I know adjustable bed bases are a vital product category, one that smart retailers are using to boost their sales tickets. I think that is a growing category, but I’m confused by industry statistics that suggest otherwise.
The latest Bedding Market Quarterly issued by the International Sleep Products Assn. presents a good news-bad news picture of the motion foundation category.
On the good news side of the ledger, the ISPA report says motion foundation units soared in the fourth quarter, posting a 29.6% gain, while the dollar value of those shipments, both U.S. produced and imports, was up by even more: 33.9%.
Those are staggeringly high gains that almost sound too good to be true. But they can’t erase what ISPA’s earlier reports have described as a year of sales declines. Even with those robust fourth quarter numbers, ISPA says motion foundation units were down 3.5%, and the dollar value of those bases was down 6.2% for the full year. That’s the bad news part of the ledger.
Those declines don’t square with reports I get from key industry players, who believe the motion base category remains on the ascent. Hence my confusion.
The huge swings ISPA has reported for the motion foundation category in recent years — up 52.8% in units in 2018 and down 3.5% in units last year — make me wonder what is really happening in that category.
This doesn’t feel like a category that is riding that kind of crazy roller coaster. What it does feel like is a vibrant, smart and growing category, one that is giving consumers a whole range of benefits in those motion bases.
In this issue, you’ll find our latest adjustable bed base report (see pages 12-15), one that chronicles the exciting product developments now being offered by aggressive producers. Want automatic snore detection? You can get it. Want sound therapy that unlocks a deeper sleep? You can get that, too. How about an envelope of cool air enveloping you at night? Yes, that’s available. Looking to turn your bedroom into a wellness retreat with a motion base? That’s available, too.
These innovations reflect a dynamic category. Yet, in a sad development, the industry is pushing average unit prices down. Last year, the average unit price for adjustable bases was down 2.7%. In contrast, the average unit price for U.S.-produced mattresses was up 7.4% last year. There is something wrong with that picture.
One thing that is wrong with it is the way one leading retailer often promotes the adjustable bed base category. For a recent Presidents’ Day sale, that retailer touted a “free adjustable base,” when consumers spend “just $499.”
It makes no sense to advertise a feature-packed, high-value item like a motion base as “free.” Today’s motion bases should command substantial retail prices. To devalue those bases by screaming “free” in big type does them — and the industry — a major disservice.
The post Blog: Motion bases a vital segment, don’t deserve ‘free’ promotions appeared first on Furniture Today.