have achieved ‘simplicity of sleep’ by producing only one type of mattress,”perfect for all customers”. It quotes chairman, Tom Teichman, as saying: “The current mattressselling model of inflated levels of so-called ‘discounting’ means customers are uncertain whether they are getting a good deal or not.”

Leesa founder, David Wolfe, is hardly out to win friends and influence people in the trade either. On the Leesa website he talks of a design simplification that takes out all “the stuff that has been added for years to justify higher prices.”

He then goes on to say: “Leesa mattresses are designed to take the guesswork out of buying a mattress. For example, the whole idea of soft, medium and firm mattresses ignores the fact that there is actually a ‘best feel’. We call it ‘universal’ and it helps almost everybody sleep better.”

The Ministry of Sleep website homes in on the confusion and uncertainty angle too.

It explains on its FAQs page: “Part of our mission is to make buying a quality mattress easier, simpler with less hassle. It’s true there are literally thousands of different mattresses available, all with ‘unique’ characteristics,

[ 16 [

but we believe the best mattress is one that moulds to your body and provides comfort and support to every user.”

Over at the One, the website claims the mattress is: “the result of hundreds of tests and dozens of prototypes. The One is your perfect sleep partner.”

It goes on to explain that the One “will be delivered to your home within two working days. A unique press and roll technique allows it to be compactly boxed (in recyclable materials, of course). It’s also easier to move to the room of choice, so no more wrestling your new mattress up flights of stairs or through tightly angled doorways. Once unpacked, simply let the mattress settle for 24 hours and it’s good to go.”

However convenient and simple, the ‘single solution’ mattress is a concept at odds with everything which the industry’s consumer facing organisation, The Sleep Council, has to say. As spokesperson Lisa Artis points out: “We’ve spent the past 20 years advising people to try before they buy as what feels right to one person does not suit another.

Choosing the right bed for you is at the very cornerstone of a good night’s sleep.”

David Wolfe’s answer to that is also summed up on his website: “When you buy a mattress, do you go to the shop, change into your pyjamas, turn off the lights and go to sleep (isn’t that how you try a mattress?) At Leesa you have 100 nights to try the mattress in your home, completely risk free backed by our no-hassle refund policy.”

As a marketing tactic the single solution approach may fly in the face of all perceived bed industry wisdom, but the growing band

DESIGN

ANARCHISTS OR INNOVATORS?

of single solution providers all make it easy to return unwanted mattresses. Provided they are asked to do so before the end of the trial period, the Eve, Leesa, the One, Ministry of Sleep, Sleeping Duck and Simba websites all offer collection and a full refund on returns.

A policy perhaps, that invites a higher level of returns than the 3 – 5% thought to be the average across the rest of the industry? Ted Pfeifer, general manager for Leesa Sleep UK, which officially launched in October 2015, would only say: “The returns are in line with our expectations and similar to our experience in the US”. Eve would only say: “That wouldn’t be something we would comment on.”

Possibly dismissed initially by the trade as ‘one trick ponies’ which would quickly have their day, these bed industry newcomers are either innovators or anarchists – depending on your viewpoint. Either way, they are now being taken increasingly seriously. Casper, for example, was set up in New York in 2013 and was recently valued at $550m with a star studded cast list of investors said to include Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

And a spokesperson for Eve confirmed the company was on track for reaching £7m in its first year of trading.

Impressive figures by any measure. But what does it mean for more traditional manufacturers and retailers? Does the new breed of ‘single solution’ online retailers represent a threat? And if so, is it because they quite simply recognise that the traditional sector offers a choice which is so overwhelming that consumers feel a need to cut through the confusion and buy into the

single offer story?

Simon Spinks (managing director, Harrison Spinks) told me: “My view is that this approach will become part of the bed market but it will by no means become all of the bed market. The proposition that one bed fits all is patently untrue. Bed manufacturers and retailers who offer bricks and mortar choice will counter this message to some degree and it will be interesting to see what the consumer believes. Beds in a box will become a crowded market place with very few winners.

“The original Tempur offer was a direct-toconsumer, one size fits all, and was successful as that: but it still evolved to become offered in shops, then one mattress became three, then three ranges of three. They must have come to the conclusion that you need to show the customer choice. I think this evolution will happen to the bed in a box offers.

“If these offers are successful, then conventional bed manufacturers will be tempted to follow with an offer of their own.

The real problem then is for retailers as this cuts them out of the equation. The only thing retailers can do is to challenge the principal that one size fits all or offer a bed in a box solution themselves.”

Colin Heal, general manager of Newbridge Street Bedding Centre, Newcastle, didn’t believe the single solution sector represented a serious threat “at the moment.” But he added: “If they aren’t taken as a serious threat to our business, they could soon gather momentum at an unstoppable rate.”

And the solution? “We all need to keep

[ 17 [

banging the drum and educating consumers on the importance of sleep. Buying a new bed should be a considered purchase, not a click it and see!”

At Silentnight, managing director Steve Freeman said: “I view them as healthy competition and if they increase consumer awareness of the category that will benefit the whole market. I appreciate the simplicity of their business model, but one size doesn’t fit all.

“They are also positioning themselves as being cheaper because they cut out the middle-man – when in fact, that is what they are with their product being produced by various third party manufacturers.

Maintaining consistent product quality could prove a challenge with this business model as a result.

“Do I see them as a threat? No consumers in the UK have been buying mattresses online in far greater numbers than in the overseas markets where this business model first surfaced. We already have our own Silentnight Mattress Now range, which is sold through many high street and online retailers which retails at significantly lower prices than all of these new entrants. And our product is available for next or same day delivery, offering all the convenience anyone would ever need.”

Matza managing director, Asif Ayub, added: “There’s a market out there for online mattress sales. You’ve only got to see how many of them are sold on Ebay. It’s a market that just wants something to sleep on – they’re not particularly interested in what’s in the mattress. So they’re targeted at a customer who doesn’t understand what a mattress can do.

“The ‘single solution’ story is a marketing ploy. I believe there are essentially eight different comfort zones which need to be met but within that there are all kinds of price levels. Ergoflex has been offering single solution mattresses to online buyers for quite a few years.” (The website offers free next day delivery, free returns and a 30 night home trial).

Said Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF: “Clearly there’s lots of appeal in this kind of product for the internet savvy generation looking for quick, simple, decision-free buying. But you’ve only got to look at the reviews on the websites to see that one size clearly doesn’t fit all.

“More and more of these online, single solution providers are coming along and this could well polarise the market, answering the needs of the internet generation on the one hand and the more bespoke solutions of retailers on the other.

“In the meantime, who knows where the volume of internet buying will level off. But as a business model, these single solution sites are very interesting: source a supplier, set up a website and wait for the money to roll in. How easy is that!”

www.sleepcouncil.org.uk

MANUFACTURING

TCS Essence from TCS

THE

RIGHT

DIRECTION How TCS is ensuring satisfaction for all its customers.

I

t’s interesting to note how things can go in and out of style. This may only be the ninth issue of Beds Magazine, but already we appear to have witnessed the rise and fall of a number of styles and trends within that time. No business can afford to rest on their laurels when it comes to ensuring their ranges are up to date, this much is obvious.

But what is also important is that companies take the time to ensure everything else, from their logistics to online presence and especially staff, is bang up to date.

It may seem like a simple task on the surface, but the truth is that any company that has the foresight to really analyse its offer and take the time to make the appropriate investments deserves a clap on

the back in our book.

Step forward, then, TCS, as a great example of a supplier who is only too happy to let Beds Magazine in on what it has been doing recently to implement updates to its offer, including the introduction of a new fully automated IT system. As Thomas Small, the company’s managing director, divulges: “What is great about the new system is that it automatically updates the customer with the status of their orders, such as when goods have been manufactured, shipped and arrived in the UK. “Most of our customers now have live access to information whenever they need it.

They know exactly the status of their orders, and in the near future they will be able to log

[ 18 [

The Contemporary Sleep

range benefits from a strong

emphasis on styling and quality

MANUFACTURING

TCS in and see the level of stock on any item. So during evenings and weekends they’ll actually be able to log on themselves and check stock levels there and then.”

On its home turf of Ireland, TCS has long been known for its personal attention to detail. Now, in 2016, the business is bringing this ideology to its UK customers, with efforts made to ensure that, right from the start, customers will be dealing with TCS, from the moment they order their product right up to the delivery and beyond. The company

“Our customers now have live access to information whenever they need it.”

January marked the launch of the

Contemporary Sleep range from TCS

has now hired four new area reps to cover the UK side of the business after deciding it wanted to offer its customers the kind of dedicated attention they didn’t feel they were achieving with agents and third party logistics companies.

These new area reps have been complemented by a host of office-based account managers whose sole role will be to assist and support them and also the retailers with any requirements they may have. From the smallest request right up to the largest, no request will go ignored in TCS’s quest to prove to its customers how important their complete satisfaction is.

Of course, the company wouldn’t be able to turn its attention to perfecting its service offer if it didn’t have complete faith in its products. Lucky then that, following its performance at the 2016 January Furniture Show, the feedback for TCS’s redesigned Contemporary Sleep range has been nothing short of fantastic.

Featuring four new pocket sprung mattresses, each with breathable hypoallergenic soft touch fabrics and the latest comfort layers, the Contemporary Sleep range benefits from a strong emphasis on styling and quality. The mattresses are available in orthopaedic medium to firm or luxury soft to medium choices and are completed by details such as Royal Coil branded finishing tapes and an embroidered logo.

As Thomas tells us: “We launched the new ranges at the show and fortunately they were very well received. They’re a lot more price focussed than anything we’ve done before and this allows them to sit extremely well alongside the original Royal Coil Range which already performs strongly within the market.”

Last month saw a lot of the orders from the NEC begin to arrive at customer’s stores and go out on shop floors with strong repeat sales performance already evident.

TCS is also proud of its new in-house delivery fleet. As in Ireland they now control all aspects of the delivery service to over

[ 19 [

two thirds of the UK with further plans to extend this to the whole of the UK in the near future. By taking control of this aspect they are confident of providing a timely and efficient delivery service along with ensuring consistent handling procedures with staff that are experienced and fully trained in the handling of TCS products.

If we’ve learned anything over the last two years of Beds Magazine it’s that no sooner will a business have finished an update to its offer than it will be time to start another one. The best businesses know that success doesn’t involve the occasional token review of products and practices, but rather that, when it comes to staying ahead of the curve, your work will never truly finish. But with its newly implicated IT system, influx of staff and commitment to rolling out its tried and true Irish business model to UK customers, TCS is taking another step in the right direction.

www.tcsfurniturerange.com

MANUFACTURING PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

SEALY

Exclusive

OPPORTUNITY

What visitors can expect when the Sealy Bed Show returns to Surrey’s Brooklands Museum this month.

Sealy’s Bed Show will run from 17-18 May

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F

or the past five years, Sealy has showcased its entire collection at its Bed Show at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, and this year is no exception.

Returning on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th May, the event is the only place where buyers can see all of Sealy’s beds and mattresses in one place ahead of the Telford Bed Show in September.

The show at Brooklands is attended by buyers from across the UK and provides an exclusive opportunity to find out about, and try, Sealy’s exclusive new innovations.

This year’s event will include the unveiling of an exciting evolution of the popular Hybrid collection, including modifications of the well-loved beds and the introduction of some brand new show-stopping products, which are set to take the range to a whole new level.

With a variety of exclusive offers available to buyers who attend on the day, Sealy’s sales team will also be on hand to answer questions about the products on show.

MANUFACTURING PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Attendees will be able to find out about Sealy’s Pocket collection, which offers both support and pressure relief with the comfort of a pocket. Featuring two Which? Best Buys, the Teramo 1400 and Napoli 1200, the collection’s multiple zones of motion and weight responsive pockets provide total spinal alignment, while the Unicase design surrounds the springs for total edge-to-edge support.

The Teramo 1400 was named ‘the best mattress tested in years’ by consumer champion, Which? in June last year. Scoring the highest when tested against 28 other products, the mattress has quickly become a popular choice with consumers. The Napoli 1200 was awarded the Best Buy accolade for the third year running in 2015 and is endorsed by Allergy UK for the reduction of house dust mites. These two products, along with the rest of the collection, are ‘topped off’ with a deep layer of Innergetic latex for outstanding comfort and pressure relief and

SEALY The company is dedicated to providing high quality and

innovative beds and mattresses

Sealy’s Teramo was named a

Which? Best Buy in June 2015

“We’re confident this year will be our best show yet.” eco-friendly Tencel fibres that are as soft as silk and help keep customers cool and dry.

Other products on show in May will include the Posturepedic, Ortho and Anniversary collections. The Posturepedic range is designed to eliminate the uncomfortable conditions of tossing and turning during sleep. Products in the collection respond to body weight and pressure points and incorporate seven zones of latex and memory foam to eliminate tossing and turning and so aid restful sleep. Combined with Sealy’s patented PostureTech support (CS) spring system, which ensures an even weight distribution for the sleeper, the Posturepedic range also includes edge guard for greater

durability and comfort.

The Ortho range offers the firmest beds ever which are ideal for above average stature. A staple of Sealy’s collections, and the reason the brand has always been synonymous with beds that have an orthopedically correct design, the Ortho products draw on the brand’s rich heritage of engineering sleep systems and are firm but incredibly comfortable.

Finally, the Anniversary collection was released at Sealy’s Bed Show in 2015. It was created to specifically celebrate sixty-five years of orthopedically correct Posturepedic design. Back for 2016, the collection includes the Anniversary Deluxe, Anniversary Latex

[ 21 [

and Anniversary Ortho, each of which boast different exclusive features, from the Deluxe’s zoned construction and minipocket springs to the Ortho’s traditionally tufted design and zero deflection spring system.

Dedicated to providing high quality and innovative beds and mattresses which help customers achieve deeper sleep, Sealy invests a significant amount of time and money into research and product development. Brooklands attendees will be able to trial products which are also made using some of the most technologically advanced materials and process in the industry, from Smart Fibres to Zonal Support.

Neil Robinson, sales and marketing director at Sealy, said: “Our Bed Show at Brooklands is the biggest event in the Sealy calendar and has proven to be extremely popular with buyers from across the country. It’s always great to catch up with some of our established customers and welcome new buyers from across the industry. Having exhibited at the Museum for the past five years, it is the only opportunity for buyers to see all of our collections in one place, ahead of the Telford Bed Show in September.

“We’re confident this year will be our best show yet and we are excited to be unveiling some fantastic and innovative changes to the Hybrid collection, along with a selection of brand new products too.

We’re really looking forward to showcasing this to our buyers and hearing their feedback on the day.”

To book your place at Sealy’s Bed Show, please call 016973 24403.

www.sealy.co.uk

RETAIL

EXPERT ARTICLE

THE BILLION

FOLLOWER QUESTION TIME ASLEEP

4

hrs

RESTLESS NIGHTS

3

Sunday

nights

Billions of people are hooked on it. But how, in turn, do you hook them in to your business?

Lynsey Sweales, CEO of international digital agency SocialB looks at how to really engage with your social media followers and earn their loyalty to your brand.

S

Worst night:

ocial media is now a daily ritual for around 2.3 billion people across the globe, with many people not rising from their bed until they’ve checked in to see what they missed overnight.

It’s a phenomenal and captive audience and one which businesses around the world are determined to tap into. But as an area of marketing still regarded as a bit of a ‘dark’ art, social marketing is being done with varying degrees of success.

Because while we all know we need to be active on the social media front, we don’t all know how to do it in a way that can directly

benefit the business.

Organisations considering social media will often tell me how easy it is for ‘exciting brands’ like Disney to use social media, feeling that their industry is comparatively dull.

