Furniture First is refreshing their private label mattress lineup, Mattress 1st, at the Las Vegas Market later this week. The promotionally oriented private label has been a long-time top performer for the group since it was first developed in 2002. Furniture First’s Director of Sleep Products and Mattress 1st Stores, Kerry Diem, explained the approach to the new line by saying “We streamlined the lineup, focused on refreshing the top performers from our pervious offerings and reduced the underperforming product from the line.” Furniture First will be showing 24 beds this time around, down from the previous 32.
Serta Mattress manufacturers the mattresses for the private label. “Serta has been a great partner for Mattress 1st,” said Andrew Kauffman, COO of Furniture First. “Mattress 1st products are delivered on the same trucks as their Serta-branded products and they’re available all over the country. We have even been able to offer additional marketing funds to our retailers through this relationship.”
The success of Mattress 1st products led the group to develop the Mattress 1st retail store program 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. It 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 retailers’ full offerings. Today there are 65 approved Mattress 1st galleries in 21 states and the program is on track to grow to 90 locations in 2017.
Enhancing the Mattress 1st line is Furniture First’s body mapping technology private label, The Support ReportTM. It uses XSENSOR’s technology for pressure point identification and can be customized to recommend beds from a retailer’s entire mattress assortment. This January Market will mark the first display of the full arch system. A small kiosk with a twin body mapping unit was shown by the group in Las Vegas last summer and in High Point last October.
In addition to the Mattress 1st launch, Furniture First will hold its first Next Gen mixer for members on Saturday afternoon in their showroom, A-810. A recent survey by the group found that 70% of their member stores are run by a second, third or greater generation of ownership. “We are trying to enhance retailer-to-retailer connections with the new group,” said Amanda Daubert, Director of Services at Furniture First.
“Retailers may be initially motivated to join by our rebate programs, but it’s the networking that keeps them engaged with Furniture First,” said Dino Cifelli, CEO of Furniture First.