Beds and bedroom

More, more, more

There are new Bed Industry Awards up for grabs

The Bed Industry Awards are returning for 2022, with more retailer awards and new categories for manufacturers and suppliers. Renowned as a pinnacle of excellence in the trade, the awards honour the brightest and best enterprises in the bed market, showcasing the very best in inspiration, design and innovation from retailers, bed manufacturers and suppliers. The awards are free to enter, and all entries are submitted online.

The award for Outstanding Bed Store/ Bed Department of the Year will be granted to an independent bed retailer or a national retailer’s individual store that has gone the extra mile for its business, to make an impact inside and out. Entrants are encouraged to think about what they do differently to satisfy customers and how they offer the best in-store experience.

The Best Marketing Campaign award is open to NBF Retail Champions and national and online retailers with at least 50% of their UK and Irish product offer sourced from NBF members.

The NBF Small Retail Champion of the Year (open to retailers with up to four stores) and NBF Large Retail Champion of the Year (open to retailers with 5-20 branches) recognise independent bed retailers that are signed up to the NBF’s Retail Champions Scheme, which supports businesses whose product offer is at least 50% NBF-approved brands (Retail Champions) and 100% NBF-approved brands (Premier Retail Champions).

The National Bed Retailer of the Year award is open to retailers with more than 20 stores and the Online Bed Retailer of the Year award to companies where at least 80% of sales are via the Internet.

The Bed Manufacturer of the Year and Component Supplier of the Year awards are returning. As well as recognising excellent innovative design in the Bed Product of the Year and Component Product of the Year awards, the NBF wants to highlight the efforts and achievements of the company itself, with sustainability remaining a key part of the criteria, in line with the NBF’s green agenda.

A new award shines a spotlight on an individual’s achievements within their business: the NBF Sales Agent/Rep of the Year. Nominations can come from a bed retailer for a manufacturer’s agent/ rep, a bed manufacturer for a component supplier’s agent/rep or come from the sales agent/rep’s own company.

Winners will be announced at the NBF Bed Industry Awards ceremony and gala dinner on 20 September and a shortlist of all the retailer awards will be published before The Bed Show at Telford International Centre. Entry is open via The Bed Show website. Visit: www.bedshow.co.uk

The winners of the expanded awards will be revealed at the gala dinner in September

Return to Telford

The show will host the major players in the industry

The Bed Show will return in September

Recognised as the biggest and best event in the UK bed sector, The Bed Show returns for 2022, with free registration now open online.

Organised by the National Bed Federation (NBF), The Bed Show will take place on 20-21 September and is the bed industry’s go-to event, as the latest products and innovations are revealed ready for the autumn buying season.

The exhibition celebrates the coming together of the very best in British and Irish bed manufacturing, component suppliers and retail customers.

‘This year it feels like we will finally be getting back to a more “normal” show, and I know all our exhibitors are working on exciting new product and marketing developments to launch at Telford,’ says Jessica Alexander, NBF executive director.

‘If you’re in the beds market, join the many visitors who will make their way to see names such as Airsprung, Breasley, Duvalay, Harrison Spinks, Millbrook, Relyon, Sealy, Shire Beds, Sweet Dreams and Vispring, alongside lots of smaller niche players and a selection of key component suppliers.

‘Our Suppliers Innovation Zone returns after its successful introduction last year, plus we are planning some exciting new features for our Business Hub. As we always say, if the UK bed industry is your sphere of activity, where else would you be in the third week of September but at The Bed Show.’

The zone will feature the latest developments that could soon become the new ‘must-have’ technology in mattresses and other bed products.

‘Attending the show gives us the opportunity to meet customers both old and new,’ says Chris Francis, Enkev UK UK sales manager. ‘You never know who will attend or the opportunities that may step onto the stand. As a supplier exhibitor it’s also the showcase for product development we’ve undertaken with our NBF brand partners. It’s often the first chance for us to see the finished products we’ve been working towards.’