“We have nothing to say and don’t want to share pictures of cats on Facebook as they’ve not relevant,” they say. While I don’t disagree with the cat photo comment, (I’m more of a dog fan myself), many organisations think about social media in quite the wrong way.

Let me explain.

Social media has, it would seem, been accepted by the majority of organisations as a Must Use tool. That said, many CEOs, managing directors and executives seem to treat it with kid gloves and it’s either dealt

[ 22 [

with as a hot potato or an afterthought.

Social media should be thought about and considered as part of your business’s marketing mix. You don’t say: “We’ve forgotten to think about how we are going to use the newspaper advert for our Summer campaign. Let’s just get the intern to do the advert, they like designing.”

Similarly, just because your newly recruited apprentice is personally active on every social site going, it doesn’t mean they are the right person to deliver a social media campaign for your company.

Every tool you have in your armoury should be reviewed, considered and used in a strategic way. I’m not suggesting for one minute that you hop on all the social media channels at once as you’d probably hop off very quickly. But look at how Dunelm used social last year for their sleep campaign #teamsleepsheep.

Through research they identified consumers had a problem with their sleep.

Now they could have just issued the stats within a press release and done a massive push on bedding but, as you will know from working in the industry, people don’t want a hard sell. So instead they turned a subject and problem that touches millions of us every day, into a potential solution in a fun and engaging way. More importantly it was all joined up – so whether you looked on their Facebook page or walked down the street, every touch point you saw from

RETAIL

EXPERT ARTICLE Dunelm was consistent.

We don’t all have a huge marketing budget like Dunelm but the ace up the sleeve of bed industry businesses is that every one of those 2.3 billion social media users mentioned earlier needs to sleep. And with social media in our marketing range, we can do some pretty clever campaigns on little or no budget.

Let’s take a fairly simplistic example through which we can identify the key considerations of any social media/digital marketing campaign. Say, for instance, you wanted to embark on a campaign to support and promote cot mattress sales, the starting point would be to address the following questions: What is your objective? What does success look like for you? Example: to increase sales of cot mattresses by 10% in 2016.

Who is our target audience? Example: people who typically buy our mattresses are parents (mums and expectant mothers between the ages of 30 and 46).

Where will we find them? What social media platforms are they on? Example: from our research they are using Facebook via their mobile phones.

Why/how do they use social media?

Example: they use social media/Facebook to stay up to date with their friends, keep family updated and use it really well for parents groups, events and support.

How often do they use social media and at what times? Example: from our research most of our target audience are on Facebook (via their mobile) at 6am on Tuesdays when they get up - but they spend longer at the weekends or in the evenings if they get the chance to sit down and watch

TV. Therefore our plan is to post a useful tip with a question on Tuesday mornings. We’ll rotate that with a few inspirational messages as we know that life can sometimes get quite stressful, juggling all the day-to-day chores.

On Saturday evenings we might want to make it a little more fun, but useful, so will have an ‘only mums would know quiz’.

Actions. What is your call to action? That is, what do you want the person to do when you post on social media? Example: we know that as a new parent they need help with buying items and advice etc. so our content will be targeted around that. We will also use our channels to help facilitate questions and conversations about being a parent. We will use Facebook posts, ads and remarketing ads to increase our brand awareness on top of engaging with them to help towards our goal of 10% more baby mattress sales.

Lynsey Sweales, SocialB CEO

“SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD BE THOUGHT ABOUT AND CONSIDERED AS PART OF YOUR BUSINESS MARKETING MIX.” We can measure this through online sales tracking and if they choose to buy in a store, we will provide a voucher or offer that can be tracked back to the larger campaign.

This is just one example which hopefully demonstrates that social media campaigns are not about budgets. They’re about understanding and getting under the skin of your audience, aligning your business objectives accordingly, delivering a ‘joined up’ campaign and then measuring its

[ 24 [

effectiveness.

By doing so you will naturally increase your engagement, boost the number of people following you and, most importantly of all, earn their loyalty. And, in turn, their custom.

www.socialb.co.uk

MANUFACTURING

KAYMED

MAXIMISING IMPACT

Why Kaymed isn’t taking any chances when it comes to its brand recognition.

W

hat are the main things a business needs if it wants to become successful? Of course, the first answer likely to spring to mind when faced with this question would simply be: ‘a product that consumers need’. Next up, you could mention a story and business ethos that people can connect with, and a style that is second to none. However, as any business worth its salt will tell you, all this would be for nought if the business fails to work on its brand recognition. And while we here in the furniture industry are lucky enough to have the time to take pride in researching and identifying the individual attributes of any of the pieces we come into contact with, unfortunately the consumers that businesses are hoping to attract have much less time to

spend on identifying the brands they want for their homes.

Which is why the past few years have seen more and more businesses ramp up the visibility of their brands not just to the trade, but to consumers too. One fantastic example of this has been sleep technology expert Kaymed and its recent marketing campaign, which included a six figure investment in TV advertising across ITV’s terrestrial and digital channels. But what else is included in the company’s marketing strategy?

Terry Bridger, Kaymed’s UK sales manager, tells us: “Our products are unique and highly commercial but that is only half the battle.

We are in a market where brand recognition is negligible, so the standard of in-store presentation plays a major factor in terms of a consumer determining the premium brands

[ 26 [

Mighty Bed’s reinforced spring system is backed up by a 15 year warranty

MANUFACTURING

KAYMED from the ‘also rans’. Consequently, we will endeavour to raise our game and ensure that Kaymed products are merchandised to the highest possible standards across our independent partners.”

Included in Kaymed’s unique and highly commercial product offering is Response Gel™, a combination of a highly breathable instantly responsive pressure relieving material, infused with Kaymed’s patented gel bead temperature control technology.

There is also the ultra-durable Mighty Bed, with its reinforced spring system and extrastrong divan base backed up by a 15 year warranty. And if we’re talking about Kaymed innovations we can’t forget Therma-Phase, one of the company’s most significant steps forward in creating a product that is able to maintain an ideal sleep surface.

All of these products have continued to see strong growth from the independent market this year, with Kaymed’s ThermaPhase TV campaign over the winter sales period extremely successful in helping the business put the topic of thermally regulating products, Kaymed’s key selling point, firmly on the consumer map. But, as Terry explains, Kaymed is far from finished in its drive to promote its key products.

He says: “We are currently working with some of our key stockists to come up with ideas for more impactful instore displays.

We believe that to maximise the return on investment, we need to help improve both the ambiance of the retailer’s floor space

and give a ‘store within a store’ feel to the Kaymed collection. Consequently, we are testing several new formats as we speak.

“Our primary goal is to maximise the impact of the Kaymed brand and our patented technologies instore. However, the fairy-tale campaign will be used as part of the theme for some retailers if it suits the store in question.”

Fairy tales featured so far in Kaymed’s marketing efforts include Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood. In taking images and stories most people will have had some level of familiarity with since childhood, Kaymed’s message is clear. For its trade customers the message implied is that becoming a Kaymed stockist will help you sell happily ever after, while for consumers it is that the company’s products will always ensure the ultimate happy ending; a great night’s sleep. It’s obviously a story that is working well for the business so far, and one

that may be set to continue. After all, when it comes to fairytales, surely the possibilities are endless.

Something else that looks set to be ongoing for Kaymed is planned expansions to various aspects of the business. The company has already grown its workforce by an estimated 50%, as well as invested in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of machinery, but it has no plans to stop there. It is also currently looking to increase both the size of its plants and its manufacturing capacity, in order that it is geared up to continue growing the business.

An apparent shift in the bedding industry towards thermally regulated products has made for buoyant sales for Kaymed, but it also means that the business must be in the strongest possible position to maintain its dominance. It may not always be easy to ensure your business is capable of holding

“Our primary goal is to maximise the impact of the Kaymed brand.”

its own in such a competitive market place, but Kaymed seems well up to the challenge.

“Retailers should talk to Kaymed and embrace the ‘Thermal Regulation Revolution’ before their competitors do.” comments Terry, before concluding: “We work with partners from all over the world and are therefore well placed to predict the future of the market based on repeating trends. The biggest shift in the US, European and Asian markets has been the phenomenal growth of thermally regulating products and Kaymed already has an armoury of patented materials that are light years ahead of any of our competitors.”

www.kaymed.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

STARS IN THEIR EYES

STARS IN THEIR EYES Marketing contract beds has got a whole lot slicker since you-knowwho started getting name checked by Lenny Henry on the telly. In the meantime other manufacturers have been teaming up with a host of dazzling hospitality brands to run ‘guest purchase schemes’. So how well are they working – and will anyone tell us anyway?

Jan Turner reports.

W

hen I first became involved in the bedding industry some 20 years ago, I was amused to discover that the first thing industry execs did on an overnight stay was to pull up the bedsheets to check the label and see whose bed they were sleeping on.

Fast forward to the present day and who’s laughing now! Certainly the team at Hypnos must be extremely pleased with themselves and the TV ad that, over the past two years, has catapulted their brand into high level public awareness.

For to have Lenny Henry singing the praises of the Hypnos beds used in Premier Inns on prime time TV ads has proved a stroke of genius. But one which the company remains pretty tight lipped about when it comes to the exact nature of the tie-up with the hotel group and its return on investment. Regarding sales generally, Hypnos says it “has experienced exceptional growth and expansion across the UK hospitality and retail markets, as well as internationally.” Overall turnover for the

Hypnos group has increased by 29% on 2015 to £47.3m.

Of the relationship itself Chris Ward, group marketing director, says: “Hypnos has a longstanding relationship with Premier Inn, having worked with the company for over 10 years, When Premier Inn made the decision to refurbish all its hotel rooms approximately two years ago, Hypnos was able to provide the solution. It was at this time that a decision was made to utilise the partnership between our brands and incorporate Hypnos within Premier Inn’s marketing material. This included its series of TV adverts with Lenny Henry which are still airing.”

And it’s not just Hypnos that has benefitted from the long running TV advertising campaign. As Stephen Truswell, sales director for Harrison Spinks Hospitality Division, points out: “Hypnos has raised its own profile though the campaign but has also promoted pocket springs. This has encouraged consumers to question what pocket springs are and we have seen the benefit of this as we also offer pocket springs within our

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Hypnos bed for Premiere Inn

MANUFACTURING

STARS IN THEIR EYES mattresses.”

And it seems consumers have also become much more aware of what they are sleeping on when they go away. Said Chris Ward at Hypnos: “While comfort is something that will never be out of the spotlight, it’s interesting to see that more and more hotel guests want to know about the bed they will be sleeping on. Hoteliers are increasingly finding that their customers are researching the brand and type of beds they have in their rooms and are keen to understand the benefits of

The Savoy (London), Montreux Palace (Switzerland), Four Seasons (Cyprus), CitizenM, CenterParcs, Carnival, BP Shipping and The Lakes Hotels.

Whatever the facts and figures behind the partnerships, it would all seem to point to a buoyant contract sector.

Says Chris Ward: “In the past year we’ve really focused on developing our portfolio of global hoteliers and retailers.

We typically see a 50:50 split in terms of sales between retail and hospitality

“2016 will inevitably bring more technology into bedrooms.”

Aysgarth from Harrison Spinks contract beds

Hypnos’ Firenze mattress these in terms of a great night’s sleep.”

Sleepeezee would say nothing at all about its link up with Travelodge whereby room cards advise guests that: “Our Dreamer bed can be yours to own so you can sleep well here and at home.” It directs anyone interested in the bed “designed exclusively for Travelodge by Sleepeezee” to the Travelodge website.

A spokesman for Sleepeezee, however, would say only: “We are proud suppliers to many hotels including independents, national and multi-national chains.”

Graham Carberry, contract sales director at Sealy UK – which itself has guest purchase schemes with the likes of Center Parcs, Cunard and P&O Cruises – was a little more forthcoming: ”It’s great brand awareness for anyone to tie-in together. We receive great media coverage and benefits from our schemes.”

He said the company worked with a wide range of businesses in the hospitality sector - from the smallest B&B to the most famous hotels around the world. They include

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and there can be no doubt that both businesses are growing.

“Hypnos’ ability to offer hassle-free global hospitality sleep solutions through its network of licensed partners, means it works with some of the world’s biggest brands including the Marriott and Premier Inn hotel chains around the world.”

Sealy, which has made beds for the contract sector since 1974, is also enjoying steady growth. Says Graham Carberry: “11% of our business lies in the contract sector – a vital part of the business which is growing continuously.

It is definitely a key area of focus for us and we recently launched a contract section on the Sealy online shop, allowing customers to purchase from us directly.”

Shire Beds, which has been supplying into the contract sector ‘in a meaningful way’ since 2009 makes beds for the care, education and hospitality sectors.

According to marketing director Fara Butt, this now represents 20% of overall sales and is growing. She said: “It used

MANUFACTURING

STARS IN THEIR EYES

Rainbow contract mattresses

from Shire Beds

to be seasonal but now we are busy throughout the year.”

Harrison Spinks certainly believes that the contract market offers new opportunities.

Said Stephen Truswell: “We always dabbled in contract but we set up the Hospitality Division in November 2014 as we saw a niche in the luxury end of the hotel market.

Small boutique hotels and independents wanted a bed that had a high spring count and natural fillings, so it was an obvious fit for Harrison Spinks.

“The division is still relatively new, but so far it is showing significant growth.

We expect this to continue into the next financial year with various orders in the pipeline.”

So is making beds for the contract sector so very different from retail?

According to Fara Butt at Shire Beds: “Our work in the contract sector is often smaller 3ft beds and mainly mattresses.”

Sealy points to three other obvious differences: flam regs, durability and meeting the different needs of multiple sleepers. Says Graham Carberry: “As a minimum, beds for the contract sector have to meet higher flammability regulations and be more robust to meet the demanding needs of today’s customers. In hotels for example, the beds are slept on by different customers every night. This means they need to be highly durable as well as accessible to different types of sleepers.”

Chris Ward at Hypnos elaborates further: “Different body weights, heights and sleeping styles, all put the mattress to the test time and time again. Hotel beds are

engineered to meet the demanding rigours of the hotel industry which includes hygiene issues such as combatting bed bugs or soiling of a bed. All of Hypnos’ mattresses are covered in HealthGuard, a world leading anti-bacterial, anti-allergy and anti-bed bug treatment.

“All our contract mattresses also have practical, sewn-in, seasonal housekeeping turning labels. We also reinforce the edges of our mattresses so that they can withstand the high levels of usage expected and combat the number of people who will repeatedly sit on the edge of the bed.

“In addition we also offer space saving sleep solutions including pull out underbeds and sofa beds which allow hoteliers to make the most of different guest rooms, offering a family room through to a business room.”

End of life concerns and ‘take back’ are also becoming more of an issue. Chris Ward again: “More and more hotels want to work with suppliers who have strong sustainable and environmental credentials, and we know this is also important to more consumers nowadays.

“We offer a full, hassle-free, disposal and recycling service for old beds, deconstructing them to create recycled raw materials for re-use in other industries. Our team will go into each guest room, taking away each old bed to be de-constructed and turned into recycled materials for re-use in other industries. This approach results in 100% landfill avoidance and offers a green and responsible way of disposing of old mattresses, beds and bedding. Hotel guests

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are also increasingly concerned about the environmental credentials of the bed they are sleeping on.”

Sealy also offers a full installation service with every purchase, as well as removing used mattresses and disposing of them in an environmentally friendly way, ensuring for example that no waste is sent to landfill and that all materials used can be recycled, minimising its carbon footprint.

And it would seem that, as in the retail sector, price is more of an issue at the volume end than the luxury market.

Said Fara Butt:”As the contract sector is more about volume it is price sensitive and very competitive.”

