The FAM Audio Stories

As of Sept. 21, I'm a dad! While I've learned a lot about babies and the amazing way the human body functions, I've also learned a lot about sleep — and the lack thereof. Every new parent knows sleep becomes more precious when the little one arrives, and that's a message the mattress industry should be using. To read or learn more, finish this article here!

Football. Halloween. Leaves changing colors. Who doesn't love fall? As the weather cools and people venture out to do their holiday shopping, retailers have the perfect chance to bring in customers with community-based events that can build brand recognition and offer people in the local area a fun activity. To learn about these fun ideas, check out the article here!

As we begin to recover from a pandemic that strained retail beyond conceivable belief – not to mention dramatically shifting shopping patterns and purchasing behavior – retailers face increasing pressure to commit to ambitious environmental and social goals. And consumers are making it clear that trite and shallow promises won't be tolerated. They want to be part of the conversation and many are willing to open their wallets to prove it. To listen or read more, check out the rest of this article here!

GTRsuite is a technology company that offers geo-locating tools for retailers and manufacturers in the home furnishings industry. Its latest release, the Lead Prediciton Engine, geolocates shoppers who search for furniture online so GTRsuite knows where all of those searches appear and the SKU they're interested in — whether through Google or a company's website. For example, if you've been trying to get into a certain retailer for years and they're not interested, you can put this ‘magnet' right over that retailer's locations on your map of dealers and then show the intention within these areas right down to an SKU. And like many other technology companies, the numbers speak for themselves. For more on the GTRsuite and how it can help your business, read here.

Do you ever tell yourself you're going to go to sleep at a reasonable hour but suddenly find dozens of things to do that keep you awake? If so, you may be suffering from something called revenge bedtime procrastination. To read and learn more, click here.

By now, you've likely seen an article or heard a podcast about why TikTok is important to your business, and companies like Simmons — which teamed up with TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D'Amelio on a new mattress aimed at Gen Z. — know the power of the platform. But new research shows something happening that's going to change the way companies do business on TikTok. To learn more, listen or read here.

Everyone's looking for the next big idea, but sometimes you need to stop and pay attention to the micro-moments. Google says these occur when people “reflexively turn to a device — increasingly a smartphone — to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something or buy something.” In 2022, nearly everyone does this multiple times a day, which makes these micro-moments extremely important for any successful business. To read or listen to more about cherishing the micro moments, click here.

If you look at good marketing today, it's clear that storytelling is the secret to any successful brand. But with your retail store as your brand, are you making the most of your storytelling abilities? Here's a unique idea: Brand museums. To read or listen to more about how a bran museum could enhance your marketing strategy, click here.

What does your pillow do all day when you're not sleeping on it? How does it keep itself busy? Does it like its pillowcase outfit? These are all questions Dennis the Pillow answered when he recently went on the “Everything Is Alive” podcast to share his thoughts on being a pillow and what that life is like. Read or listen to more of this story here.

When's the last time you did an honest, thorough audit of your content marketing strategy? When it's done correctly, content marketing is a powerful tool. But when it's done incorrectly, it's an expensive hobby. An effective business blog allows you to tap into audiences that you may not be able to reach through traditional marketing channels and track and measure reach and conversions.

It was a sad day in superhero history when Mattman fell fighting the nasty Sleeping Bandit. But there's hope!

At Nationwide Marketing Group's 59th PrimeTime event in Orlando this week, Wells Fargo Economist Charlie Dougherty shared several interesting insights into the housing market, inflation and the supply chain. Read the full recap here.

As Nationwide Marketing Group continues to grow and expand its luxury appliance focus, the group has announced the addition of an exclusive program with appliance manufacturer Thermador.

Around this time last year, Mattress Firm unveiled its unforgettable “Unjunk Sleep” campaign — which launched with actor Liev Schreiber riding down the street on a mattress and stating that America has a junk sleep problem. The campaign was a success, and it led the company to launch several more ad spots that look at the different ways junk sleep can impact us all — whether physically, mentally, or emotionally — with a healthy dose of humor. On a deeper level, the ad spots speak to human sleep needs — a message the entire industry should be pushing — and they do it in a way that catches people's attention. To learn more, read the entire article here.

You heard that right — it's a real job title that Casper is hiring for right now. Casper Sleepers will sleep “in our stores, and in unexpected settings out in the world,” according to Casper's job posting. For more on this exceptional job posting, click here.

