We're joined by Cindy Williams. As the director of business development at the Look Company, Cindy helps manufacturers and retailers transform their showroom spaces with eye-catching visual displays. She shares her unique insight on the shifting trends in the mattress retail space, the value of visual engagement—and why we need to move beyond the idea of retail as a promotional environment. 

This week we’re chatting with Tom Murray, EVP and chief marketing officer for Tempur Sealy. He joins us to discuss how consumers are finally connecting the dots between the mattress and their health and wellness, the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of consumers' purchasing journeys and media habits and why Tempur Sealy remains optimistic about 2022.

This week's guest is Misti Achilles, the head of marketing for Katapult. She joins us to discuss how consumer marketing has evolved from the vantage point of a lease-to-own financing provider. We talk about the value of transparency, the challenges of marketing a service and why really understanding consumers’ financial needs is key to growing your retail customer base.

This week we’re talking with Classic Brands! CEO Scott Burger and Chief Commercial Officer Vivian Weng joined us to talk about how their approach to consumer marketing has evolved over the past year and a half. We discuss best practices for collecting product reviews, the importance of testing new ad formats and how to make sure your digital content and merchandising are working together to really engage with the consumer.

Our guest this week is Amanda Evans, VP of Shopper Marketing for Nationwide Marketing Group. She joined us to discuss some practical and creative ways retailers can engage with today's consumers. We chatted about the latest trends in consumer search terms, how different stages of the buying journey require different marketing needs, and the value of setting customer expectations across different platforms.

We’re continuing our series on consumer marketing this week with PureCare!Sarah Bergman, chief marketing officer and SVP of product development, joined us to share her thoughts on how the marketing landscape has evolved in the specialty bedding category over the past year and a half. We chatted about the increased demand from consumers for transparency, why “wellness” as a buzzword can be a double-edged sword and how digital technologies are delivering valuable insights for both the in-store and online retail experience.

The past two years have been quite the rollercoaster. In this new series, we’re exploring how consumer marketing has changed and evolved over the course of the pandemic. What are consumers looking for now? And how can retailers meet those needs to grow their sales? First up is Malouf Home! We caught up with Scott Carr, marketing director, and Ashlee Willes, brand manager, to talk about how they’re helping retailers meet the consumer where they are and how they want to shop. We discuss picking the right type of content for different products and platforms, understanding the impact of social commerce—and what it means to use their business as a force for good in the world.

We’re joined by Mark Hobson, a long-time sleep industry consultant currently working with the UK-based Silentnight brand. In this broad discussion, we explore the unprecedented ways in which supply chain disruptions and price increases are impacting on the industry, how the growth of ecommerce is affecting average unit selling price and what it has been like trying to introduce a new brand to the US market during a pandemic. Pointing to both the unique opportunities and distinct challenges of the moment, Hobson offers key insights on what retailers need to keep in mind as they reimagine their product mixes and merchandising strategies for a post-pandemic world.

We caught up with Sheila Long-O’Mara, executive editor at Furniture Today, to discuss the role of trade media in today’s bedding industry landscape - at a time when market cycles are out of whack and companies are reevaluating their product introduction strategies. She also shares her insights on today’s biggest mattress and sleep trends and how the market may continue to shift post-pandemic.

Michael Magnuson, founder of GoodBed.com, gives us a sneak peek at the company’s new podcast series and shares some key trends impacting the bedding industry right now. As an online resource for mattress shoppers, GoodBed has a valuable vantage point into how consumer behavior has evolved over the years. We chat with Magnuson about how the pandemic has impacted the sentiment around trying in-store before buying, what he thinks the lasting effect of that shift will be on the industry—and how GoodBed is leveraging its resources and reach to help connect mattress shoppers to their local retailers.

For this episode, Bill Hammer, president of Shifman Mattresses, joins us to talk about department stores, digital marketing and his brand’s ongoing commitment to craftsmanship. As a luxury mattress maker, he has a unique perspective on how the industry has had to adjust due to the pandemic—and what kind of marketing support retailers need to connect with today's consumer.

