American-made Sleep Therapy mattress stores to expand into China
Sleep Therapy, the American–made “store is the brand”, NO-TURN® mattress line first created by Wickline Bedding of southern California in 1980 announced that they are now expanding full force into China.
(Editor: Leona)
Sleep Therapy, the American–made “store is the brand”, NO-TURN® mattress line first created by Wickline Bedding of southern California in 1980 announced that they are now expanding full force into China. According to US mattress industry veteran Ed Scott, who serves as President of Wickline Bedding in Escondido, CA, the Sleep Therapy brand, whose slogan is , “ Where advanced technology meets comfort,” has been successfully marketed in the Asia -Pacific region, specifically, Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea and Malaysia for the past three years. They were recently introduced to the Singapore and Mainland Chinese markets and in Dubai and Kuwait where consumer demand for quality-made American goods has driven the brand to unprecedented growth possibilities.
Scott explains that Chinese consumers are becoming more affluent as their wages improve. Recent statistical reports show that China has a population of 1.366 billion people or one-fifth of the people in entire world. The November 17, 2014 issue of Time Magazine reports, “…700 million or so Chinese… have attained or are striving for middle class status….” That is more than double the entire US population, and represents a huge marketing opportunity for companies willing to offer authentic, higher quality products to an increasingly affluent middle class.
Scott further notes that recent research confirms that Chinese consumers are aware of superior quality, non-toxic, high performance mattresses imported from the US, and they are willing to pay premium prices for mattresses offering a high degree of satisfaction over the life of the mattress. “These studies indicate that discerning Chinese consumers are willing to pay prices that range from about 10 percent up to almost 80 per cent higher in the categories that were tested,” says Scott.
There are exciting, ambitious plans for the Sleep Therapy brand in China according to Scott. “The appetite for American-Made products is growing. We are currently shipping several containers a month to China, where the mattresses are sold in Sleep Therapy branded stores.” Scott explains that, unlike in North America where sleep shops carry a variety of top named brands in one store, brand-name mattresses are sold in single brand stores in China, very often with a fair number of competitive brand name stores all located in the same multi-tiered higher end mall. In some cases American-Made products may be clustered together in a mall so that Chinese consumers looking to purchase higher performance, premium consumer goods can conveniently locate and shop for their new mattress.
At the current rate of store openings, Scott projects there will be 30 Sleep Therapy Stores open by the first quarter of 2015, selling three different American-Made lines under the Sleep Therapy label. Based on past experience and anticipated successful consumer reaction, there will be a total of 100 stores opened by end of the year 2015, and another 100 stores opened in 2016 and again in 2017. “We estimate at this point that we will have a total of 300 store openings throughout China by the end of 2017,” says Scott. “If the average higher end mattress store sells an estimated $1 million USD per retail store in a year, this could mean a run-rate of $300 million USD in Sleep Therapy retail sales in China by the end of 2017.”
Ed Scott says that the three lines offered by Sleep Therapy offer a wide selection of products with a powerful retail story. There will be six introductory and mainline Sleep Therapy mattresses retailing at a range of $899-$1399USD for Queen (RMB 5619-8744).
For consumers specifically looking for “eco-friendly” or “green” mattresses, there is the four bed Natural Therapy line that features among other components a 100% , “certified organic” mattress cover. Sleep Therapy specifically chose a cotton mattress cover supplier that has achieved both GOTS certifications and Textile Exchange OSC 100 certified cotton covers for their Natural Therapy line. “This collection is as natural as you can get,” stated Scott.
All of Sleep Therapy’s foams are certified by CertiPUR-US® , which among other things certifies that the foams are made without ozone depleters, without PBDE flame retardants, without mercury, lead and other heavy metals and without Phalates that are regulated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission ( CPSC.)
Sleep Therapy offers designs that utilize zoned pocket spring technology from Europe and the United States. In November 2013, Wickline was one of the first US manufacturers to utilize Vertically Ventilated Aerated Gel Latex in its Sleep Therapy line to enhance comfort and provide a cooling comfort layer. The Sleep Therapy line also utilizes micro fiber technology and state of the art textiles to add cooling layers nearest the sleeping surface for a consumer’s sleeping comfort.
Scott is very upbeat about the benefits and successes offered by the Sleep Therapy brand in China. “ People who do not keep up on the trends and realities of the Chinese market often wonder how an American-designed and constructed mattress line can do well in China. In the past four years I’ve seen some very significant changes creating opportunites for US products in Asia. The United States has improved its cost competitiveness compared with China. We are now able to offer higher brand value at the same price points as our Chinese –made competitors. By offering American Made Sleep Therapy, Chinese consumers will get the benefits of our superior mattress components such as certified CertiPUR-US® foams, first generation steel, performance fabrics and American hand craftsmanship. The key factor that is very important to the Chinese consumer is when we say Made in America, Sleep Therapy provides these consumers with exactly what we are claiming is in our mattresses,” says Scott. “There is no chance that we will produce a “fake” product or make claims that are not there. We place law tags and origin authenticity on every mattress according to US regulations. Even though our beds are sold in China, they are made here in America, and we are very clear about all claims made for our materials, the processes and the finished features and benefits offered by Sleep Therapy beds.”
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