Sealy finds that price is always a factor too. Said Graham Carberry: “There are a number of high and low price brackets on the market for all sectors. As a buyer you need to be sure the product you are purchasing meets the legal requirements as a minimum.”

Hypnos says that because it offers contract clients ‘unique and bespoke solutions’ it’s difficult to comment on exact prices.

Stephen Truswell at Harrison Spinks adds: “Hotels have to be conscious of the price, but the hotels that we are targeting generally have a higher average price per room. This is because they are more focused on finding the right sleep solution to ensure their guests have the best possible night’s sleep.”

The boutique hotels sector is certainly where, going forward, Harrison Spinks sees its future market while Shire Beds sees

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STARS IN THEIR EYES

Skipton from Harrison Spinks contact beds

“As the contract sector is more about volume it is price sensitive and very competitive.”

Sealy’s Messina Mattress

growth in all contract sectors, particularly in hospitality.

And what else might the future hold?

Says Chris Ward at Hypnos: “We saw some incredibly interesting developments and innovations in the hotel industry in 2015.

Offering a more bespoke bed service, especially on the design front, will help to enhance a hotel’s brand.

“It’s also important to remember that each hotelier has differing needs so a one size fits all style of bed is of no use and will inhibit the potential for growth and sales opportunities.

Creating beds that are tailored to the individual requirements of a hotel will not only allow bed manufacturers to expand their portfolios, it will also help them to establish their brand as credible, ensuring hoteliers will be confident in their choice of bed.

“Technology is also set to play an increasingly important role in the hotel industry. 2016 will inevitably bring more

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technology into bedrooms, including high tech lighting features and dimmers or guests having greater control over blinds. This will allow guests to immerse themselves in gadgets and create a sleep environment to their exacting needs.

As such, technology could even be incorporated into the beds themselves in some shape or form, whether that’s an in-built phone charger or in-built TV!” So Lenny, if you’re there, what do you make of that?

www.hypnosbeds.com

MANUFACTURING

MAMMOTH

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

MAMMOTH THRIVES AS SPRING ARRIVES

A

Bio-technology brand Mammoth outperforms market growth by over 100%.

fter a record-breaking start to the year in January, latest figures show that Mammoth’s sales show no signs of slowing. The brand’s strong performance during the winter sale period has been followed by equally impressive performance in February and March.

With a huge 84% sales increase through their independent retail partners, compared with the same period last year, Mammoth sees their growth at over 100% on market average.

Mammoth’s national accounts have also hit new heights in 2016, with double the sales in the first two months compared with the same period last year.

The innovative brand is paving the way for a record breaking 2016 which will benefit both Mammoth and their retail partners, through their successful UK growth strategy and commitment to driving footfall to their stockists.

Mammoth’s founder and managing director, John Tuton, says: “As Mammoth transitions from a newcomer to the market to become one of the established names in the furniture industry, it is crucial that we build on the momentum we have created over the last five years.

“I was delighted to see us performing so strongly in January, but to find ourselves another six weeks down the line and clearly head and shoulders above the market is testament to how our retail partners have

embraced the Mammoth concept.

“We’ve worked extremely hard to bring something to market that is innovative and genuinely different to everything else on the shop floors.

“The feedback we are receiving, is that we’ve given shop floor sales teams a product which they love selling. This is though having a unique technology, a captivating story, and evidence that the product is genuinely helping customers.

“On a broader note, it is fantastic to see the industry performing so well as a whole. Such a marked improvement on sales

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compared to 2015 shows me that our retail partners are doing more than ever to drive footfall to stores, educate customers and convert sales. It is a great time to be in the furniture industry.

“We are now looking forward to the rest of 2016 and we have ambitious targets across both our bedroom lines and our new seating range.”

www.mammothmattress.co.uk

MANUFACTURING

VOGUE BEDS English rugby union

player, Anthony Watson

Sport THE DIFFERENCE With the 2016 Rio Olympic Games fast approaching, Ebrahim Patel tells Beds Magazine why Vogue Beds’ Sports Therapy range continues to grow in popularity.

I

Ebrahim Patel

t’s been four years since the London Olympics, during which time the health and fitness market has exploded.

The 2016 consumer is health-aware and actively seeks products that will support and enhance their wellbeing. And they are prepared to spend big. Think FitBits, Nutribullets, ‘athleisurewear’. These are products we’d never heard of in 2012, but are now contributing to a health and wellness phenomenon in the UK. Consumers are able to quantify their wellbeing in a way that they’ve never been able to before. They are much more aware

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of their health and are looking at it in a more holistic way, connecting fitness with other aspects of life like nutrition and – very important - getting a good night’s sleep.

Vogue Beds has been well placed to ride this lifestyle wave, having targeted London 2012 as a launch pad for its Sports Therapy range. This four-mattress collection is designed for those with an active lifestyle, from the casual runner to elite sportsperson, and has been incredibly well received since its launch.

Over 100 retailers are now stocking the collection - all of them tapping into the huge

MANUFACTURING

VOGUE BEDS groundswell of consumer interest in products with embedded health benefits.

INNOVATIVE MARKETING

The Sports Therapy range is

supported by numerous testimonials

Ebrahim Patel, managing director of Vogue Beds, says he has been very impressed with the enthusiasm that Vogue’s retail partners have shown in marketing the range.

He tells us: “Retailers really like the collection because it is genuinely unique.

No other beds manufacturer has created a range that has tapped into the wellbeing market in quite the same way,” he explains.

“Sports Therapy is a well-made product that their customers can get excited about. But, in terms of marketing, we ask our retailers to think outside the box a little bit.”

The Sports Therapy range is supported by numerous testimonials (all of which can be read on the dedicated Sports Therapy website www.sportstherapymattress. co.uk). Professional sports players, including

Sports Therapy Memory

Sports Therapy Gel

Sports Therapy Latex

Sports Therapy Airstream

COUNTDOWN TO RIO 2016

Rio 2016 is fast approaching - an opportunity to galvanise everyone associated with the Sports Therapy brand, and once again ride on the back of what will surely be another Olympics frenzy.

“It’s been four years since we launched Sports Therapy and tapped into what was then a burgeoning interest in personal wellbeing,” explains Ebrahim. “And now the market has matured – consumers are actively seeking products that support wellbeing. So I really think Rio 2016 could be a big year for us and our Sports Therapy partners.”

THE COLLECTION

Sports Therapy is dominating the wellbeing space in the beds market, with a finely edited assortment that helps the end customer to put their own wellbeing into practice.

Since 2012 Vogue Beds has put substantial investment into R&D and international cricket player, Liam Plunkett, and triple Paralympic medalist, Claire Cashmore, have given the mattresses their stamp of approval. And Ebrahim explains that a similar approach needs to be taken locally, in order to generate interest.

“over 3x trade price now being made on this range.”

NOT LIKE ANY OTHER MATTRESSES

“Sports Therapy are not like any other mattresses,” explains Ebrahim. “Where retailers have highlighted that fact, through their promotional approach, they have really reaped the rewards – and benefited from some great margins.”

“We’ve seen some really successful campaigns. Retailers inviting the local rugby club to try out the mattresses and give their verdict, for example. Or running joint promotions with health clubs in the area – allowing members to try out the mattresses at the gym, that sort of thing. The idea is to show people something different, and get them talking.”

After four years developing the retail network Sports Therapy has only recently become available to a handful of online

retailers. This has been an intentional strategy on the part of Vogue Beds who were looking for mutually beneficial partnerships with bricks-and-mortar retailers who understood the Sports Therapy USP, and had the means for promoting it.

“We’re being quite selective in choosing online retailers, and those we have partnered with have been given RRPs,” says Ebrahim.

“We don’t want Sports Therapy to become available everywhere because doing so undermines local marketing campaigns, and that’s how margins get watered down.

“But we think there’s a huge opportunity this year to push the brand and get other enthusiastic partners on board.”

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expanded the Sports Therapy range. There are currently four models, each designed with unique airflow technology to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep: •Sports Therapy Latex •Sports Therapy Memory •Sports Therapy Gel •Sports Therapy Airstream In response to customer feedback, Sports Therapy has also launched an adjustable mattress and specialist pillow.

Vogue Beds will be attending the National Bed Federation exhibition in September where Sports Therapy will take a dedicated stand. www.voguebeds.co.uk www.sportstherapymattress.co.uk

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MYSTERY REPORT

MYSTERY SHOPPER REPORT

Beds Magazine’s mystery shopper has been out and about again, testing the levels of service, store ambience and staff knowledge of retailers large and small. We visited nine different stores over four days – and this is what we found…

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MYSTERY REPORT Store: John Lewis Partnership Location: Barkers Pool, Sheffield Day and time of visit: 10am Monday It’s a wet and windy Monday morning and the Mystery Shopper Tour 2016 is underway.

The mighty JLP is under scrutiny this morning so it’s straight to the third floor where I find the bed department somewhat tucked away at the back of the floor. It is nevertheless well laid out, well lit and warm and it’s clear that we’re dealing only here in the better end of the market. There’s an exclusive-to-JLP Silentnight range and signs indicating they deal with Sealy, Vispring and Tempur. There’s time for a good look around the showroom as there appears to be only one person manning the department and he looks quite busy ticketing some bedroom furniture. There’s some nice artwork on the walls which includes one or two fun quotes about sleep as well as messages encouraging people to try out the beds for themselves. There’s also a picture of a happy looking sheep. A moment later, the smartly dressed salesman approaches me to ask if I need any help to which I indicate that I do indeed need some advice. It’s been a long time since I last bought a new bed and I suggest that things may have changed quite a bit since then.

He helpfully explains that there are two or three different types of bed available models which have springs and foam, the JLP own label ‘Naturals’ range which is made in Yorkshire and - pointing to the happy sheep - he explains it’s made with wool from Yorkshire. Then there are, he says, three models in the memory foam range. He says spring beds need to be chosen with the weight of the person in mind so that they offer the correct level of support but that the memory foam beds can take any weight as they mould themselves to each individual person.

He leads me to some beds and suggests I try one with memory foam. I tentatively just sit on it and use my hands to get a feel for the mattress at which point he encourages me to lie down and try it out properly. All the beds in the showroom have pillows so there’s no necessity for him to rush round to find and provide one. After that he shows me a spring and latex combination. “And the benefit of latex?” I ask. “People who remember Dunlopillo still ask us for these”, he replies.

Neither bed has met my requirement for something really soft but still supportive so it’s on to the Naturals range where I try out an increasingly lavish-sounding number of possibilities. It’s rather like working your way through a gourmet sandwich menu with a Maitre D (“Can I recommend the linen today Madam, a particularly fine catch this morning.”) As we work our way up the scale of fillings I’m particularly taken with the £899 model at which point I’m led over to the memory foam beds.

As we make our way there, another lady customer has appeared and our salesman disappears to who knows quite where, leaving me to try out the three memory foam beds while my fellow customer bemoans the lack of help available in the department.

She’s very keen to buy the bed by which she is standing guard as it has been reduced from around £1,200 to under £400 - a nice wool mattress, she says, and she likes sleeping on

John Lewis, Sheffield wool. Apparently the ticket says one part of the cover is ‘soiled’ and she’s anxious to get the salesman to lift it up so she can see the extent of the soiling. When he returns a moment later I encourage him to help the other lady and when it’s clear that there’s only a bit of a mark on one edge of the mattress, she’s bagged a bargain (assuming that when she eventually decides to lie down and try it out she finds it comfortable) and he’s bagged a sale.

Then it’s back to the memory foam beds and we resume our conversation about the pros and cons of memory foam. As he has one of these beds at home, he tells me, there are lots of pros and any cons are quickly ironed out. “It took me three months to get used to mine,” he confides, revealing a steely determination to like it. “Because it moulds around the body some people find it difficult to turn over or change their position in the night and I must admit that at first that was a problem for me. Now it doesn’t bother me at all.”

So what about the heat issues associated with memory foam? “Well yes I think with cheaper memory foam beds that can be a problem,” he suggests. But with these particular beds, he said, it wasn’t a problem though, of course, if you went to bed with your heating on at night and all your windows closed, it could be bothersome.

I referred back to the £899 model which had taken my fancy, asked about guarantees and was told that all the beds had a seven year guarantee apart from the memory foam bed, which had 10 years. And payment terms? If I took out a JLP store card I could get six months interest free credit and there were also interest free loans available for larger items he explained. There was also a disposal service for old mattresses.

I asked finally how often you should change your bed and he said the general advice was to do so about every eight years - although with most of their beds you probably only needed to do so every 12 years. And with the - by now you’re surely ahead of me - memory foam beds, well goodness me they could last for up to 20 years.

I smiled, thanked him for his help and explained I would need to come back to try out the bed with my partner who was rather bigger than I was.

Store environment Service

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Store: The World of Beds Location: Askern, Doncaster Day and time of visit: 1pm Monday Conveniently situated next door to a pub with a large car park, The World of Beds proudly announces on outdoor signage that it has ‘over 70 quality beds on display’ and indeed, as is the way with many independent bed stores, the comprehensive array is packed in across a warren of rooms on three different floors. An outside sign also advertised an old mattress disposal service.

It’s not exactly tropical inside as I run in from the car park in heavy rain to the shop where just one person seems to be in charge and busy on the computer. I look around on the ground floor for a few minutes before the sales lady in question asks if I need any help. I explain that I haven’t bought a new bed in a very long time so definitely do need some guidance, so she asks if I have a divan or a bedstead.

When I indicate the latter she says that all I need in that case is just a mattress - do I know what sort I’m looking for?

I do not, but I volunteer that I would be looking for something soft at which point she says she has the very thing on the top floor. We climb various staircases and, after apologising for the cold (the higher we go, the more Arctic it feels) she leads me to a bed that has apparently been selling like hot cakes (the hot bit at least has me intrigued) – it’s a foam one, nice and soft, she tells me, and a steal at just £399.

And what about this memory foam stuff I keep hearing about?” I ask. “Well it can be very hot in the night” she suggests before leading me in to an area of beds made in Yorkshire by a company who, she explains, even have their own farm with sheep so they can get their own wool.

By now my companion is really warming to her theme and proudly goes on to say that a lot of beds sold through the store are made by Yorkshire companies. I’m encouraged to try two or three of the beds made by the manufacturer-with-it’s-ownfarm: “I’ve dealt with them ever since I started here and I’ve been working here for 25 years,” she explains. When we talk prices it is clear that this is a lady who is really quite cost conscious on the customer’s behalf. When I ask to try out a selection of latex foam beds and make suitable ooh and aah noises about the softness levels, she’s a little apologetic about the prices (over £1,000). Perhaps this is because we are quickly becoming best buddies, the conversation flowing in great abundance and at great length.

When we return to the subject of beds I ask if there is a given time when you should look to replace your bed and she volunteers that she kept her last bed for 18 years.

“When you’re paying good money you can expect a bed to last.”

We have now returned to the comparatively warmer ground floor, my new best friend assiduously switching off all the lights behind her as we do so. She clearly enjoys her work but was not too keen on the admin side of it, she confided, since a new boss took over two years ago and introduced computers. The previous owner

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MYSTERY REPORT

The World of Beds, Doncaster had run a hand written ledger system until he sold the business and retired.

The new owner, she explained, had also set up a website for the business and as a result of this customers now came from far and wide, many of them telling her that they preferred to shop at an independent store where they felt the service was better than with some national multiple retailers.

The shop had always done good trade with quality end beds she explained. Pointing at a premium range of pillows, which sell for £65 a time, she explained that these sold really well and sensibly pointed out: “If people just wanted a really cheap pillow or two they’d go down the road to Asda.”

After another spell of female bonding I felt it was time to drop the “must return with my partner” line to which I was advised of her regular days in the shop. We parted as if the best of mates and it wasn’t difficult to see how her chatty sales approach could win customers round.