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we’ve shifted our sights to the year ahead! In this new podcast series, we’re asking: what does the future hold for the bedding industry in 2021? In this episode, we speak with Scott Burger, CEO of Classic Brands, about the world of bedding as we close out 2020 and look ahead to a new year. He reflects upon the “tale of two segments” of their business, the success of the brand’s new turn-key omni-channel mattress program—and why he thinks the consumer demand for mattresses and furniture will continue into 2021.  

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we’ve shifted our sights to the year ahead! In this new podcast series, we’re asking: what does the future hold for the bedding industry in 2021? Dan Hennessy, senior vice president and general manager at Serta Simmons Bedding, joins us for this episode to discuss how Beautyrest is reacting and responding to today’s new set of challenges and opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of under-promising and over-delivering when it comes to product fulfillment, explains why the company is focusing on ramping up its direct-to-consumer capabilities—and gives us a closer look into the new antimicrobial and sustainable materials that are sure to play a major role in the year ahead.

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we’ve shifted our sights to the year ahead! In this new podcast series, we’re asking: what does the future hold for the bedding industry in 2021? Rion Morgenstern, the CEO of Pleasant Mattress, joins us to chat about how the pandemic has impacted his company’s operations. We discuss the importance of flattening the communication structure from corporate to retailers, how new consumer behavior has reshaped its upcoming product launches—and why navigating the supply chain is sort of like driving a car with “oblong wheels” right now.

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we’ve shifted our sights to the year ahead! In this new podcast series, we’re asking: what does the future hold for the bedding industry in 2021? Magali Castillo, VP of Marketing for ES Kluft, joined us for this episode to tell us a little bit about how the pandemic has impacted her company’s marketing plan heading into 2021. She gave us a look into a few of the new initiatives the brand will be unveiling in the year ahead, including more investment in consumer research, growing its digital presence and developing new ways of engaging with both consumers and retailers. We also discuss how the pandemic has shifted consumer values when it comes to both health and sustainability.  

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we’ve shifted our sights to the year ahead! In this new podcast series, we’re asking: what does the future hold for the bedding industry in 2021? To kick off this new series, we called up another podcast aficionado: Mark Kinsley, CEO of Englander! We discuss the opportunities for supply-side innovation, why in-person markets aren’t going anywhere for good and how retailers can think strategically about the ever-evolving retail landscape. Mark also gave us a look into what he’s been up to during the pandemic, namely: writing a book with his business partner Mark Quinn! Offering up a variety of principles, strategies and real-life examples, “Come Back To Bed” is a guide for retailers looking to rebuild from this year, boost foot traffic and set themselves up for continued success. Head over to DosMarcos.co to learn more!

This week, we are joined by Tony Cerino, VP of sales at Katapult, a unique “lease-to-own” financing company. In this conversation, we discuss what makes the Katapult model different than other payment options, the growth of ecommerce over the past eight months—and how financing programs can help retailers attract new customers in the months ahead.

Jennifer Magee, owner and creative director of Retail In The City, joins us to discuss the evolution of the in-store retail environment. Magee shares her unique insights on what today’s consumers are really looking for from brick-and-mortar stores—and how retailers can design their showrooms to ensure that their customers feels safe, comfortable and engaged. From appointment-based shopping options to strategic product organization and even separate entrances, our conversation offers a host of actionable tips for bedding and furniture retailers looking to increase the performance of their stores.

Brent Limer, Chief Sales Officer for Latexco, joins us on the podcast today to discuss the recent supply chain issues that are affecting the bedding and mattress industry. In this conversation, Limer dives deeper into the “perfect storm” of factors impacting the global supply chain today: from the initial uncertainty of the pandemic and the sharing of raw materials with PPE makers, to new shortages in the chemical industry and soaring freight costs—all at a time when consumer demand has skyrocketed. In doing so, he paints us a clear picture of what has happened over the past seven months and looks ahead to where the industry is heading.

We're joined by Deena Gardner, VP of Marketing & Communications for Reverie, this week to talk about diversity and inclusion in the bedding industry — about the progress that has been made over the years and how far we still have left to go. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore the ways that a lack of diversity hinders business growth and how to take that challenging first step in addressing these important issues.