Blog: Early look at 2020 prospects reveals challenges, opportunity
As we near the halfway point of the year, it’s time to take an early look at bedding’s prospects in 2020. The outlook is mixed, with skies darkened by a “disturbing” presidential election, as one...
View ArticleBlog: Jaffe leads Mantua rebranding, sets launch of new Rize lines
The story behind Mantua Mfg. Co.’s name goes back a long time to a faraway place. The year was 1797, and Napoleon — yes, that Napoleon — was on the march. Early that year he brought his long siege of...
View ArticleBlog: LV highlights: Gold, silver, hemp, new iComfort, more boxed beds
Foam enriched with gold and silver particles and a blend of crystals. A mattress line fashioned from hemp. A new iComfort line challenging the conventional thinking. And new boxed beds from some strong...
View ArticleBlog: Inside Casper’s stealth LV showing: Elvis, NDAs, industry speculation
News flash: Elvis sleeps on a Casper mattress. That is one of the (few) revelations about Casper that I can share with you after attending a Casper pajama party at the recent Las Vegas Market and then...
View ArticleBlog: Bedgear’s Sleep Mart showroom delivers a better sleep message
Here’s a crazy idea: What if a retailer opened a sleep shop and put everything in it except the real key to great sleep? Bedgear took that idea and turned it into a clever, thought-provoking showroom...
View ArticleBlog: Dos Marcos team offers tips for battling Amazon
Amazon, the fast-growing, disruptive force in the mattress category, was stopped in its tracks at Nationwide’s recent PrimeTime show in New Orleans. In a boxing contest that pitted the Internet giant...
View ArticleBlog: Monumental mattress hype detracts from the real story
This week I’m sharing monumental, ground-breaking, revolutionary and unique insights with you, my faithful readers. I will be setting new standards in journalism innovation as I usher in the new dawn...
View ArticleBlog: Chinese mattress imports vanish as industry reacts to big changes
You may have missed it, but the Chinese mattress industry virtually disappeared this summer. That’s not to say it couldn’t re-emerge in some fashion. More on that in a bit. In recent years, as we all...
View ArticleBlog: Too many retailers in denial about clout of DTC brands
Business is challenging, a wild roller coaster of ups and downs. The industry is in the midst of major changes. Online players are growing fast. And what do many retailers say when asked if they plan...
View ArticleBlog: Online channel grabs 21% share; sleep shops, furniture stores drop
And the answer is: 21%. The question: What percentage of the retail bedding distribution pie did the online channel command in 2018? That is a blockbuster figure, one that represents retail sales of...
View ArticleBlog: Three numbers that bring hope on eve of another HP market
Everyone in Mattressville wants some good news as another High Point Market draws near. So this week we’ve got three good numbers for you: 28, 22 and -22. Let’s start with 28. That is the percentage of...
View ArticleBlog: High Point bedding highlights: iComfort debuts, Malouf expands
A big new showroom for a rapidly growing sleep accessories player. The High Point debut of a new flagship bedding line. A new quilted mattress line stuffed with natural cotton upholstery. Those are...
View ArticleBlog: Moonshine, videos, social media among HP bedding highlights
Moonshine, videos and social media, sometimes all three in one tidy package. Those were some of the highlights of my High Point Market, which, while not a bedding spectacular (the January Las Vegas...
View ArticleBlog: Sales momentum sets up surprisingly strong 4th quarter
In a challenging year, with ups and downs in Mattressville, the fourth quarter looks to be surprisingly strong. So much for traditional bedding patterns. I’ve been told that the fourth quarter is the...
View ArticleBlog: Magowitz-Von Hoff partnership creates pancreatic cancer hope
A year ago, South African musician Johnny Clegg, suffering from pancreatic cancer, performed during the Seena Magowitz Golf Classic. He played his guitar as he sang, tapping his foot to the beat. Now...
View ArticleBlog: Bedding producers cite election, tariffs, duties as key 2020 issues
Here’s a quick question to get you ready to assess next year’s bedding prospects: What’s more important to bedding business next year: The presidential election, or the China tariffs and antidumping...
View ArticleBlog: J.D. Power ratings present a too-limited industry view
Good news from J.D. Power, the consumer insights company: Mattress customer satisfaction is up significantly this year. The J.D. Power 2019 Mattress Satisfaction report found that overall customer...
View ArticleBlog: Bedding’s ‘Tempest’ challenges Shakespeare’s ‘past is prologue’
Jerry Epperson has a memorable description of the current confusing state of the mattress industry. “The Tempest” he calls it in his “Another Perspective” column, which accompanies the new bedding...
View ArticleBlog: Despite election year worries, history says growth on way
Welcome to the new year! Let’s deal with the elephant in the room (the elephant in the C-suite) right off the bat. And that elephant is the presidential election year that has now officially arrived....
View ArticleBlog: Healthcare’s big U.S. investment brings new life to factory in S.C.
It sat empty for almost a decade, silently waiting for a rescue that looked unlikely. But then the mattress world changed, and a global bedding player came calling. Now the former Guardian Building...
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