There will be plenty of catering facilities across the three show halls, with complimentary vouchers for visitors and exhibitors. Ample free parking is available on site and entry to The Bed Show is also free of charge. Visitors wishing to bring young children are encouraged to do so on the Wednesday. Visit: www.bedshow.co.uk

Continuity

Handy offers a wide range of Scaat/B&B’s narrow woven tape

Developing long-term partnerships has proved successful

Bedding and upholstery component supplier Handy offers a wide range of more than 1,300 components and has provided specialist services to the sector for over 30 years.

Key to its success is building strong relationships with its clients and maintaining strong supplier relations with brands at the forefront of sector innovation. More than 90% of current material purchases by Handy are placed with suppliers that it has worked with for over 20 years, and these partnerships have helped to ensure a focus on high quality products, reliability and service excellence.

One of these is Scaat/B&B, an Italian supplier of narrow woven fabric that has driven change in the UK bedding market.

‘We have been working with Stefano Tono and his creative production team at Scaat/B&B since 1996. Historically our core markets chose to tape-edge their mattress production in tape that had been sliced from full-width rolls of mattress ticking. This was labour intensive, expensive and required the tape itself to be double-folded due to the raw edges. Working with Scaat/B&B we were able to introduce its range of dedicated narrow woven tapes to the UK market,’ says Nick Harland-Smith, Handy md.

‘This created a sea change within our markets as our customers were able to move away from their slower and costlier double-folded tape and instead incorporate our dedicated single-folded product. This led to faster production, straighter tape-edge lines and far less material wastage.

‘Fire retardancy is a critical factor for mattresses produced within the UK. Most of our competitors typically source tape edge from the Far East. This receives a post-weaving chemical treatment of polyvinyl acetate latex to stiffen the tape to make winding easier, which may give a questionable flame-retardancy (FR) pass. Alternatively, the tape may receive a dedicated FR post-weaving chemical treatment using brominates or phosphorus. The waste from these chemical treatments has ultimately to be disposed of and we will have to end up lying next to these chemicals should we purchase a mattress manufactured using this tape.

‘We have avoided going down this post-weaving chemical treatment process mindful that these chemicals can harm the general environment and potentially ourselves. Instead to achieve the required FR performance demanded by our customers, we took on the greater challenge of making finite adjustments to the looms, which enabled us to combine costlier, but safer, dedicated FR yarn into the weaving process. Consequently, not even one metre of the total fire-retardant production receives any post-production chemical treatment. We are very proud of this fact.

‘With over 200 looms in an 8,500sqm facility, our Italian partners can produce over 500,000m of product and consume over four tonnes of yarn per day. Alongside these sophisticated narrow weaving facilities, they also maintain in-house digital transfer printing production as well as laser cutting and engraving services.

‘This allows us to provide highdefinition printing in multiple colours on the tape following the weaving process. This is of particular interest to our customers as this enables them to brand individual products while being able to deliver high volume,’ he says.

‘We have worked with the Handy team for over 25 years. It has been an exciting and fruitful relationship with shared ideas leading to a broadening of our product range and consistent sales growth in our respective companies. We consider the UK market and Handy an integral part of our future development,’ says Stefano Tono, Scaat/B&B owner. Visit: www.handyltd.co.uk

People are more mindful of the hygiene of their frequently used household items

The mattress protectors have a 10-year guarantee

Upsell

Generate extra profits as shoppers look to take better care of their mattresses

The pandemic saw record online sales for beds and mattresses, with consumers focusing on both comfort and longevity.

‘The diverse Guardsman mattress and pillow protector ranges tick both boxes, all whilst adding value for your customer and giving a boost in profitability,’ says David Evans, Guardsman sales director.

Following rigorous testing by Shirley Technologies, each of the mattress protector ranges – Classic, Natural and Luxury – has achieved a 10-year guarantee. Each underwent intensive performance assessments to test its stability and performance, facing repeated machine washes and drying on varying cycles and at varying temperatures.

‘These tests have enabled us to comfortably say that all ranges can sustain regular washing without it impacting performance, allowing us to offer this impressive guarantee,’ says Evans.

