Last week the Furniture First Board of Directors approved the 29th and 30th Mattress 1st retail stores for Members Wilson Furniture and Bears Furniture and Mattress Den. Wilson Furniture, located in Bridgeport, Ohio, has been a member of Furniture First since the beginning of 2013 and Bear’s Furniture, with stores in Franklin and Cranberry, Pennsylvania, has been a member since 2007.
The Mattress 1st store concept was launched by Furniture First in June 2013. It allows approved Members to open either a free-standing mattress store or incorporate a store-within-a-store in their existing full-line furniture stores. Working closely with Knorr Marketing and Martin Roberts Design, the Mattress 1st store concept allows Furniture First members to successfully compete with specialty stores by leveraging their local brand equity while proclaiming that they are “in the mattress business.” Dedicated advertising, display elements and floor layout set Mattress 1st stores apart from participating retailer’s full offerings.
Each Mattress 1st store owner is part of an Advisory Council that plans promotions for the group. While the program has requirements that must be met, it offers retailers considerable flexibility in managing the merchandise and brands displayed in the store. “Our approach is standardized, but it is not a one size fits all approach and stores have the flexibility to display a mix of brands in their Mattress 1st stores,” said Andrew Kauffman, Furniture First’s Vice President of Sleep Products & Markets. “The results have been outstanding for our members. Most see their percent of sales to overall business for mattresses double.” Kauffman commented further that since launching Mattress 1st stores, participating Furniture First members have also seen an increase in their average ticket and better attachment rates for soft goods and power bases.