If the warmth of the welcome wasn’t in the fabric of the building itself, then a friendly face and chatty persona can go a long way to mitigate the chill.

Store environment Service

Store: Downtown Superstore Location: Gonerby Junction, A1, Grantham Day and time of visit: 4.45pm Monday Those of you old enough to remember the Petula Clark hit ‘Downtown’ will understand why I found myself humming the tune shortly after arriving at this impressive superstore on the A1. Because after a bit of wandering around without a member of staff in sight on the ground floor beds department, life was definitely making me lonely. It did, however give me time-a-plenty to study the beds department offer which included a reassuring list of well known players - Somnus, Silentnight, Kaymed, Salus, Sealy, Tempur etc.

Having taken this in, along with the pleasant, light, airy and warm atmosphere it was time to seek out some help which I did through a nearby department who then tracked down ‘my man’.

Falling into the smartly dressed and very discreet category, he embarked on a reasonable fact finding mission. Having ascertained it was a soft feel I was looking for, I was led over to the first bed to establish

my preferred comfort level. Before I could get on it I was advised to remove my coat “otherwise you won’t get the true feel” and having laid on my back while he talked me through the construction and benefits of this particular mattress, he then suggested I lay on the bed as I would going to sleep at home. He then said - and it is music to my ears - to take my time, don’t rush and really give yourself chance to feel this bed. Many points scored for all the bed testing advice which so many others fail to give.

It is a sumptuously soft bed which, to be honest, was so perfect I didn’t really feel the need to try any more beds but proceeded to do so if only to put Mr Total Discretion through his paces. So I now know the bed I’ve just tried has a ‘therma phase’ pillow on top of it which is a ‘very advanced type of foam which will not make you feel hot in the night’ and what it costs. He added: “You should know that this will not go down in price with a bump in a sale, so you’re not going to come back another day and suddenly find it a lot cheaper.” As a consumer I found myself greatly reassured by that nothing worse than paying full whack for a product only to see it at a fraction of the price a couple of weeks later. The model under discussion also came with a five year guarantee.

Downtown Superstore, Grantham Given I’d mentioned the ‘memory foam’ words I felt it opportune to try one out and was led to the softest possible model. This one cost around £300 more than my ‘perfect’ earlier model but had a five year guarantee and then a further ten year ‘sliding scale’ warranty. But as my host pointed out “there’s really not a lot to go wrong with a block of foam”.

Tempted by the luxurious array of traditional looking beds, we moved on to try one or two of those out and I was again wooed by an appetising list of ingredients including softest natural cotton, mohair etc...

I’m feeling a touch peckish by this stage and it was all I could do not to ask for a knife and fork. Anyway we agreed that as fabulous as these beds looked and felt, nothing was going to offer me quite the softness as a nice foamy bed. So we discussed delivery - around six weeks for most models - and he explained that there was a £19 delivery charge and a further £30 charge if I wanted my old mattress taking away. I could also pay, interest free over 24 months with a 20% deposit.

As a last port of call I asked if he had a gel bed I could try before leaving and he dutifully showed me to one and talked me through the

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construction and benefits. And as I was about to leave he wrote down all the details of the favoured model for me and said he looked forward to seeing me whenever I could get back.

While he may have been a little hard to track down at the outset, he couldn’t have been more helpful in the end.

Store environment Service

Store: Surrey Beds Location: Purley Day and time of visit: 12.30pm Tuesday And so to sunny Surrey where Surrey Beds is still - quite rightly - making the most of its past Winner of the Independent Bed Retailer of the Year Award. There is signage announcing the accolade everywhere in this relatively compact, and if I’m honest, rather chilly, store. It stocks brands from Mammoth and Harrison Beds to Healthbeds and Shakespeare Beds.

Someone in the office is obviously having a frustrating time dealing with a tiresome application process on the phone but comes out to greet me quickly enough with a smile and a warm welcome. Apologising for being tied up he passes me on to a colleague who, after a brief introduction leads me to sit down on one bed while he sits on another facing me and says “Right, so let’s find out what you need.” I’m asked what size of bed I’m looking for and “pardon me for asking but is this just for you or do you have a husband?” I say that indeed the bed is for two people, that my other half is a big lad but that I’m really looking for something that is pretty soft in feel. He also establishes that I am only looking for a mattress rather than a complete divan set.

“Well I imagine you’re going to need something with a bit of meat in it then” he suggests, acknowledging the need for a new bed to accommodate two different sized sleepers. I’m led over to a traditional style mattress, asked to try it out and report on how it feels. I concede that although it’s classed as a medium tension it does feel quite nice and he proceeds to take a spring out of a tin to show me how one little ‘helper’ spring sits inside a larger one to offer a really good level of support. This spring type, he explains, is in the base of the mattress with two further layers of individually pocketed smaller springs on top of that. I believe he explained that in total some 9,000 springs were in this particular mattress. “A veritable spring city,” I remark as he points to a vertical cross section slide showing the exact content of this particular bed.

“My wife is about the same size as you and I’m a big chap too but this bed works perfectly for both of us,” he explains. “Now I’d like you to lie on the other side of the bed and see how that feels.” I do and it is patently much too firm for me - but it illustrates well the point he makes about being able to order this bed with two different tensions.

Although he may now be feeling that we’ve solved the issue and are on the home strait I point out that as it has been such a long time since I bought a bed, I really feel I ought

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MYSTERY REPORT

Surrey Beds, Purley to try one or two other types of mattress, just to make sure I’m not missing out on anything that feels even better. So I’m shown to a range of foam beds which, he explains, contain a medical grade foam that has been thoroughly tested. When I ask about the heat issues associated with foam beds he assures me that this particular brand is unlikely to cause those sorts of problems and that the foam has been castellated to ensure good air flow.

I’m still keen to try a memory foam mattress so he leads me to one that is on an adjustable base. He’s clearly not a fan as we had earlier agreed that this type of mattress could prove very warm in the night - something he and his wife had previously experienced themselves. The traditional bed I’d liked was full of natural fillings and they didn’t cause you to get hot at all, he advised.

And what about these new gel beds I ask?

He throws me a cube of blue foam and says this is what they mean by gel beds - it’s really just another kind of foam. I’m left with the clear impression that he believes the whole ‘gel science’ bit is just a marketing gimmick.

There’s another ‘naturals’ model next to the adjustable and he advises me to try the right hand side of the bed as this has been made to a ‘soft’ specification while the other half is a medium. I like it very much and he says this one is actually a little cheaper than the first one I tried. This particular brand of bed also came with a 10 year guarantee, he said, and you could have any of these beds made with different tensions on each side for no extra cost.

At this point another lady walks in to the store so I decide to wrap the conversation up pretty swiftly, just asking about delivery times (about four weeks) and whether or not they do interest free credit - which they do.

Delivery within a reasonable radius of the store along with removal of an old mattress was, he said, included in the price - though the location I gave him fell outside of normal deliveries and might incur a small charge.

I left, explaining I’d come back with my other half.

Store: Worthing Bedding Centre (Jones and Tomlin) Location: West Sussex Day and time of visit: 4pm Tuesday Now celebrating its 70th year, this family run bedding business has three stores, with Worthing the town where it all began.

The store here is nicely presented and with some 150 beds on display across three floors.

There’s a star studded line up of names and brands on show with a definite emphasis towards the quality end of the market. Indeed before I left, I took the opportunity to test out a £10,000 Rolls Royce of a bed which, divine as it was, could never be a budgetary option.

But back to the ground floor and the greeting that awaited. For a start this was a store that was well lit, warm and ‘loved’ and within no time a very smart young man made his way over with a beaming smile and a sense of enthusiasm that was contagious.

Establishing my need for a soft bed (though sadly, as with several other sales people encountered on the trip, he never asked about my partner’s needs) he immediately said he knew just the thing for me and whisked me onto the next floor where I was invited to try out a traditionally made model with lots of natural fillings and super-plenty springs.

Agreeing that this felt very nice indeed, I again sensed he felt the deal might already be done. But I suggested that as it had been such a long time since I had last bought a bed I felt it sensible to try out a few more.

Absolutely, he said, and having asked if it might be possible to try out a foam bed, he led me back to the ground floor and showed me a range with a “new and advanced kind of foam” that would not make me feel hot in the night. To demonstrate this point he got out a hand sized box with two types of foam in it one half was ordinary memory foam and the other the new advanced stuff. I put my warm hand in the box and some seconds later, the original type of foam showed traces of heat from my hand while the new foam side didn’t.

A simple little sales aid, but very effective.

He’d mentioned another brand in stock which also featured an alternative new and cooling foam but quite rightly predicted that I might not find these beds quite as soft as the ones on he ground floor. At this point he also volunteered that the store offered free delivery to a room of your choice plus they would discard the old mattress it was replacing if required.

We also talked guarantees: “Pretty much five years on most mattresses in this store

Store environment Service

Worthing Bedding Centre, West Sussex

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although some of the higher end brands offer 10 years if you are buying a mattress and divan base together,” he said.

And the store’s best sellers? He said most of the brands sold well but the ones he did best with were, strangely enough, the two brands he’d shown to me.

He also added that you could never just tell how much people had to spend and that one couple had recently surprised them all by spending £10,000 on a double bed. This was my cue to ask if I could try it out too and he was more than happy to lead to me to the top floor to try it out for myself.

It was not until this point that I mentioned I would need to come back with my partner as although I was after a nice soft bed, it had to be right for him too. My young man immediately suggested that when we did come back he would be happy to spend more time with us and felt the first ‘naturals’ bed might be a good choice as it had the springs needed to offer support for my other half while I had been pretty happy with it too.

One or two other couples were looking around at the same time I was there but I sensed there were enough other staff to deal with them and I never felt rushed or pressured. The young salesman’s enthusiasm never wavered and as I went to leave he handed me a compliments slip with his name on it and wished me all the best.

Store environment Service

Store: Furniture Village Location: Harbour Parade, Southampton Day and time of visit: Wednesday 11am One of Furniture Village’s flagship superstores, this two storey retail outlet in Southampton is impressively big with a large bed department on the upper floor.

It’s well maintained, warm, airy and well lit and on arrival there were one or two other shoppers browsing the store on the ground floor where there were at least three or four members of staff in evidence.

Another retailer proud to shout about its NBF Multiple Bed Retailer of The Year Award, the signs (which adds ‘For Two Years Running’) are out in abundance around the bed department. What is not in abundance on the upper floor, is any sign of help in the shape of a member of staff.

After plenty of time to take in the comprehensive choice of beds on offer (Vispring, Hypnos, Millbrook, Sealy, Dunlopillo, Silentnight, Tempur, Mammoth, Sleepeezee, Myers, Slumberland and more) I decide that if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed then I’d better go downstairs and fetch him.

My appearance prompts an instant apology from the salesman who spends the next 30 minutes or so showing me around the bed department and demonstrates a considerable level of knowledge as he does so. Refreshingly, I don’t feel I’m being pushed towards one particular make of bed.

We kick off with a reasonable level of ‘establishing needs’. What size bed am I

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MYSTERY REPORT

Furniture Village, Southampton looking for? Is it for my use or the guest room? Do I need storage space? As he starts to show me a traditional style divan bed I volunteer the fact that I’m looking for a soft bed. We try the first suggested bed and I indicate that even softer would be good. So we move on to option two and I’m wanting to go softer still. This is clearly narrowing the choice available down so I’m led over to a ‘top of the range, all natural, comes with a lifetime guarantee’ job and asked to try the ‘soft’ side of the display model. Doing my Goldilocks bit I confirm that this bed is ‘just right’ but that I’d like to try out some others while I’m there.

The salesman is only too happy to show me more models and has definitely clocked that I’m on the hunt for something soft as he’s finding every kind of memory foam, latex, gel and other kind of mattress he can think of which is likely to meet my needs.

I remark that softer feeling beds seem to be in the minority and he smiles and says it’s because many shoppers these days are quite large and under the ‘up to 11 stone is soft; 11 to 16 stone is medium; and 16 stone and over is firm’ rule of thumb, most people need something more medium to firm.

In between trying out a goodly selection of beds, my sales consultant happily chatters away about the benefits and drawbacks of different sorts of beds, the fact that while the advice may be to change your bed every eight to 10 years the reality is many people haven’t done so for 16 or 17 years.

He also proudly points to the ‘Bed Retailer of The Year’ sign and goes on to tell me that the company put all of its beds department staff through a training programme last year so they could learn more about beds and sleep. And did he find it worthwhile? “Well yes I suppose so but I have been doing this job for 30 years so have learned quite a lot along the way. But it does give you that ‘piece of paper’ which gives the customers confidence that we know what we’re talking about - and I have to say the staff here do know their stuff. Far more than some of these youngsters you see in other stores who just go round the store with customers reading off the labels.”

Given the huge choice of beds on offer, I’ve received simplified but sound advice: “a bed with natural fillings and pocket springs is going to work best for you and your partner if he’s quite a bit heavier than you as the springs will support him without affecting your side of the bed. Ideally, if you had a king sized bed, we could do a half

and half mattress to suit each of you but we can’t do that on a standard double. Memory foam can be warm, particularly in the summer; latex is going to be too firm for you.” But like others before him, ‘gel beds’ were a bit of a new fangled thing that still had to prove their worth.

We talked guarantees and warranties, availability and the fact that I could have my mattress delivered and put on the bed for £45 and they would take away my old one for £65.

I do not feel rushed - indeed the salesman is more than generous with his time and I feel I have his full attention throughout.

It was clear that my man could have talked beds all afternoon but sadly I didn’t have the time to hear more. If he occasionally sounded a little world weary he made any bed buying decision going forward an easy one to arrive at. This salesman really knew his stuff.

sleeping bed that was soft enough.

We didn’t have much luck and I was very conscious of taking up the salesman’s time as there were quite a few other shoppers browsing the store needing attention. And as I was as capable of him of reading the labels, I thanked him for his help and continued to look around on my own.

The lack of foot mats meant that some of the mattresses were beginning to look a little grubby in places. Most of the mattresses were DFS branded and all seemed to be of the foam variety. I wasn’t able to find anything more traditional with natural fillings - there were memory foam, latex, gel beds, most of them mixed with pocket springs.

Store environment Service

Store: DFS Location: Hedge End Retail Park, Southampton Day and time of visit: Wednesday 1pm With its recent in-store entry into the bed market, I decided to take a look at one of the DFS stores now selling beds and mattresses - and found that there was one rather fortuitously located in Southampton.

Out on the Hedge End retail park, this is a large store - and since the conversion of its warehouse into a dining and beds area just before Christmas - is now even bigger.

True to DFS style, the area is nicely laid out, semi-room style so it is visually rather more attractive than many bed stores and departments. However, it is not immediately obvious where the beds department is on entering the very large store, and after asking a sharp suited salesman, I was led through to the area and asked what I was looking for. He started out by asking what size I wanted and that really the best thing was to go round trying them out for myself at which point I launched into the usual explanation about it having been a long time since I last bought a bed and how much things must have changed since then. So please could he help me?

I said I needed a standard double mattress only and was looking for something soft. He then proceeded to examine the labels on one bed and announced this was a medium soft mattress. I duly tried it out but was slightly alarmed by the lack of a foot mat across the bottom of the bed and said I felt guilty lying on the smart cream cover with my shoes on. “Oh don’t worry - that’s what these display beds are for,” he replied.

