It may be a crowded and ever-changing market, but there are plenty of opportunities for good bed retailers to stand out, explains retail strategist and author, Clare Bailey …
There are some furniture purchases we make on impulse. A new cushion. A lamp. Perhaps even a sofa, if we fall in love with it quickly enough.
A bed should rarely be one of them.
We spend around a third of our lives in bed, and the quality of that time affects our health, wellbeing and how we feel every day. It is also one of the few pieces of furniture most customers expect to live with for close to a decade.
Yet, despite the importance of the purchase, customers have never had more choice – or, if we are honest, more confusion.
Expert opportunity
Not so long ago, the journey was relatively straightforward. You visited a local bed specialist, tried a selection of mattresses, listened to some expert advice and made your decision.
Today, a customer can order a mattress online in minutes, have it delivered in a box the following day and sleep on it for 100 nights before deciding whether to keep it. They can buy from household names such as Emma and Simba, or even order the same mattress they slept on during a weekend at a Premier Inn.
It would be easy to look at that changing landscape and see only a threat. I see a sizeable opportunity, because the more crowded and confusing the market becomes, the more valuable genuine expertise becomes. Customers are not simply looking for somewhere to buy a bed. They are looking for confidence that they are making the right decision.
That confidence does not come from being presented with yet another wall of specifications. It comes from dealing with someone who can interpret those details, understand the customer’s circumstances and help them make sense of the options. Product knowledge remains essential, of course, but the best salespeople in this category have always been part consultant, part detective and part problem-solver.
Over the years, I have watched the strongest salespeople ask questions that appear simple but reveal almost everything they need to know. How does the customer sleep? Do they wake with aches and pains? Do they share the bed with a partner who has completely different preferences? Do they sleep hot, struggle to get comfortable or find it difficult to get in and out of bed?
The best questions are often worth far more than the most polished sales pitch because they show the customer that the recommendation is being made for them, not simply to them.
When customers feel listened to, they feel reassured, and that reassurance builds trust. In today’s retail environment, trust is worth more than almost any promotion. It gives the customer a reason to stop comparing endless options and feel confident enough to make a decision.
Nailing the follow-up
Of course, that trust cannot disappear the moment the order is placed. Online retailers have changed customer expectations around trial periods, returns and guarantees, reducing much of the perceived risk involved in buying a bed remotely.
Independent retailers do not necessarily need to match every offer, but they do need to address the question sitting quietly in the customer’s mind – what happens if I get this wrong?
A clear comfort guarantee, a straightforward exchange policy, or simply taking the time to explain what happens after delivery can remove more anxiety than another percentage off the price. Customers want to know they will not be abandoned if the bed feels different after several nights at home than it did during a short showroom trial.
Then comes the part of the customer journey that is so often underestimated – delivery. Years ago, Mike Clare, the founder of Dreams, shared a story with me that has stayed with me ever since. His delivery teams carried Dreams-branded slippers in their vans and changed out of their outdoor shoes before entering a customer’s home.
It was not a costly initiative, nor was it particularly revolutionary, but it made an impression. It showed respect for the customer’s home and reinforced the sense of care that had been created throughout the buying experience. It was also a useful reminder that customers may forget the precise spring count or technical specification of the mattress they bought, but they will remember how the business made them feel.
Retail is full of moments like that. Offering to assemble the bed, removing the packaging, taking away the old mattress where possible and leaving the room clean and ready to use can transform delivery from a logistical necessity into part of the experience. These details may appear small when viewed individually, but together they shape whether the customer describes the service as adequate or exceptional.
Keeping the conversation going
The relationship should not necessarily end there, either. One of the greatest missed opportunities in this category is that, once a bed has been delivered, the conversation often goes quiet for eight or 10 years until the customer is ready to replace it.
A simple follow-up a couple of weeks later to check that everything is as expected can be enormously reassuring. Further down the line, retailers can share advice on rotating or caring for the mattress, choosing the right duvet tog as the seasons change, or finding pillows that provide better support.
These do not need to feel like sales campaigns. They are helpful, relevant conversations that extend the service beyond the transaction.
Ironically, helpful conversations often lead to sales anyway. Mattress protectors, pillows, bedding, throws and bedroom accessories become natural recommendations because the retailer has already earned the customer’s trust. More importantly, the business remains front of mind.
Capturing customer details (with the appropriate permissions) allows retailers to support customers throughout the life of the purchase. By the time that customer is ready for a replacement, the retailer is no longer simply one of several businesses selling beds. It is the business that advised them well, delivered with care and continued to look after them.
That, surely, is where specialist retailers retain their greatest advantage. The largest online brands can spend millions on advertising, technology and logistics, but they cannot always replicate genuine human expertise or the confidence that comes from dealing with someone who understands the customer’s needs.
Getting personal
Beds are deeply personal purchases. They deserve more than a quick transaction and a discount code. When retailers focus on helping people sleep better, rather than simply moving another product from the showroom floor, price becomes just one part of the conversation.
In a market where almost anyone can sell a mattress, the greatest competitive advantage may not be the bed at all. It may be the expertise, reassurance and experience wrapped around it.
Subscribe to Clare’s Retail Reckoning podcast here. Read more about the bed sector in this year's Bed Buyer supplement.