‘With more and more consumers investing in high-end, ergonomic mattresses, the need to protect them from staining and the build-up of bacteria and bodily fluids is of paramount importance.

‘Following the pandemic, a much wider consumer audience has become aware and more mindful of the hygiene of frequently used household items. This, coupled with a significant increase in environmental consciousness, means that consumers are looking to make more sustainable purchases as well as taking better care of their furniture items, either to use them for longer or to be in a position to re-sell them in the future.’

Each range comes in a variety of sizes, from single to super king, and all boast waterproof technology, with the unique membrane allowing heat and moisture out, but prevent staining and damage to the mattress.

‘The protectors are highly effective in preventing dust mites and bacteria from breeding inside the mattress – a common cause of asthma, eczema and rhinitis.

‘Our ranges have features to suit each consumer, from a luxury reversible protector that accommodates warmer and colder seasons, to 100% organic, silky smooth, natural Lyocell fibres, proven to improve wellbeing whilst you sleep and so soft the protector can be used without a sheet.

‘The five-star customer-rated mattress and pillow protector ranges can be stocked alongside our Bed or Adjustable Bed Protection Plans or sold alone as a value-add, upsell product,’ says Evans. Tel: 01235 444 700

Think local

Sleepeezee has turned to a family-owned farm for its wool

Sleepeezee has linked up with Romney Marsh Wools as its new supplier of premium, locally sourced wool.

All Sleepeezee mattresses containing wool will now use Romney Marsh wool. Established in 2018, Romney Marsh Wools is owned and run by Kristina and Paul Boulden on their family farm on the Romney Marsh, Kent.

‘For us, Sleepeezee was a perfect collaboration as it is a local business with traditional family values at its heart. We share the belief in the welfare of the planet and our people, in sourcing materials from sustainable suppliers, and ensuring that no waste from our process goes to landfill. We strive for quality and value in everything we do, and sustainability is at the forefront of both businesses,’ says Kristina Boulden.

As a sixth-generation farm, the Bouldens have about 1,200 Romney ewes in their flock with 150 Merino ewes. Romney Marsh Wools’ products are made by the very best British makers, experts in their field. Aside from supporting local businesses like Sleepeezee, Romney Marsh Wools sells a range of homeware, clothing and toiletry products as well as raw wool, topped fleece and yarn.

The collaboration centres around sustainability and supporting local businesses. Recognised as a pedigree

Supreme 2400 from Sleepeezee’s Campaign for Wool collection

breed in England since 1896, Romney sheep provide wool that is natural, sustainable and a demi-lustre of excellent quality and staple. Romney wool is extremely breathable and warm due to its crimped fibres. It is also resistant to moisture and assists with keeping mattresses dry, stopping the development of mildew, mould and unwanted odours. Alongside this, wool is naturally fire-resistant thanks to its high water and nitrogen content, is

Wool Superb 2800: all Sleepeezee beds that use wool will now use wool from Romney Marsh Wools free from toxic chemicals and is easy to clean. Romney wool is extremely sustainable and durable due to the resistant strength of the fibres, which can be bent back on themselves over 20,000 times without breaking.

‘As a carbon-neutral company since 2017, Sleepeezee strives for sustainability in all that we do. From offsetting our carbon emissions to planting trees in our community, we have offset a total of 1,643 tonnes of CO2 from within our factory since 2017. We also aim to sustainably source materials that align with our business values and customers’ needs, which is why investing in locally sourced Romney wool is so important,’ says Steve Warren, Sleepeezee md.

Romney Marsh Wools supports Sleepeezee’s sustainability goals as a product and a business. Romney wool’s biodegradability does not contribute to waste pollution, unlike synthetic materials that can take years to break down.

‘Our wool is locally sourced, produced and distributed, which results in it having low embodied energy due to limited transport miles. We don’t use synthetic dyes or damaging products on our wool and, wherever possible, we re-use and recycle all our packaging and waste cardboard,’ says Kristina Boulden. Visit: www.sleepeezee.com