Having tried it I said something softer still would be preferable so after a little more ticket examining he suggested I tried a pocket spring with memory foam pillow top bed which was indeed much softer. When I expressed concern about memory foam’s reputation for being hot in the night he said perhaps I ought to try one of the cool gel beds. I did but that simply wasn’t soft enough so we moved around the showroom, looking at tickets to try and find another cool

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DFS, Southampton Feeling that this was very much a furniture shop that happened to sell beds, rather than a furnishing store with a specialist bed department, I left shortly afterwards. And frustrating though the lack of knowledge I encountered was - albeit from someone who did his limited best to help - my gut feeling was that DFS will probably still do well with beds because its flair for display may well prove enough to entice its customers.

But they really should invest in some foot mats!

Store environment Service

Store: Peter Green Location: Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh Day and time of visit: Wednesday 3.15pm Billed as one of the largest independent furniture and flooring businesses in the South of England, this family run company has a 59 year heritage, according to the website. Yet it is a store that has moved with the times and now occupies very large, modern premises on a light industrial estate in Chandlers Ford.

When I arrive the store is really quite busy given the day and time and a lot of the sales staff are clearly tied up with customers.

Fearing this means another deserted bed department I make my way to the back of this very large but warm and welcoming store where a sales representative is sat at a desk, suggesting he is left to specifically deal with bed buyers.

“Are you the store’s bed expert?” I ask to which he smiles and blushes modestly, laughs and says “How can I help you?” I go through my spiel, he asks a few more ‘need establishing’ questions and then it’s down

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MYSTERY REPORT to business as he leads me to a traditionally made bed which will meet my requirement for a soft feel. There are a considerable number of beds on the floor. I lie on the bed and ask what is in this particular mattress and he explains it’s 1200 pocket springs along with lots of natural fillings - “and none of that memory foam that makes you hot at night.”

He explains later that the range of memory foam beds which the store had once stocked led to so many ‘heat issue’ complaints that the company made a decision to stock another, newer kind of foam bed that didn’t have heat problems.

We did later try these but before we did so I was taken to another range of traditionally made, naturally filled beds. “I could show you the very top end bed in this range which has 10,000 springs but you might not like the price” he suggested. It rather left me wondering how customers have to look before sales people feel comfortable showing them the multi-thousand pound models. I clearly need to up my game!

But back to the hunt for a nice soft bed.

Having established that I wanted something really soft but would like to try out a foam variety that didn’t make you hot, I was shown a pocket sprung bed with a geltype foam pillow top “from the biggest bed company in the world”. This too was reasonably comfortable and while testing it out conversation turned to the frequency with which you need to replace a bed. Playing dumb I asked how often that should be and the salesman said despite one retailer advertising the need to do so every eight years, the accepted norm was 10. He also said that most of the beds I had been looking at came with a 10 year guarantee.

I asked him about his best selling model which he pointed out saying “it will definitely be too firm for you but most people these days seem to want a reasonably firm mattress.”

I remarked on how busy the store seemed for a midweek afternoon and he said the business was always busy and they did well, with bed sales - particularly at weekends when “we get mobbed”.

It was heartening to hear, particularly in view of the fact that the store definitely specialises in better end beds - brands stocked include Sealy, Gainsborough, Vispring, Somnus, Mammoth, Hush-a-Bye, Relyon, MiBed etc.

Delivery on goods over £500 was free but the company did not remove old beds/ mattresses because of the complex nature of disposal.

I thanked my assistant for all his help

Peter Green, Eastleigh

to which he simply said: “That’s what I’m here for.” He’d been helpful, reasonably knowledgeable and had definitely listened to what it was I wanted rather than pointing me towards what he thought I might want.

Store environment Service

Store: Carpetright Location: Alban Retail Park, Warrington Day and time of visit: 1.30 pm Thursday I’m on one of the large new retail parks in Warrington, about to test the mettle of a carpet store selling beds. The two products have often gone hand-in-hand over the years (remember Allied Carpets and Beds?). So what does the Carpetright offer have in store for consumers?

This particular store is warm, spacious, brightly lit and still has a brand new feel about it. The bed department is at the far end of the store under a large letter message on the back wall proclaiming ‘Sleepright every night’. There’s one other customer being served in the flooring area of the store so I make my way to the back and start to look around, wondering at what point one of the available two salesman will come over and acknowledge me. I have time to take in the fact that the beds are all ‘Sleepright’ branded or ‘Exclusive to Sleepright’ from a selection of manufacturers including Sealy, Silentnight, Breasley, Perfecta, Sleepeezee and Millbrook.

Many are foam encapsulated with everything from latex-pocket mixes to pocketed memory foam to ones labelled as ‘natural fibre’ mixes.

After a few minutes a salesman comes over and asks if he can help - and so, once again, the search for that elusive soft mattress begins. He asks if I know what I’m looking for in terms of size and after explaining my now well practised story, I say that it’s 15 years since I last bought a new bed and just how often is the recommended replacement time?

He says advice varies from manufacturer to manufacturer but the general consensus is that it should be every seven to nine years which will please The Sleep Council.

He points out that although each bed is marked as ‘firm’, ‘medium’ or ‘soft’ I really should try a few out as the feel of a bed is very subjective and what feels soft to one person is firm to another. This is not a bad start and as we go round it is clear that I’m talking to someone with a reasonable grasp of bed basics.

He’s clearly au fait with most of the models on the floor - no reading from labels here and hides any frustration with my constant plea for something even softer with good grace. And when I ask about “this new memory foam stuff” he points out that it can be quite warm so not for everyone. “So what about latex?” I ask. He explains that that is a completely different type of foam and doesn’t generally have heat issues.

But my quest for something soft goes on.

Having tried a very fine looking traditionally made bed which is promoted as ‘soft’ but doesn’t feel especially so to me, we arrive at a pillow topped model which is about the nearest to hit the mark.

I ask about availability and on the model

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Carpetright, Warrington I’m looking at it’s apparently about 21 days.

Delivery costs £39 and if you want them to take away your old mattress as well it’s £79.

I ask if the store sells more beds than carpets but that is apparently not the case although he says bed sales are doing well and building. “We’re cheaper than a lot of other places and are always comparing our prices to others,” he says.

I point out that I think it will be important to come back on another visit with my partner as he is rather bigger than me and would also need to test out the bed I’m interested in.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” I ask. “Oh definitely,” he says and I make my way out, reasonably reassured by the encounter.

Store environment Service

Sales speak and howlers along the way In one store I mentioned to the salesman that I had heard about something called a gel bed. He shook his head, frowned a little at the thought of any such product making it on to his floor and then quickly threw in that the softest of the memory foam beds had - as he described it - gaps into which some gel was put. That’s why it was so nice and soft and squashy. Indeed.

In another store trying to meet my need for a nice soft bed I’m led over to a model which the sales person described as being “made from Tencel foam which is completely natural as it’s made from the oil of the Eucalyptus tree.” Not a type of foam that either I or probably the rest of the industry has come across yet?

Spotting a label with a ‘Zero Gravity’ logo on one model of bed I ask another salesman just what that means? The logo is next to a no-turn symbol so he quickly replies that it means you never have to bother turning the mattress over. You couldn’t make it up! (though he clearly did).

Describing a new range of foam mattresses one salesman told me they, had been developed by four orthopaedic specialists who had come together to launch the company and the beds were now endorsed by the Chiropractors Association (don’t you just love a good bedtime story!)

My final faux pas of the tour concerned what is obviously – for many sales people - the perplexing subject of gel beds. One sales assistant told me (and with a very straight face) that, if I remembered water beds, then these were a move on from those. “So they’re filled with a liquid gel instead of water then?” I ask.

“Well yes, but it’s sort of foamy,” he replied.

MANUFACTURING

BREASLEY

ComingTOGETHER

I

How Breasley Consumer Products is combining its years of innovation and development with its exclusive technologies.

t’s a fact that, while there are a great many things in this world that work well on their own, it isn’t until we bring them together that we get to witness something truly special. This can range from the simple necessities of life, all the way up to the finer things. Over the years, Beds Magazine has been lucky enough to be privy to the launch of a great number of impressive innovations and developments throughout the industry. So many, in fact, that even we have to admit that it can be difficult to keep track of everything that is going on.

So when we hear of a business that is doing all it can to make things simpler and easier for everyone involved we can’t help but be impressed. And that is exactly what Breasley Consumer Products is hoping to achieve with its new Salus Contempo Collection.

Stuart Hibbert, managing director, tells us: “For 2016, our plan was to combine our years of innovation and development with

A new Salus website will

support the launch of the Contempo Collection

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our exclusive technologies and bring them all under one brand – the Contempo Collection – making it simpler and easier for our retail partners and customers alike to understand the fantastic Salus product range we have on offer.”

Last time Beds Magazine spoke to Breasley the business was getting ready to showcase its new Salus Contempo Collection at the 2016 January Furniture Show, a launch that proved extremely successful for the business thanks to Contempo’s myriad of popular features.

Two of the collection’s pocket spring ortho models feature Breasley’s exclusive medifoam® contoured sleep support system, which has been developed and engineered with zoned sections to target areas which need extra support, such as the back and spine, whilst additional horizontal zoning provides comfort and pressure relief to areas including the shoulders and hips.

Meanwhile, the V1000, V1200 and V2000

MANUFACTURING

BREASLEY models all benefit from the inclusion of Breasley’s Viscoool Technology, which uses thermo regulating visco elastic foam to ensure users stay cooler for longer. Finally, for those wanting a really sumptuous level of comfort, the collection’s V3000, V4000 and V5000 models combine a mixture of Viscoool and latex.

All models in Breasley’s Contempo Collection have individual pocket spring support, and springs are also foam encased

Let’s see what exciting developments we have in store for the Bed Show in September.”

All of the models in the Contempo

Collection offer a unique look and feel

around the perimeter of the mattress to give edge to edge support and to maximise the sleeping area. All of this is then completed by a luxurious cover featuring Tencel® fibres, which are renowned for their softness and excellent moisture management properties.

This move forward by the company brings everything together within one, brand new collection. From the Contempo Ortho 1000 to the Contempo LV5000, all of the models within the range offer a unique look and feel combined with contemporary, stylish design which is synonymous with the Salus brand.

With the launch of the collection, more divan and headboard colour choices have also been added to complement the existing Salus palette of fresh and natural tones. These include Kingfisher, Ash, Raven and Barley.

Retailers can also look forward to a new Salus website to support the launch; plus Breasley has also invested in the latest CGI Technology to give their retail partners a wider choice of imagery.

Of course, we can’t talk to Breasley and

not mention the success of the company’s ‘YOU’ mattress brand, which was also a runaway hit at the NEC in January. Featuring ten different mattresses, all offering different fillings and firmness, the real ‘wow’ factor of the brand is the fact that no matter the size of the mattress, from single to super king, each one can be stored and delivered in the same size box, including up to a 3000 individual pocket spring count.

As one of the industry’s first specialist manufacturers in vacuum packed mattresses, Stuart and the team at Breasley are constantly being encouraged by how much the sector of the market has matured, and continues to mature. The bed in a box concept has allowed Breasley to trade up and talk more about quality and specification to its customers, rather than just price. Combine this with the new Contempo Collection and something tell us we should be keeping a close eye on what else the company has in store.

As Stuart concludes: “From the feedback

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we have received to date on Contempo, we feel we have achieved our aims of creating a collection that is easier for everyone to understand. Let’s see what exciting developments we have in store for the Bed Show in September!”

If you’d like to visit Breasley at the NBF Bed Show then mark your diary for September 20-21 at Telford’s International Centre and get ready for when visitor registration opens soon.

www.breasleyconsumer.co.uk

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NIMBUS EMPORIUM

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Best Trace

SCENARIO

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Luxury filled bedding brand Nimbus Emporium leads the way on traceability assurance.

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NIMBUS EMPORIUM

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

T

he need for brands to demonstrate that their products are ethically sourced has never been greater, as consumers look to name and shame brands that aren’t acting responsibly and actively seek out products that can offer reassurance and traceability on how they’ve been produced.

Luxury bedding brand Nimbus Emporium (www.nimbusbedding.com) is one of the first brands in the UK to carry the prestigious Downpass Seal. The seal is an assurance that the down and feathers used as the filling material in its products have been ethically harvested and come from a strictly controlled and traceable supply chain.

The brand, that’s stocked in independent retailers nationwide and by a number of online only stores, is also launching a new consumer-facing campaign in UK magazines and media to help consumers understand what to look for when buying quality natural

Nimbus Emporium is one of the first brands in the UK to ocarry the Downpass Seal

Bedding products are fully traceable

“Ensuring the traceability of products from sustainable sources remains high on consumers’ agenda.” filled bedding products, compared to lower priced alternatives.

Sara Wadsworth, Nimbus brand manager, says: “The Nimbus Emporium collection, which includes pillows, duvets, mattress protectors and mattress toppers, is setting new standards in all-natural quality bedding; and now all Nimbus Emporium down and feather filled products carry the Downpass Seal.

“Our products are also subject to full auditing by the International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory (IDFL) ensuring feather and down traceability, origin and purity testing giving customers absolute confidence in the accuracy of the claims made about the Nimbus Emporium products.

“This means customers can rest fully

The collection is setting new standards in all-natural quality bedding

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reassured that they’ve bought a bedding product that has been tested to meet its claims that it is genuinely filled with the specified filling and the percentages are correct.

“Our bedding products are fully traceable and, most importantly our products have not involved live plucking or force feeding, both of which are sadly common practice these days, especially in cheaper natural-

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NIMBUS EMPORIUM

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

“Our bedding products are fully traceable.”

Nimbus is keen to help consumers

make concious and informed decisions

The Silver Collection contains 90% premium Hungarian Goose Down

filled bedding products.”

Sara added: “Brands in all sectors can no longer afford to ignore the growing consumer interest in the origins of their purchases. Ensuring the traceability of products from sustainable sources remains high on consumers’ agenda.

“The origin and source of the feather and down is a big consideration to many consumers and the addition of transparent accreditations, labelling and increased information available shows that Nimbus Emporium is to looking to support the purchasing decisions of the rising number of ethically minded customers looking to make more informed purchases.

“We are passionate about the importance of quality and accountability in our natural product ranges, so we’re keen to educate consumers as well as help consumers make conscious and informed decisions about

The company is launching a

new consumer-facing campaign

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their bedding choices. The planned activity will deliver on both counts.”

This exquisite Nimbus Emporium range features a Gold, Silver and Bronze collection. The Gold Collection uses 100% A1 certified Hungarian Goose Down – the highest grade available on the market and universally acknowledged as one of the best fillings in the world.

The Silver Collection is naturally soft and indulgent containing 90% premium Hungarian Goose Down, the plumpest, softest Hungarian goose down clusters with 10% ultra fine Hungarian Goose Feather. This fill quality surpasses the quality of the majority on the market currently.

The Bronze Collection uses 90% premium Goose Down combined with 10% fine Goose Feathers, which provide naturally luxurious quality and comfort.

The planned marketing activity will focus on national media as well as key regional titles around current Nimbus stockists. It has been designed to educate consumers about why some natural bedding is more expensive than others and some of the unpleasant hidden secrets of lower cost natural products.

To find out more information, or to become a Nimbus stockist, visit the company’s website. www.nimbusbedding.com

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NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS At this year’s January Furniture Show (JFS), the number of companies exhibiting beds rose by 11. Could this be the start of a drift back to Hall 5 and a return to the halcyon days when it was home to all the industry heavyweights? Jan Turner asked some of those who were there, just why they exhibit at the NEC – and how the JFS compares to the National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Show at Telford in September.

Bodyease: Shakeel Baig, marketing director It’s our first time at the JFS – we’ve come really just to see what kind of response we get. So far it has been positive and we have picked up new accounts so we are thinking about whether or not to come again. This show has more choice in respect of the offer: a massive show with larger footfall. Its central and attracts people from further afield which is what we need as we are trying to get more exposure for our products. The Bed Show is purely focused on beds and we do well there, so exhibiting is a no brainer. Everything has changed too – for example, the AIS show is on at the same time as this one so there’s always the potential to see people as a spin off from that. While they’re in the area they might as well come to the JFS too. We’re not showing anything new here.

