Dreamfit SVP of sales Chris Taheny is on a mission to teach mattress retailers how to boost their average tickets by selling sleep accessories.
Taking the stage at the recent Nationwide Primetime event in Nashville, Taheny said by taking an honest inventory of how they sale and display pillows, sheets, toppers and more, retailers can create a merchandising plan that enhances the mattress shopping experience.
“During difficult times throughout the years many mattress retailers have overlooked their existing accessories program as the means to hold the line or even grow,” Taheny said. “Mindset is step one. It’s high time that retailers look at sheets, protectors, and pillows not as add-ons, but as necessities that are essential to a good night’s sleep.
“In fact, the key to driving business now is to think about your accessories program as one of the top three mattress slots on your floor and treat it as such,” he said. “This means that you analyze and track your average unit selling price and attachment rate, just as you do on mattress and adjustable bed tickets, and you set KPIs or goals to increase your sales.”
The category is often treated as an afterthought for consumers shopping for a new mattress. By making accessories a prominent part of the selling process, more consumers will buy, he said.