Sleepless Nights for Mattress Online Retailers
At a recent presentation we learned that Silentnight Beds are scrapping their entire range of internet mattresses. Over-specified and under-priced was the shortened version of the argument. That there was no profit was beyond argument. Sleepless nights indeed.
As a retailer I begged them to look to their overheads, cut the wages, make working conditions more flexible. Get the sales reps one day a week doing a bit of tape edging. Sell off that expensive machinery. Employ workers rather than depreciate white elephants.
My ideas fell on deaf ears and Silentnight are pressing on with a brand new range of internet mattresses and all quite a bit more expensive than the ones departing.
It’s a worry. Almost 10% of our internet business discontinued at a stroke. Can I believe the new more expensive range will fill the breech? I pointed out to Graham Butterfield, Silentnight Sales Director, and world bed guru, that I might need some Imodium. Graham smiled, stood tall(ish) and showed off his Pampers waistband.
Like Confucius, that erstwhile bed guru, Graham is inscrutable. I have seen him defend the indefensible. Another FMCG geek is made his boss, they know how to sell Walkers crisps so they will now save the bed industry. He has seen all that. So is this one of those moments?
My verdict is no. I think he believes this new Silentnight strategy is a winner. I hope so, for all our sakes.
At least, for us, our exposure is not so high, hence my thoughts about internet mattress only retailers – they must be worried. We can always potter away with bed frames and bedroom furniture and divans and adjustable beds. If I depended on mattresses though, now would not be a nice time in my life.
Meantime have a look at our first offerings. The 4ft Silentnight Rio mattress is already a success (the only new Silentnight mattress we have got yet). We do have all the Rest Assured new mattresses (Silentnights pocket sprung brand name) and my favourite so far is the Andria Memory Pocket double mattress. I’ve tried it; it’s the dogs bollocks. And if there is any justice in the world this mattress should sell and sell and sell.
If you want to have a look at more Silentnight mattresses try mattressman, mattressonline or mattressworld. We will be getting ours on the web shortly.
And if you want a bargain Silentnight mattress there has never been a time to buy. We have loads of Silentnight mattresses in stock, end of line – must go!
Related posts:
Tags: Internet Mattresses, mattressman, mattressonline, mattressworld, silentnight 4ft mattresses, Silentnight Pocket Sprung Mattress
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 9:10 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