It’s more about consolidating – there’s not enough time between the NBF show and this one to develop new product. Different

buyers from those who go to the Bed Show come here. The big buyers – multiples and larger groups – go there whereas here we see independents who are more general furnishers who also sell beds and they are the accounts we are after.

Vogue/Limelight: Ebrahim Patel, managing director We’ve been doing the NEC show since 1999 – especially with the frame side of the business (Limelight) because it is more fashion led and we need to showcase it at a wider furnishing show. We try to do something new for Limelight every year. Shows are not what they used to be – 10 years ago our stand was twice as large, the show was massive and we took serious money. That has changed so we’ve had to tailor the stand to the show as it is now. Having said that, you still have to have a stand that shines out and gets noticed to draw people in, although its more about showcasing products here than a big sell and we set no great expectations on

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what we will sell. We meet people here, see potential new accounts – it’s more of a slow burn these days. Ask me at the end of the year how we did at this show because the results aren’t always immediately obvious.

Retailers don’t have warehouses any more so they don’t carry large amounts of stock.

So product has one opportunity on the shop floor and if that doesn’t work, you’re out. It’s a much faster moving business these days – and there are also far too many people making beds. It’s not quite as ruthless on the bed frame side of things

JFS 2016 hosted

11 bed companies

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NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS but you do have to be good at it and offer a good range of products. The January NEC show is in everyone’s diaries and very well established – there’s lots of variety here so you see a lot more people from general furniture shops. The Bed Show is much more direct – anyone going there is going to buy beds. There it’s straight down to business.

Bedmaster: Nathan Edwards, sales director We don’t feel that the footfall and quality of traffic at the January Furniture Show is as good as that at NBF. We’ve exhibited here for about eight years and over that time have reduced the stand in size. People aren’t necessarily interested in buying a bed so it is more of a PR exercise. A lot are looking to start their own websites and asking for brochures and CDs. There’s a much wider audience at the JFS and it is a good location but we are finding it harder and harder to attract people here.

High street business is not what it was and more products are moving online. A lot of long standing family businesses are not getting the kids taking over so they are closing and more buying group members are thriving. It’s also getting harder for small businesses to come along. More companies are investing in show vans and there are also more shows – AIS, Minerva, the Bed Show, South West Show, Manchester show etc. so it’s diluting the traffic. How well we do at the show can depend on if retailers have had a good Christmas/New Year and need more stock. There’s also an oversupply of beds and mattresses in the market so business is very price driven. Going forward I think we’re going to see more and more show vans and we’ll see shows themselves becoming smaller as people find alternative ways to showcase their products.

Breasley: Stuart Hibbert, managing director We’ve been coming to a January show at the NEC since 2007 – not everyone buys in September. Some buy in January for Easter.

And there’s a slightly more international flavour at the January show. The Bed Show is beds specific, but if you want to catch more general retailers then this is the place to be and doing so will remain part of our plan. It’s a really good show. We’ve gained new shop floor displays on You, Salus Bionix and also our brand new Salus Contempo Collection.

All in all, it’s been our best NEC for new display models.

Kaydian: Richard Jeffrey, joint owner We’ve been coming to the NEC for 10 years and started doing the Ironbridge Show in September where we got a great response.

A show in January works for us. Like any show, you get a collective audience with clients and buyers all there. It’s a PR thing as much as anything – a way of saying “We’re still here!” It’s a good place for us to launch products and see our customers. We’d do the

The next JFS will take place from 22 - 25 January 2017

NBF show if we could but our products are manufactured in Malaysia, albeit at a British facility. I think if we had two or three big guys in Hall 5 it would draw in clientele – footfall here has not been all that good. When we first came here you could hardly walk down the aisles – but for the foreseeable future JFS will be part of our marketing activity. It’s a different world now and once someone knows the quality of your product, things can move very quickly so it may be that there is not the same need to come here.

Highgate: Zahid Ayub, sales director We’ve been coming to a January show for 14 or 15 years. It’s more of a furniture show business so all sorts of people come here and you reach a much wider audience. I think anyone who doesn’t come is missing out – or maybe those that don’t are after bigger markets and the clientele here is not what they are looking for. We are launching three new products at this show and picked up a lot of leads. We’ve also opened about 10/15 new accounts so far – it has been a fantastic show for us. And I always think it’s a really good networking place. We also had a really good show at Telford – at the Bed Show you are in direct competition with a lot of other manufacturers and competition is healthy.

Furmanac (Mi-Bed/Hestia): Aubane Hilliard, sales and marketing

The company has been coming to the NEC since the outset and we also showcase our brands at Telford. We come to the JFS because we do chairs as well as beds, divans, upholstered bed frames and adjustables, so reach out to a wide audience. We cater for boutique hotels too, so it’s not just about customers looking for beds. This show gives us access to a wider audience. The Bed Show is where we see all our regular customers and meet new ones. This show has been a very, very good one for us – we’ve beaten our record already!

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JFS is the furniture

industry’s premier show

Sweet Dreams: Jackie McGarvey, general manager

The January Furniture Show is the furniture industry’s premier show and most retail buyers in our market make the trip. Last year’s show was very successful for us – we showed off our new ranges, retained our high profile with our market and attracted new customers. This year we launched an entirely new collection of readyassembled bedroom cabinet, several new children’s beds and a new etail range. It felt a little quieter than usual but we have made plenty of sales and opened new accounts too.

We’ve always exhibited at the NEC in January and the new show has improved on what went before. The Bed Show has become the primary show for our core bed collection – but Sweet Dreams also supplies bedroom cabinet and other furniture which can’t be exhibited there. Also, our collection of divans, headboards and bedframes is far wider than we can show at Telford so the JFS gives us another bite at the cherry.

Said co-director of the JFS, Laraine Janes, who along with Theresa Raymond organises both the JFS and NBF Bed Show: “The two shows are very different animals and meet quite different needs. The Bed Show is highly focused and delivers all the key buyers over just two days. The JFS is much more comprehensive and pulls in a far wider audience that also includes people from the contract, health, medical and care sector. Both shows are equally valid – just in different ways.” www.januaryfurnitureshow.com

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GUARANTEES & WARRANTIES

E T N A R A GU

&

BEDMASTER

BREASLEY

HARRISON SPINKS

12 months but flexible outside of that and treat each issue on case by case basis.

Full 5 yrs on all matts excluding entry level Valuepack range (1yr). 10 year g’tee on non-vac packed when bought as set with divan base.

Somnus – 5 yr full g’tee (across matts, divans, h’boards).

Harrison – 10 yr g’tee (2 full yr g’tee, 8 yr warranty on sliding scale (matts, divans, h’boards).

Matrah – 5 yr g’tee.

Sareer Pocketo – 10 yr g’tee. Bodyease (adjustable) 2 yrs on motor, 5 yrs on matts.

12 month g’tee but do goodwill gestures on case-by-case basis if required.

The 10 yr g’tee coincided with Breasley Consumer’s 10 year anniversary.

Introduced to encourage consumers to invest in a complete divan set rather than mattress only.

Somnus – terms have not changed. Harrison – in October 2012 g’tee offer improved from 6 yrs (1yr full g’tee, 5yrs warranty) to current 10 yr g’tee (2yrs full g’tee, 8yrs warranty).

We used to offer a warranty on our Sareer collection.

Confidence in our product and the fact we are now NBF Approved meant we felt we could transfer it from being a warranty to a 5 or 10 yr g’tee.

Working on 5 yr warranty for higher end beds which will work on a sliding scale.

We have always offered a 5 yr g’tee since we started in 2005 and this hasn’t been changed or affected by campaigns such as the 7 Year Hitch.

We believe the quality of our matts means their physical lifetime exceeds the recommended 7 yrs. And we work closely with retailers so they already understand the terms of our g’tees and warranties.

We work with a lot of the smaller multiples – they want to work with manufacturers who offer longer g’tees on the quality of their products – it shows we are here for the duration.

When we talk to retailers, g’tees and warranties are very important to them.

What do you offer in terms of guarantees/ warranties on your beds/ mattresses?

Have the terms of your guarantees/ warranties changed in recent years?

How much is the nature of your guarantees/ warranty influenced by demands of retailers and/ or The Sleep Council’s advice to consumers to change their beds every 7 years or so?

Little to none. We offer what we do to give consumers/ retailers peace of mind.

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BODYEASE

HIGHGATE

RETAIL

GUARANTEES & WARRANTIES

EES

& WARRANTIES MiBED/HESTIA

SWEET DREAMS

SIMMONS

PART 1

SILENTNIGHT

HYPNOS

MATZA

1 yr full g’tee followed by 4 yr free warranty although products are subject to a £150 + VAT collection and delivery charge after 12 months.

Simmons, Nestledown and Cumfilux brands all have a 1 yr g’tee; Sleepeezee matts have a 5 yr g’tee (7yrs on divan sets).

Silentnight offers a 5 yr g’tee – 1 yr full g’tee and 4 yr sliding scale warranty.

Sealy offers a 10 yr warranty – 1 yr full g’tee and 9 yrs sliding scale warranty on bed sets/5yr warranty on matts (not sold with Sealy bed base) 1 yr full g’tee and 4 yr sliding scale. Rest Assured + Pocket Spring Bed Co, 5 yr g’tee – 1 yr full g’tee and 4 yrs sliding scale warranty.

Layezee + Perfecta, 3 yr g’tee – 1 full yr g’tee and 2 yr sliding scale warranty.

Full 10 yr g’tee on all matts and divan bases. We promise all our customers that if there is a proven manufacturing defect or materials failure on any aspect of the bed within these 10 yrs we will replace the matts and/or divan free of charge.

No.

For Sleepeezee they’ve increased from 5 yrs to a max of 7yrs for certain products.

We haven’t changed either for a number of years but are in the process of finalising a complete review behind our ‘Quality Promise’.

Terms have changed and evolved with the market. Previously offered 100% g’tee for first 5 yrs and following 5 on a sliding scale.

No.

It’s not.

No influence from our retailers.

The Sleep Council definitely influenced our decision to increase to 7 yrs on some products.

Our g’tee is set by what we feel is right for our brand and beds as well as consumer research. The Sleep Council’s advice is solid – though we are confident that our 10 yr g’tee is suitable for our products.

Retailers’ requirements are incredibly important to us and our offer is designed to meet their expectations.

5 yr g’tee. Also offer a paid for extended warranty option.

All products g’teed 1 yr – on some of our top end matts we offer a 5 yr warranty.

5 yr g’tee. Also offer a paid for extended warranty option.

5yr g’tee introduced in 2011. Before that it was 2yrs.

G’tees and warranties are important to retailers – they always ask and seem happy with 5 yrs.

Some retailers offer enhancements over and above manufacturers’ warranties. To date The Sleep Council hasn’t influenced our offer but we are reviewing our ‘Quality Promise’ which will refer.

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RETAIL

GUARANTEES & WARRANTIES

E T N A R A GU

&

How important do you believe guarantees and warranties are to consumers?

What invalidates your guarantee/ warranty?

What percentage uptake do you get in terms of people coming back with a problem under your guarantee/ warranty?

BEDMASTER

BREASLEY

HARRISON SPINKS

G’tees and warranties can sway people where they are making a significant investment in a bed/ matts.

Very important – it offers peace of mind when they are spending a considerable amount of money.

It can often help influence a sale.

Consumers feel they can trust our product and our brand on a larger scale.

Important to consumers as they need greater reassurance when spending at the higher end.

We know that we can give a 5 yr warranty because we have confidence in our product and the public needs that piece of paper for reassurance.

Pairing our matt with another manufacturer’s divan base or base. And consumer misuse.

Unhygienic condition or abuse – e.g. use without bed linen, matt on a base it was not designed for, bending or folding matts, excessive wear and tear such as jumping on a matt.

Any issue must be deemed a manufacturing fault, we strongly advise consumers to follow our care instructions – ensuring regular turning/rotation and that the matt is on a suitable base.

Abuse, misuse or general wear and tear.

If the matt is obviously dirty, stained or damaged.

We have a very low rate of returns. We would expect most problems to manifest themselves in the first 6 months.

Varies between the specifications of the matt we offer. Overall the percentage is less than 3%.

Less than 2% of product is returned due to g’tee in its lifetime.

We don’t get many returns as we work closely with our suppliers and companies such as Homeserve to go out and do inspections if there are any issues.

Our return rate is next to nothing – very low.

We deal with all returns in house and matts are disposed of at our plant at Harrison Spinks.

How much is the nature of your guarantee/ warranty influenced by end of life/ recycling concerns?

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BODYEASE

HIGHGATE

RETAIL

GUARANTEES & WARRANTIES

EES

& WARRANTIES MiBED/HESTIA

SWEET DREAMS

SIMMONS

PART 2

SILENTNIGHT

HYPNOS

MATZA

Customers and retailers tell us the g’tee is important to them. A bed is a significant investment for our cutomers so it offers peace of mind and the confidence to buy a Hypnos bed.

Important in terms of boosting their confidence in the product.

Not sure the consumer is bothered about extended warranties. A 5yr g’tee seems sufficient.

It’s the idea rather than the actuality. In truth, most people buy a new bed and then forget all about the warranty as they become used to it.

But it gives peace of mind when making a large purchase and underlines our status as an established, reliable manufacturer.

Not as important as they should be! Like insurance, the time you most need it is when something fails and it’s then that following our guidelines will determine if the claim is valid.

Our g’tees are about giving the consumer total reassurance in the purchasing decision.

Customer misuse.

Obvious abuse – such as folding a matt or squashing it into too small a base, hygiene and not following the care advice card we supply.

Misuse or abuse. Also, our g’tee Guideline ‘Do’s and Don’ts can invalidate the g’tee.

Our warranty conditions are not extensive but are void if a fault results from misuse, using the mattress on an old or unsuitable bed base and rolling or bending the matt.

Our returns rate is very low – probably only about 2%.

Very few – less than 0.5% of buyers.

Approx 1% and most of those occur in the first few days ‘post delivery’ i.e. missed stitching, damaged drawers etc.

The majority will happen within the first six months of purchase although the main reason for contact is purchasing the wrong matt for them In the first place. However the numbers are extremely small and insignificant.

We are happy to say very few!

Very few – about 1%.

And these are usually a gesture to keep the customer satisfied rather than there being an actual issue.

Today this is very much secondary although this will change and become of greater relevance in the future.

All our beds are 100% recyclable so whether its 10 or 30 yrs old it wouldn’t affect our g’tee duration as the bed can be recycled no matter how old it is.

Not at all.

It’s not.

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We supply care Reasons could include instructions and if these misuse of the bed, have not been followed passing to a second that would invalidate owner or using with the warranty. another manufacturer’s divan.

MANUFACTURING

HIGHGATE BEDS The well lit trade showroom features 30 beds

SEEING

IS BELIEVING

A

s we begin to lead busier and busier lives it can often be difficult to remember to take time out for new experiences. For many of us, there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to deviate away from our usual routine, but all this means is that we are depriving ourselves of discovering our next favourite thing. You wouldn’t consider watching a film or reading a book as a substitute for real life experience, so why should we settle for images and fabric samples when talking about beds? It’s something we’ve given thought to in the past, which is why Beds Magazine likes to ensure its attendance at a number of the UK’s most important trade events. But, like it or not, there will always be times when a visit to a show just isn’t possible. So what then? When Beds Magazine put this mattress expert Highgate Beds they knew just how to answer. Which is why we found ourselves hitting the road to Dewsbury to pay the businesses newly revamped showroom a well overdue visit.