Tech company Planner 5D has developed the first use-case demo for Apple's newest RoomPlan API, which uses the camera and LiDAR scanner on iPhones and iPads to create a 3D floor plan of any room. This unique technology finds dimensions and inserts furniture and decor items by using its own AI recognition feature to scan the furniture and match them with items from its catalog to easily apply different interior design styles.

Despite what those outside the industry might think, to say RSAs are the backbone of the home furnishings retail would be an understatement. They are the ones spearheading the sales, talking to and learning about customers. They train and memorize product details, brand names, and SKUs, all while offering service with a smile. At The FAM, we have mad respect for RSA, so we decided to talk to RSAs and see what sage advice they have as soldiers on the front line. When Jerrod Young was looking for work, he knew he wanted to join a small business where he could gain experience wearing several different hats — and he found that at Columbus Mattress Wholesale.

If you've embraced the e-commerce world, you know how often things change and how much the sector is growing. That's why online-savvy retailers value statistics that let them analyze the market, understand opportunities for growth, and see what the competition is doing. In the most recently measured period, furniture and home furnishing sales accounted for 11.78 percent of total retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. And while e-commerce hasn't caught on as much in the furniture industry as it has in other retail sectors, it's still critical to know what's going on in the industry and how you can succeed. A report from Sourcing Bro outlines some important things you need to know about the e-commerce world, and we've broken down the highlights.

Have you built your social media crisis plan? If you didn't have one before the pandemic – and still don't have one – it's not too late. Yet.

Dawn House Living President Gui Peres talks about why the new Dawn House line has been successful and what the future of health and mattresses looks like.

HENRYs — high earners, not yet rich — is a marketing term coined in 2003 to describe families earning between $250,000 and $500,000, but not having much left after taxes, schooling, housing, and other costs. Since then, it's been used in marketing to target a younger generation of wealthy people — most of which are Millennials. And if you look around, there are a lot more HENRYs now than there have been since the Baby Boomer generation was in its prime. In fact, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest generation—with 72.1 million in the U.S.—which means they will be a major part of the population for many years to come. For more on this episode, click here.

The luxury appliance market saw incredible growth in 2021 as homeowners upgraded their living spaces with new refrigerators, cooktops and ranges, laundry and other high-end appliances. More disposable income and changing tastes drove luxury appliance growth. Consumers stuck at home working throughout the initial onset of the pandemic used their appliances more each day and had time to dream up how to upgrade their living spaces. This led to a remarkable 6% rise in market growth for core appliance sales in the U.S. during that period. For more on this trend, click here!

Most retailers in the home furnishings industry offer a range of financing options, but a new trend is coming into play. Find out who the major players are, what their platform offers and the growth trends on the horizon!

When Isabella Clark, needed a change of pace, she decided to try something new and interesting: mattress sales. Starting six months ago as an RSA at Columbus Mattress Whole in Ohio, she says she's enjoyed learning and growing her knowledge of the industry. The FAM talks to the RSA about what she loves and doesn't love in the industry, as well as consumer misconceptions, and more!

The FAM looks at beds with built-in storage from Bedline as well as Ergomotion, and finds out why they're getting more popular in the U.S.

When we ask retailers what questions they have about the industry, many say that they want to know what works for other retailers. And mimicry is the most sincere form of flattery, so if something works for another retailer, there's a chance you can make it work for you. Broad River Retail has a laundry list of initiatives that work for them, so The FAM caught up with CEO Manny Rodrigues to see what they are and how they work.

Keith Moneymaker of Sweet Dreams Mattress & More explains how he has had success connecting consumers with RSAs through the store's website.

If you're wondering where to spend your ad dollars this year, Julia Rosien has some ideas! Hint: we're thinking bigger ad dollars on smaller networks

Jennifer Martinez, a sales associate at Sweet Dreams Mattress and Furniture, talks about what she loves and doesn't love about the industry.

“Omnichannel” has become somewhat of a buzzword in the home furnishings industry—and for good reason. These days, most retailers would fair better with a strategy that integrates different methods of shopping, but it may seem intimidating if you've never done it before. The FAM reached out to several furniture and mattress retailers to talk about their omnichannel strategies and what's working, and we found something surprising—omnichannel doesn't have to be as complex as it seems.

The sun is shining, the weather has warmed up, and people all across the country are ready to enjoy the summer. That gives retailers the perfect chance to bring in customers with community-based events that can build brand recognition and offer people in the local area a fun activity. Here are a few ideas.

