Beds and bedroom

Irreplaceable

Why physical stores matter

Mattresses are on sale in more than 3,000 stores

In 2016, Emma The Sleep Company launched in the UK with an online-only approach. The mattress market here is one of Neil Robinson the most online-driven markets worldwide: every second mattress is purchased online. However, many UK shoppers are also looking for personal advice in-store. They want to see, feel, and experience the product before buying it.

Since 2019, the company began to pursue an omnichannel strategy, offering products both online and offline, to ensure it met its customers wherever they need it. Currently, Emma has more than 200 retail partners worldwide and its products are available at more than 3,000 locations.

‘In consumer-facing work, we highlight the risk-free and convenient purchase that our customers can have online. For example, we offer a free trial so that customers feel comfortable ordering a mattress online because they can still return it for free. In trade-facing communication we don’t need to focus on this since customers are experiencing the product beforehand - even though we are still offering a 200 night trial regardless. Instead, we want to provide all information about the product they need in order to facilitate their decision. Furthermore, we differentiate our products by highlighting different USPs to make them easier to comprehend. This is supported by a system of different colours to highlight the distinctions,’ says Neil Robinson, Emma The Sleep Company sales director, retail UK & Ireland.

‘At Emma, we are convinced that there will always be a more advisory-oriented target group that wants to experience the product before buying it. The offline experience can never be fully replaced by online shops. After growing a lot in the online world, we are now investing more in trade, building a local retail team located in the UK, underlining the big growth potential we see. Prospectively, there will be new sleep products that might need even more explanation because they are techy or offering new types of solutions. This is where the offline experience will be irreplaceable: we want to explain this to our customers. At the same time, the online share in UK is immense, and after buying a mattress online once, a lot of people won’t miss out on the convenience in their next purchase. As a result, we are convinced of the benefits of an omnichannel approach: both channels will be needed to offer everyone a perfect sleeping experience.’ Visit: www.emma-sleep.co.uk

Models are colour coded to differentiate them

On the up

The mattress was a runner-up at the Bed Industry Awards

More retailers are becoming stockists ahead of Veganuary

‘The Vegan stockist base is continuing to grow at Vogue Beds, with more stockists joining ready for Veganuary, when people pledge to go vegan for the month,’ says Tim Dow, Vogue Beds commercial manager. Almost 600,000 took part in 2021.

‘The Vegan mattress by Vogue Beds stockist program sees stockists supported with POS material along with targeted social media adverts. Customers are encouraged to try the mattresses with stockists when they visit the Vegan by Vogue website. The product is also promoted nationally in Vegan Life magazine, of the UK largest vegan publications.

‘We are seeing more enquiries for retailers wanting to join our Vegan stockist programme as January gets closer. This opportunity will give retailers an on-trend product with a great story for the January sale period. We feel the Vegan stockist program is truly revolutionary and I would encourage any retailers who are thinking about it to reach out now. We are definitely going to see a big

Vegan Helix push on plant-based and vegan products throughout January in many different industries.’ Visit: www.vegan-mattress.co.uk

Lumina

Place of prominence

Nature

Plushness, bridging indoor and out and doing the right thing

Home owners are seeking plush softness in an array of colours, but also something that can stand up to a variety of environments: once again carpet has a place of prominence in interiors. That’s why Balta is launching new collections to accommodate this trend.

Each of the Satino carpets is a captivating work of art – dyed in vivid, nature-inspired hues, and featuring a distinctive satin finish that seems to shimmer. With springtime comes a time of cleansing revitalisation, a time to chase dreams. No better way to do so than with a Dolce carpet in shiny textiles, soft colour palettes, and subtle transparencies that will suffuse interior environments with something new.

Lumina is now available with a refined colour palette that calls to mind a sense of end-of-summer sophistication. As the sun sinks lower in the sky and the colder months approach, a Lumina carpet in softer, curved motifs that evoke elegance and well-being offers a sense of contentment and reassurance for any inner sanctum.

The new Estrella carpet, part of the Satino collection, offers a more pronounced matte look. This sophisticated cut-pile carpet is available in an array of warming colours, offset with grey undertones that provide a sense of implicit elegance.

There are times when the design choice is to go all out, to elevate a space to something extraordinary, something fashioned to be impressive. Enter the Impress collection. Constructed of tufted polyamide, this collection consists of Castor and Mehari products, both of which offer discrete prints combined with matching shades, and which can readily be converted into rugs. This is a premium and distinct flooring solution.

Balta’s Nature collection is designed for those that to seek to bridge their indoor and outdoor living spaces. This sisal-look woven collection captures the organic beauty of nature, bringing it right to your doorstep for either indoor or outdoor applications, such as Yukon. Constructed of a polypropylene flatweave, it offers highly versatile sandy undertones, with a wide array of eye-catching colour accents.

The company’s new secondary backing, Looper, is constructed from 100% recycled polypropylene that would have otherwise gone to waste. Visit: www.baltabroadloom.com

Poppy and Castor