At 3,000sq ft, Highgate Beds certainly hasn’t spared any effort in ensuring each product is shown to its best advantage.

And as we’re shown around by the company’s sales director, Zahid Ayub, Beds Magazine makes sure to take the time to

drag our gaze away from the beds and take in the room itself. Added extras such as ‘daytime’ lighting throughout, which makes sure the entire showroom looks flooded with light despite there only being windows along one side, as well as a cleaver heating system hidden in the ceiling, take all the pressure away from that all important first impression, and places the emphasis squarely on the products on offer. And, as Zahid tells us, it has certainly been worth the effort.

He says: “We’ve already had a few clients here, and now we’re hoping more will come to visit. We recently had a company travel all the way up from Somerset, so we made sure we took care of them and put them up in a hotel while they were here. We just try and be as flexible as possible. If a company is close by and only wants to drop by for a quick visit then that’s fine, or if they’re here around lunchtime we can offer them lunch while they’re with us.”

There may be nothing more Beds Magazine enjoys than visiting a bustling furniture exhibition, but we have to say that an invite to a well-designed showroom is a close second. And it’s obvious just how much thought has been given to ensuring that Highgate Beds’ showroom is as appealing as possible for potential visitors. There may be 30 beds on display at the moment, but

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Highgate Beds gives Beds Magazine a tour of its stylish trade showroom.

The company is looking to

push its Zero Gravity brand

MANUFACTURING

HIGHGATE BEDS Highgate Beds 3,000sq ft

trade showroom is open for

business in Dewsbury

We always want to give back to our customers as much as we can.” we’re happy to note that the space doesn’t feel cramped or overfilled. However, as Zahid explains, if a customer visiting the showroom doesn’t see exactly what they want all it takes is a quick call to the adjoining warehouse and a different mattress can be delivered ready to try in a matter of moments. Further proof, if needed, of just how well the business knows what it can offer its retail partners.

As Zahid puts it: “Our collection is almost complete, so we have the freedom now to just try different fabrics and see what works and what customers like. We also have the freedom to take some of our current products and revamp them. We’re always trying to change and improve our offer, which is why we’re currently doing roll tests with John Cotton Group, to ensure that we can offer as long a guarantee as we possibly can. We’ve done about six so far, and generally at our higher end, and they’ve all done really well so far. Our 4000 was actually one of the best mattresses they’ve ever tested.”

Always determined to lead, rather than follow, Highgate Beds believes you can’t

beat experience when it comes to product designs. Good thing then that Zahid and his team have been in the business long enough to know what works for them and the retailers they work with. In particular, it is the company’s rapidly growing Healthopaedic brand that rightly received a great deal of attention from customers recently. So popular, in fact, is the branding that Highgate Beds intends to continue to grow the products under the Healthopaedic name, as well as its Zero Gravity, for the foreseeable future.

Also on the horizon for 2016 will be the launch of Highgate Beds updated website, updated Point Of Sale solutions and even a number of new additions to the company’s delivery fleet, as well as another dedicated show van, which Zahid reveals he hopes will be taking to the road visiting customers for up to 40 weeks each year.

It’s certainly enough to keep any business busy but, as Zahid happily tells us, he wouldn’t have it any other way: “We always want to give back to our customers as much as we can, and as Highgate has grown and become more successful we have found ourselves able to offer a lot more. We go to visit the retail partners we work with and talk to them about what’s working in their store and what isn’t and because we never stop moving you’d be amazed at the amount of ideas we pick up along the way.

We’re finally in a place where we can be more generous with customers and we can afford to reward the customers that have stuck with us right from the start.”

www.highgatebeds.com

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RETAIL

NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT As The Sleep Council’s Sales Academy heads towards its second anniversary, Jan Turner talks to Rebecca Maloy, bed buyer for Furniture Village, where bed sales have soared since more than 300 sales staff completed the online training course.

here’s a little more behind Furniture Village’s successful hike in bed sales than just the Sleep Council’s Sales Academy training. But bed buyer Rebecca Maloy says having staff who are much more knowledgeable about the importance of sleep and the role of a good bed in helping to achieve that, has had a significant role to play.

She also attributes a fairly fundamental shake-up of the beds offer itself, along with winning the NBF Multiple Retailer of The Year Award for two years in a row (2014– 2015 and 2015–2016), as critical to the 28% year-on-year increase in sales ( beginning of May 2015 to end of January 2016). The vast majority of staff completed their Sales Academy training between February and April 2015.

Said Rebecca, who joined the company four years ago: “This training, teamed with the appointment of our first ever Sleep Coach, plus the range/product initiatives developed in partnership with suppliers has delivered this significant increase in bed sales.”

Established in 1989 there are now more

Furniture Village’s two NBF Awards wins have helped put the business on the map as a bed retailer

than 40 stores in the Furniture Village estate and all of them sell beds. With plans to open yet more stores this year, the retailer has become a serious player in the bed market as its recently refurbished Tunbridge Wells store testifies. With an extra 2,000sq ft of space now dedicated to an expanded beds department, this is the Furniture Village flagship bed store showcasing more than 70 beds.

Said Rebecca: “When I became the bed

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buyer two years ago we changed about 70% of the floor models. The feeling was that the offer was ‘too beige’ - the department lacked excitement. We had a good range which worked in terms of price architecture but the previous offer was almost too safe. We all know that it’s beige that actually sells but we needed to employ colour to excite and draw customers in with an interesting storyline.

“We also needed to excite floor staff.

How can you expect anyone to shout about something if they don’t feel they have something to shout about? We needed to bring staff on the journey with us.

“We made a decision to put staff through the Sleep Council Sales Academy soon after the scheme was launched in September 2014.

As a business we felt it was the right thing to do. Everyone got behind it and the vast majority were pretty much through it by April 2015. The training is now a standard part of our induction course for all new joins.

“We don’t have ‘bed specific’ sales consultants - our staff sell across the store so that one person can deal with a customer’s multiple requirements and doesn’t have to hand them on to someone else at any point.

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NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT “We needed everyone to understand the importance of beds in our business - it’s essential all our staff feel comfortable selling all products. Our induction training includes a visit to a bed factory as we believe if people have seen the processes involved they can talk with confidence by what is meant, for instance, as hand side stitching.

“Just over 320 people went through the Sleep Council training process in a fairly short space of time, so the biggest issue for us was how to get everyone through it without expecting them to have to do it from home. Our stores only have one computer per showroom so we worked out rotas and timeslots for them.

“It now means we can genuinely talk to our customers about ‘our experts’. If you can talk with authority then it gives people the confidence to buy into what you are saying.

It also helps us to guide them through the process of choosing a bed as this isn’t something which people do that often and they can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the choices out there. It’s about helping to take the worry out of the buying procedure for them.

“A bed is the one piece of furniture which can most change their life and which can often involve a substantial investment. So people need help and expertise and will easily engage with someone who clearly knows what they are talking about.

“The Sleep Council training has ensured that we sell on comfort first and foremost which is vital if we are to deliver a great night’s sleep for our customers. We all know that a good night’s sleep impacts upon everything we do and much of how we feel and yet so many people fail to make the link between good sleep and a good bed.

“Beds have become a piece of furniture in their own right and the way the consumer shops for them is different, so we have to change with and adapt to that. It’s important that the industry as a whole talks about the importance of a good night’s sleep and the massive impact that a bed can have on that.

It s all down to education and confidence.

“Internally we also send out a lot of information about new product launches and we also do two roadshows a year.

That’s when we pretty much get the entire

sales force along to see all the new product coming through and they have a face-toface opportunity to find out more. We also send out DVDs for weekly in-store training sessions.

“We do the odd competition with suppliers but, to us, it’s far more important to get them engaged with the products themselves. It’s about creating a story about that product so sales staff can share that with the consumer.

“I’m also a big believer in brands as they resonate with the consumer, particularly as we are a department within a furniture store.

We have had to work hard to let people know we do beds as they don’t necessarily look at the Furniture Village name and expect us to sell beds. So we have to drive that awareness.

“Our new Sleep Coach - Jane Walker - was appointed in early 2015. It’s a full time role and she is ultimately our beds trainer and works with stores and individuals to help identify any additional training needs.

“She also works on the programme of visits to bed manufacturers which is so important in helping consultants to understand the process more, along with liaising with suppliers as to how we best work with new products and then organises any training they may want to do around that.

“The thing I am most proud of as the bed buyer for Furniture Village is the fact we are now on the map as a bed retailer. The NBF Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year awards have really allowed us to shout about this and that in turn has generated consumer awareness that we sell beds.

“We talk about our awards in the stores, in our brochure and on our TV ads. It’s very much part of our in-store and advertising strategy as it is something we are very proud of and something which gives us real authority as bed retailers. The training is something we mention online and in our brochures where we talk about having a fully Sleep Council accredited sales team.

“Staff are far more engaged and excited about beds than they were a couple of years ago. We also know that they talk a lot about the NBF Award when they are selling beds – it is something they are genuinely proud of.

“The Sleep Council training course and the awards have definitely contributed to the success of our department. The training adds

The majority of Furniture Village staff completed their Sales Academy training by April 2015

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Rebecca Maloy to our authority and gives us the means to get the consumer’s confidence while the award has real substance behind it.

“Our work is never done in terms of constantly ensuring that a consultant is the very best that they can be. Going forward it is important to keep the momentum going and there’s plenty in the pipeline.

“It’s a known fact that a bed purchase often takes longer than any other piece of furniture - it may take two or three visits before a buying decision is made.

Furniture is generally chosen because people like the way it looks. With beds it’s all about how it feels – comfort and support are essential.

“It’s why we feel it is important to support the wider industry and the Sleep Council specifically, because this is a purchase which needs to be made with a certain degree of knowledge. And anything that helps us to arm people with that knowledge has to be good for the customer and good for the industry.”

www.sleepcouncilsalesacademy.org.uk

MANUFACTURING

NBF

BEDDER THAN ever

Beds Magazine delves into the details for the 2016 NBF Bed Show.

WHAT?

A two day showcase featuring some of the biggest and best-known names in the UK bed industry, as well as some up and comers to watch out for. What makes The Bed Show especially unique is that visitors who decide to place orders at the show can rest assured that they are investing in and supporting British manufacturing and British made products, as only NBF members are invited to exhibit.

Since the introduction of the independently audited Code of Practice, buyers can buy with confidence knowing all the exhibitors are meeting their legal obligations. The NBF Code of Practice sets out criteria for ensuring processes and procedures are in place for supply chain scrutiny and compliance with regulatory requirements. It covers three key areas of business – flammability, health and hygiene and trade descriptions – in short, are the products safe, clean and honest.

WHO?

NBF president, Ebrahim Patel

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Retailers who are interested in mattresses, divans, bedsteads, futons, headboards and bedding (pillows, toppers) can see all their main bed suppliers under one roof in a day, while at the same time bed manufacturers and specifiers can look for tickings, springs, foam, fillings, bed machinery plus many other bed-related components.

As Zahid Ayub, Highgate Beds’ sales director, told us: “The Bed Show is always a good opportunity for us to bring out our new products because its solely for beds and organised by the NBF, and having nothing else but beds means you know every visitor is there with the sole purpose of seeing beds. I have to give it to the NBF, they do a good job, we’ve attended every show since we became members.”

With last year’s event hosting over 70 exhibitors, it will come as no surprise that this year’s exhibitors list is packed as usual with a number of the bed industry’s most established brands, such as Breasley

MANUFACTURING

NBF The Bed Show will return to

Telford’s International Centre

The showcase will feature some of the best known names in the UK bedding industry Consumer Products, Sweet Dreams and Hypnos.

WHERE

Centrally located in the heart of the Midlands, Telford’s International Centre’s modern unbranded interior makes it the ideal location for a number of large events throughout the year, and the perfect choice for The Bed Show.

The Bed Show will take over three halls at the family-owned venue, where free onsite parking will be available available, with space for 1300 vehicles. The show will also benefit as usual from three catering areas serving refreshments, snacks and light lunches.

The venue has always been a big hit with exhibitors and visitors alike, as Nick Gigg, national sales manager at Swanglen Furnishings, commented following last year’s show: “Telford is a perfect venue that attracts a large amount of the industry’s successful retailers and buyers. With the NBF bed show, both suppliers and retailers benefit from a dedicated bed exhibition that avoids being diluted by other industry sectors. Without doubt, the 2015 bed show was the most rewarding exhibition in Swanglen’s history and we look forward to returning in 2016.”

HOW?

With the Bed Show returning once again to the hallowed halls of the Telford International Centre, visitors can plan their visit with confidence. The venue is simple to find no matter where you’re coming from, thanks to excellent road link with the M6.

Its central UK position means the Telford

International Centre is accessible from both Leeds and London in just over two hours, meaning it is possible for many visitors to plan a visit around a single day. However, if you are attending the Gala Awards, or want to return for a second day, Telford is home to a number of onsite hotels, as well as many other options that are only a short distance from the exhibition centre.

If you plan to arrive by car using a sat nav, simply use the post code TF3 4JH. By air, the venue is less than an hour away by road from Birmingham airport, and if you’re planning to arrve by rail there are regular services to Telford Central Station from Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.

WHY?

Andy Richards, sales director at Gainsborough, commented following last year’s Bed Show: “All in all we had probably

[ 66 [

our best show ever resulting in a lot of new accounts. We felt that 2015 was the year that the Bed Show really established itself.”

2016 will mark the seventh outing for The Bed Show, and the event just keeps going from strength to strength. For some companies it will be the only showcase they exhibit at in the UK, and it is always the launchpad for some fantastic new innovations.

WHEN?

The 2016 NBF Bed Show will take place from Tuesday 20 to Wednesday 21 September. The showcase will open at 9am on both days, with a 5pm close on Tuesday and 4pm close on Wednesday.

www.bedshow.co.uk

MANUFACTURING

NBF

A WINNING

Formula LAST YEAR’S WINNERS: Bed Manufacturer of the Year: Harrison Spinks Bed Component Supplier of the Year: John Cotton Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year: Furniture Village Independent Bed Retailer of the Year: Newbridge Street Bedding Centre E-tailer of the Year: Mattress Online

What makes the NBF Bed Show Gala Dinner and Awards night such an unmissable event.

T

he NBF Bed Show Gala Dinner and Awards night will once again be held on the Tuesday evening of the show (20 September).

Described as ‘the pinnacle of excellence’, the awards provide a great opportunity for businesses of all shapes and sizes to highlight their achievements over the past 12-18 months.

Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges, and this year sees British comedian Marcus Brigstocke, take over hosting duties from last year’s host, Gyles Brandreth. Writer, actor, presenter and performer, Marcus is best known for his comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, including the Now Show and The Brig Society, as well as launching satirical programme, The Late Edition. A regular on a host of popular TV panel shows, such as QI and Have I Got News For You, Marcus is sure to make the night one to remember thanks to his

winning wit.

Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Marcus to our Gala Dinner. A natural presenter and comedian, Marcus is sure

The NBF Bed Show Gala Dinner and Awards night will be held on Tuesday 20 September

[ 68 [

to make the Gala Dinner a lively night of humour and great entertainment.”

For the fifth year running there will be Best in Class Awards, with five categories on offer: Bed Manufacturer of the Year, Bed Components Supplier of the Year, Bed Retailer of the Year (up to £5m beds turnover), Bed Retailer of the Year (over £5m beds turnover) and a Judges Choice award.