Swelteringly hot temperatures. Hastily rising sea levels. Excessive droughts in the western U.S. Scientists agree climate change is affecting our world's environment, but now they've discovered it may also affect our sleep. In a study published May 20 in the journal One Earth, findings suggest that by the year 2099, altered temperatures may erode 50 to 58 hours of sleep per person per year.

The furniture industry knows a thing or two about the various challenges caused by Covid and the many changes that have happened or will happen because of it. One of these changes has to do with a little-talked-about category in the industry: rent-to-own furniture. The rental furniture market is projected to reach 139 billion by 2029, according to Fortune Business Insights, and over 44 million people, or 35.9% of U.S. households, rent their homes—which means there's potentially a lot of business to be had for rent-to-own retailers.

Consumers are recognizing how sleep and wellness are intrinsically intertwined. However, despite acknowledging the importance of sleep, a recent Tuft & Needle survey found that two-thirds of Americans note that they don't get enough sleep, with seven out of ten people admitting they get less than seven hours of sleep per night. The survey also found that three-quarters of people note that sleep impacts their mood and overall outlook on life, and two-thirds also agree that sleep impacts their physical health and mental wellbeing. To help fix that disconnect, Tuft & Needle's new marketing campaign—“Wake Up Awake”— is focused on helping sleepers get better rest, reclaim the night, and look forward to the day ahead.

There's a new focus on health in the bedding and mattress industry—and it's not going to slow down anytime soon. From adjustable bases to built-in Bluetooth sleep monitors that can track your heart rate and alert you to any potential issues, there are several mattress companies making an investment in the health category. The pandemic has certainly had a part to play, as people who spent more time at home realized they weren't getting a good night's sleep. They bought new mattresses because they paid more attention to what they needed—which is not just exercise or a diet, but a good night's sleep.

Overstock.com, the online powerhouse launched in 1999, quickly established itself as a source for just about anything under the sun. But as part of a recent and ongoing reinvention, the company now has a laser-sharp focus on furniture and related goods. The FAM's Ray Allegrezza had a recent one-on-one with Overstock President Dave Nielsen to find out more.

Did you know that this year there are projected to be 2.5 million weddings in the U.S this year? That's a record high, mostly because people have put their weddings on pause for a couple of years due to Covid. In addition to that, their bank accounts are relatively full, they'll soon be ready to buy a house, and the average couple spends about $9,000 on furniture and mattresses when they move into a new home.

This week, Interwoven—the fabric market put on by the International Textiles Association (ITA) that was previously known as Showtime—debuted its new brand look, including a new logo and magazine that ITA says “represent the merging of ideas through collaboration, connection and innovation.”

Remember the World Wide Web – Web 1.0 – and when you suddenly needed a website to promote your business? Cycle ahead a decade or so. Without warning, Web 2.0's user-generated content model (think Wikipedia, Myspace, Tumblr) forged the path for Facebook and Twitter — and then Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp. Surely this is a fad…

Shoppers don't just want a smooth and seamless retail experience, they expect one. And if you can't deliver, that could mean the business goes to another store. That's why Nationwide Marketing Group teamed up with website partners Site on Time (SOT) and Retailer Web Services (RWS) to provide free access to Centerpoint, a tool that connects retailers' point-of-sale (POS) data with their websites to give shoppers real timeline of sight into product inventory and pricing information.

What is a foam sommelier? It's a great question and we are so glad you asked. We sat down at the Furniture Today Bedding Conference held this past week in Orlando, Florida with Scott Smalling, Founder of Relief Bed International and more recently, Chief Commercial and Innovation Director for Emma, The Sleep Company, to chat the bedding conference, foam and what his role at Emma, and we get an update on Relief Bed since our last conversation in April 2021. We discuss the shift facing D2C innovators and their strengths and struggles, what Relief Bed is doing to help in the Ukraine and how Scott is working to become the industry foam sommelier through Emma. We also honor Roger Magowitz of the Seena-Magowitz Foundation who received a Lifetime Achievement award this past week. Congratulations, brother!

Consider the sleep disruptors that detract from good quality REM sleep. If you do a proper job of interviewing a person about all of the things standing in the way of a serious log-sawing session, then some of these things will come out. If you're in a mattress store, maybe they don't get into it with you—because why would they?