Attendees to the Gala Dinner are also making sure they give back, with an impressive £6,000 raised for industry charity The Furniture Makers’ Company during the 2015 event, thanks to a combination of tickets sales and table collections.

www.bedshow.co.uk/awards

MANUFACTURING

PILLOW TALK

PILLOW TALK UK pillow sales are on the rise in terms of both numbers and the price people are willing to pay. Jan Turner takes a look at this increasingly lucrative market and the add on sales opportunities offered by pillows.

I

t’s estimated that nearly 10 million pillows are sold in the UK each year.

Put another way that’s 10 million addon sales opportunities a year for bed manufacturers and retailers.

If you also factor in to the equation latest figures from GfK Point of Sales (POS) Tracking, which saw pillows achieve year-onyear growth of 7% by volume and over 6% by value (in the 12 months to March 2016), the size of the opportunity becomes even clearer.

And it isn’t just the past year that has

seen growth in the pillows market.

GfK’s Gilly Netherwood confirmed that it had reported positive volume and value growth for pillows for the last three years.

She said: “Overall the GB pillow market remained very robust and demand is high with more pillows being sold year on year.”

With such a potentially massive market to tap into, it’s no wonder that many bed manufacturers want a slice of the action. Or that so many retailers stock pillows – they’d be mad not to.

As Steve Freeman, managing director at Silentnight - which accounts for one in five of all pillow sales - points out: “Consumers are now beginning to realise the importance of having the correct pillow in ensuring a great night’s sleep.”

There’s also a growing awareness of the fact that pillows have a limited lifespan – not surprising given some of the more

Pure Luxury pillow from Viscotherapy

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gruesome facts bandied around about old ones. The Sleep Council for example, which recommends consumers replace pillows every two years, warns: “An old, unwashed pillow could also contain as much as 10% of its weight in skin scale, mold, dead and living dust mites and their allergen laden droppings!”

All this, plus the fact that the average UK household is believed to own no less than seven pillows is encouraging more and more companies to dip their toe into the market It’s certainly becoming an increasingly important product line for Viscotherapy which recently opened a new 29,000sq ft facility in Newport, Wales, to support production of pillows and plans to produce duvets. Nathan Edwards, sales director, said: “Pillows are a relatively new venture for us. They add to our portfolio of bean bags, headboards and divan bases.

“We started last October and the response has been really good. From our research we felt there was a real gap in the market. While a lot of companies make pillows, the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) for retailers was high, a lot were not offering direct dispatch to consumers or they didn’t also make mattresses. So we found some efficient carriers and once the volume goes up we will be able to pass on the cost savings made to customers. We’re also planning to introduce duvets so that we can offer a complete package.

“This is a learning curve for us, so we have developed a range of pillows, all using virgin conjugated fibre – a lot use recycled fibre. We offer a memory foam pillow, one

MANUFACTURING

PILLOW TALK with memory foam flakes, a memory profile pillow and a memory foam/latex mix. We also do pillows with basic corvin covers to those with a quilted, microfibre cover. They retail from £1.50 for a value pillow to £19.99.

“We plan to really develop the range and find out what works and what doesn’t. We feel that, especially when the duvets come along, this will be a significant part of the business. They are not as price sensitive as mattresses – especially at the price points we have gone with.

“Pillows also work as a sales incentive: retailers use them as an incentive with customers – or even sometimes as a token gesture if something has gone wrong. We can see that there are better margins to be made on pillows than beds – particularly as we are very self-sufficient as a company and are very keen on where we get supplies.”

Silentnight – which has seen a significant growth in sales with its Silentnight and Sealy pillow products – not surprisingly recognises the add on sales opportunities. Managing director Steve Freeman said: “Our pillow ranges feature significantly in our marketing and promotional programmes, offering our retail partners great upsell opportunities.

Actively marketing our pillows is a key part of our forward strategy.”

Manufactured under licence by Comfy Quilts, Silentnight and Sealy pillows cover all price points and segments of the market.

Silentnight traditional memory foam pillow

Ranges are developed and refreshed on a season-by-season basis.

Said Steve: “The importance of having the right pillow in ensuring a great night’s sleep is a significant story in itself and we have been working with Comfy Quilts to develop ranges across both our Silentnight and Sealy brands which achieve this goal.”

For manufacturers with their own foam plant, producing pillows is a no brainer. Said Jeremy Navrady, marketing manager UK for Kaymed: ”As we have a foam plant, it makes sound commercial sense for us to design and produce pillows in house.”

And as with other pillow manufacturers, advances in technology have seen an

Silentnight Airmax pillow

increasing number of premium products come into the market place.

Said Jeremy: “Our range has changed since the development of our patented gel infused technologies. Therma-Phase pillows are the major percentage of our turnover and this has increased our average value per pillow dramatically.

“Consumers realise that they can invest in the same technology (within the pillows) that they chose for their bed. This leads to far more opportunities for Kaymed stockists to sell what is a very simple yet critical add on.

“Our main pillow ranges are designed to complement our bed ranges.

Consequently, we produce Therma-Phase, Response Gel, Mighty Bed and V85 pillows; all available in two depths to suit a back or side sleeper. We also produce budget ranges that are sold to a wider variety of retail outlets.

“I think there is more interest in pillows from evidence that we have seen from the level of downloads and from our research from the search engines as to what consumers search for.”

He added that that even consumers at the high end of the market seem to spend far less time choosing pillows than they might on a mattress or divan set. This was despite the fact that research consistently shows that the impact of a poor fitting pillow is significant in terms of achieving the correct alignment of the head and shoulders; and is essential for good sleep posture and pressure relief.

So just how actively is the company marketing its pillows range? Said Jeremy: “We have a website that is very content rich with a great deal of information for consumers including articles and a handy Pillow Buying Guide too.

“Although many stockists now sell our pillows, we are primarily focused on marketing the benefits of our patented thermally regulating technologies, such as Therma-Phase and Response Gel. We do as much as we can, although ultimately some retailers place more emphasis on add on sales than others.”

As Steve Freeman neatly puts it when asked whether margins are better on mattresses or pillows: “Overall the complete package drives greater reward for both parties.”

www.silentnight.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

SILENTNIGHT

CENTRE OF

ATTENTION

S

ilentnight has a long history of working closely with its independent retail partners, and in 2015 the company sought to build on this further by looking for a select number of independent retailers to work in partnership with to launch its new and exclusive Sleep Centres. Describing the Sleep Centres as a ‘best in class’ consumer experience, Silentnight was looking to partner with independent retailers whose experience, combined with the strength of the Silentnight brand and product offer, would deliver this ambitious retail first for the leading UK bed and mattress brand.

The first Sleep Centre to open was in Haskin’s Furniture in Shepton Mallet. A well established and respected independent furniture retailer, Haskin’s has been trading from its current 100,000sq ft store on the town’s high street since 1969. Two further Sleep Centres then followed at Redbrick near Leeds and Simply Beds in Harrow. All three retail partners brought something special and unique to the relationship, offering a mix of different retail operations.

What makes Silentnight Sleep Centres a ‘best in class’ retail experience.

The first Sleep Centre to open was in Haskin’s Furniture

[ 72 [

MANUFACTURING PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Haskin’s offered Silentnight the opportunity to introduce the Sleep Centre concept into a general furniture retailer based on a bustling town high street. Redbrick is a destination out of town store and Simply Beds, a long established and traditional bed retailer, is based near a busy arterial route. What all three retailer partners had in common was the space to take the full Platinum Collection of beds and the commitment to work together with Silentnight to truly deliver the ‘best in class’ Silentnight customer experience.

Key to the success of the Sleep Centre is the Platinum Collection, which is exclusive to Sleep Centres and can be sold both in store and online. The Platinum Collection includes five Miracoil, eight Mirapocket and four Miraform mattress systems, including the popular Which? Best Buy 1200 Pocket Deluxe mattress. Featuring Silentnight’s EcoComfort Fibre technology, the mattress was described by consumer champion Which? as being an ‘excellent mattress at a reasonable price’. The range offers the consumer a host of different comfort levels and price points to choose from.

In addition to the exclusive product range, Silentnight works closely with its retail partners to develop the Sleep Centre

SILENTNIGHT Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Geltex Tranquil

XXXXXXXXX

We have been really pleased with the quality of leads we have received from the Silentnight website.”

Silentnight’s Mirapocket 2800 Embrace

customer experience. There is continued support from a dedicated area business manager to ensure staff at the store really feel confident in how they can use Silentnight’s strong in-store point of sale solution to communicate everything required to the end user. Silentnight also offers the option of a direct home delivery service on the Platinum Collection, including the collection and recycling of the customer’s old beds. Consumers are becoming more and more conscientious and don’t like the idea that their old bed is going to end up on landfill, so this added value service is a

great selling point. Direct home delivery is just another part of Silentnight’s commitment to delivering this ‘best in class’ consumer experience.

The manufacturer has also made a significant investment in strong digital support, provided as part of the Sleep Centre proposition. The Platinum collection is featured on the Silentnight website (silentnight.co.uk/platinum). Consumers can not only view the complete range, they can request fabric samples and visualise their perfect bed using the interactive ‘selectivizer’. The innovative app allows

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customers to choose their perfect mattress by comfort, select from a wide range of base storage – including the clever ottoman – choose their preferred headboard style and complete the look by selecting from five on trend fabric colours.

The site is generating large numbers of quality leads to our Sleep Centres and as Garry Preston from Haskins explains: “We have been really pleased with the quality of leads we have received from the Silentnight website.” This demonstrates just how important the digital channel is to the Sleep Centre proposition.

Since the initial launch in 2015 the Sleep Centre concept has gone from strengthto-strength. Silentnight has been able to take a great deal of learnings from the first three stores and feed these in to the next stage of development. It is clear that the Platinum Collection offers the consumer and the retailer the right mix of product, and this coupled with the sales support and customer service is delivering impressive results. The team at Silentnight have wasted no time in exploring other key destinations for the Silentnight Sleep Centre proposition, and they are in discussion with a number of other potential retail partners up and down the country who are keen to realise the benefits that this unique partnership can bring. 2016 looks set to be a busy year, so look out for a Sleep Centre opening near you soon.

www.silentnight.co.uk

products CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS

BREASLEY

BedFrames Direct

The new Salus Contempo Collection from Breasley, encompassing medi-foam®, Viscoool , latex and Tencel® technologies, bringing everything together within one fantastic new collection! The range offers a unique look and feel, plus fabulous contemporary design that is synonymous with the Salus brand. Now in production and available to order. And, of course, there is a reassuring 10 year guarantee when purchased as a divan set.

Elise 1000 features a five part adjustable two motor system, with beech inner wood sections that are complemented by wood grain effect beech slats. A weight adjuster zone, central belt and bolted and sleeved load bearing points ensure the reliability of the product. www.bedframesdrect.co.uk

www.salusbeds.co.uk

MpT

TCS

NEW ­BordaTac S2 Simulated Side Stitching Machine MPT Group will be launching its all New BordaTac S2. This all new simulated side stitching machine will be offer the very best hand stitched border effect on the market today. BordaTac S2 will also offer increased border widths up to 17² a remarkable 4² wider than the current technology available offers.

The newly redesigned Contemporary Sleep range from TCS features four new pocket sprung mattresses, each with breathable hype-allergenic soft touch fabrics and the latest comfort layers. Available in orthopaedic medium to firm or luxury soft to medium choices and are completed by details such as Royal Coil branded tapes and an embroidered logo.

TCS can be contacted on 00353 429 351 351 or email: info@ tcsimports.com

www.mptgroup.com

www.tcsimports.com

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KAYMED

SHERBORNE UPHOLSTERY

Kaymed have introduced another option in the temperature regulating bed category - Therma~Phase™ Crown.

Therma~Phase™ combines high density visco-elastic with an infusion of unique phase-change gel crystals which constantly absorb, store and release body heat to maintain the ideal sleep surface temperature of 30-32°C. Therma~Phase™ Crown has a generous integral mattress topper for added comfort and 2500 nested pocket springs in a 5ft mattress and is supplied on a supportive platform top base and is available in seven stunning colours along with matching headboards.

Sherborne have now been granted a patent for their unique twopart adjustable bed assembly. This enables the bed to be joined together simply by linking and connecting the two halves with no tools required whatsoever. This applies to both the Dorchester and Hampton adjustable bed ranges, which also carry a 25-stone weight limit and a five-year guarantee. www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

www.kaymed.co.uk

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sam rerferci Sareer

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Ut eate consequi anis repere corum volupta tissectur, quibusa www.sareerfurniture.co.uk ntiaero quo maximodis prepelecus ati iniatquam di ut eos imusam www.homesiteaddress.co.uk

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products CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS

Furmanac

Bodyease UPHOLSTERY

The Arabella is a stunning new addition to the Hestia® Upholstered Bed Frame collection. This beautiful, handmade bedframe features a sharp wing and a deep-padded panel headboard. Available in a variety of luxurious fabrics with the option of different wooden leg colours and either cord or self-piping, the Arabella can be tailored to match any bedroom décor.

Bodyease are specialists in a wide range of adjustable beds, ranging from lifestyle to health care beds. Introducing our stunning new range of luxury lifestyle adjustable beds. We’ve combined the ultimate in comfort and style with the latest technology to create a sumptuous selection of beds that you are guaranteed to fall in love with. For further information don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 046 9901, or via email sales@bodyease.co.uk.

www.furmanac.com

www.bodyease.co.uk

oluptam quidel Vogue

sam rerferci Sweet dreams

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Pores desecerae soluptas voloria temporro blant eossi odi ipsa et The Royal Pillowtop collection is Sweet laccuptatia cupturi ipsam asperitio.

Et Dreams’ premier divan range.

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NIGHT PATROL

ALAN CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS

PETER BETTERIDGE

NIGHT

PATROL

Your full name: Alan Christopher Williams Name you are known by: Alan Official title: Managing director Steinhoff UK Retail Company: Steinhoff UK Group

Q Q Q Q Q

Q

What do you sleep on?

A very nice pocket sprung divan, deep quilted and full of natural fibres.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the world of beds?

Listen to your customer. There are no golden nuggets or magic formulas and it’s all about hard work and commitment. Always do the job with a smile on your face as bed retailing is a tough industry yet one of the most rewarding when it’s going well.

Lark or owl? Tell us what time your day generally starts and ends?

Lark. I usually start waking up at around 5.30am and I like to be up and out. Despite my early morning tendencies, I do try to get the recommended 7-8 hours sleep per night.

How did you get into the industry?

I always wanted to get into sales and I started as a sales consultant for Cavendish Woodhouse in 1982 – 34 years later I am still in the industry and still enjoying it.

Q

How do you like to wind down before bed at the end of the day?

Q

What was the last innovation in the bed industry that genuinely impressed you?

Once I have received the sales information for the day, I usually fall into watching a bit of TV before going to bed or doing some reading.

Our very own Comfort Station Adaptive (CSA) bed. This product profiles our customers, highlighting their bodies’ natural pressure points when they are sleeping. This allows the customer to use the technology to choose a product that is right for them.

What’s the best thing about the bed industry?

The competitive spirit amongst all the retailing, manufacturing and buying teams, and the general desire to give our customers the very best value money can buy.

Q

What’s in your bedroom?

Q

What do you think the next big thing will be in beds?

How do you think the industry will look in 10 years’ time?

There will be much more technology being introduced that’s for sure. The web, for example, has transformed how people shop. There will also be more bespoke products built around personal needs and individual choice. We are always looking at ways to be innovative in this space and producing our Comfort Station Adaptive technology is proving to be very popular with our customers.

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All the comforts you would expect of someone working in the industry such as a really comfortable pillow and black out curtains, and of course a great bed which forms a wonderful sanctuary in which to retire to.

We will of course continue to see product development, but I think technology will be the key driver of the industry in the future. Our customers demand more of our industry than ever before and we must keep pace with their demands by providing easy and convenient ways to shop.