For years, retail sales associates have been looked down upon—with people calling the position a dead-end job that no one can make a career out of. But anyone in the retail business knows that's not true. Just look at Broad River Retail, for example. In 2020, Broad River celebrated 51 Million Dollar Writers in its Million Dollar Memory Makers program. And while they set a goal of 60 for 2021, they had 98 employees write one million dollars or more in sales last year. As the company explained to The FAM, jackpot bonuses, consistency, and recognition of excellence have helped them build a community of sales associates who not only receive an excellent commission but also enjoy selling furniture.

Ray Kinsley puttered around town in a pearl Buick with a blue top. He drove my grandma to the senior center for lunch each day and to church on Sundays. Along the way he would jump curbs, motor through manicured lawns, bump bumpers, and park on top of the white lines. A string of fender benders unfolded before my dad, Mickey, found out and decided it was time to permanently park his parent's car in the garage. My grandpa Ray was 90-years old and after dad retired the Buick we found out the townspeople of Crocker, Missouri appreciated my grandpa's distinct colored car because it was an ivory and sapphire signal to get the hell out of the way; Ray was coming and he might run you off the road.

If you haven't started planning Memorial Day, don't worry, there's still time. With the holiday coming up in just over a month, The FAM reached out to a few mattress industry executives to see if the holiday is still important and talk about how it's marketed in the industry.

Sometimes the craziest-sounding ideas are the ones that lead to the most success—like quitting your teaching job to open a mattress business during a global pandemic. But Direct Ship Mattress did just that at the end of 2021, and the story that led to the opening is almost as unbelievable as the fact that it opened at such a challenging time in the industry.

A quick look at the most current U.S. Census shows that 76% of Americans are White, 13% are Black, and 6% are Asian. That should come as no surprise. But when we think about the furniture industry—which is primarily made up of older White men—is there a disconnect between the people in the C suite and the people actually buying the product? Find out more at fam.news!

The price index for household furnishings and operations increased 10.1% over the past year—its largest 12-month increase since the period ending July 1975. That's according to Mattress Industry Consultant and Texan Mattress Owner Lawrence Heilers. So what does that mean? He explains in a recent Facebook post: “Customers are getting used to higher prices. They are overpaying for homes. Paying offer sticker for cars. We need to change our marketing strategy to focus on: In stock Long term financing Services - such as delivery and removal Large assortment of choices “We have to stop promoting $149-$199 queen mattresses, twins at $99 or $39 down no credit needed financing. Your guests shopping promotional prices are being stretched while your premium guest is flush with cash and equity. You get what you fish for. It's time to reinvigorate your business with a better marketing strategy.” The FAM has always been fans changing with the time and trying new marketing strategies, so we reached out to Heilers to have him elaborate on his post and see what retailers can do now to sell to the customer of the future. To find out more, read the rest of this article on fam.news!

Are you in the mattress business or are you in the life improvement business? It's an important distinction because they deliver much different margins and require a different approach in just about every aspect of your business. That's the topic of an in-depth report The FAM released called “The Sleep Store of the Future.” “Mattress stores are concerned about getting to the transaction,” says author Mark Quinn. “Sleep stores are focused on helping the consumer transform their sleep life through a better understanding of their own problems and possible solutions. “Mattress stores are fighting everyone else on price, driving margins lower. Sleep stores are playing their own game adding value to the sale and the consumer experience as an authority in the market, allowing them to drive margins up. Here's the thing: even the retailers pushing the “sleep delivers a better quality of life” message aren't really in the sleep improvement business if you get right down to it. Because if they were, wouldn't their store look different?” Read the full report to learn how you can transform your store into a store of the future.

It's not just insecure men who say size matters. In the furniture world, it seems as if big retailers are getting bigger and more successful—and that goes for big box stores, large independent retailers, and more. If that's the case, is the day looming where Goliath crushes David? Or do smaller retailers still have a shot on the playing field? We take a look at both scenarios.

The Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent by November 2023. Studies have shown that switching clocks kills people through increased traffic accidents, strokes, crime, heart attacks, and more. Seventy percent of Americans don't want clocks to switch ever, but 40% want permanent Standard Time, while 31% are diehard DST-ers. While most Americans are in favor of keeping a consistent clock, the debate about ST or DST comes down to a preference for more sunshine in the evening or in the morning. In Chicago for example, where the sun sets around 4 p.m. in the winter, under DST the earliest sunset would occur at 5:21 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2023, and the twilight that follows would provide some light until just before 6 p.m. Whether you prefer more sunshine in the morning or at night is a personal preference, but we know that keeping clocks the same is the key to better sleep and fewer deaths.