COVER STORY
crowded bedding marketplace. Designed to reinforce the notion that sleep is an inte- gral part of any health and beauty routine, the overall look of the branding associates the products with other wellness products, a popular category. It has an aspirational quality to it; even if your day-to-day life is hectic, at least you can pamper yourself as you sleep. Blu Sleep makes self-care more attainable. “Our products support your overall wellbe- ing, not just a good night sleep,” says Dell’Ac- cio. “Having a healthier product, using breath- able foams that are water-expanded and infused with essential oils, makes it sort of like a wellness ritual. When people sleep our products, we want them to feel like they’re in a spa. By sourcing the finest and healthiest sleep product components from around the world, we deliver a personalized pampering experience to consumers.”
As today’s bedding marketplace continues to evolve, it’s imperative that manufacturers learn how to adjust to better support their retail partners. Part of that is understanding what consumers really care about. Coupling its high-level expertise in the manufacturing sphere with a fresh new look, Blu Sleep has created a more compelling narrative around its products—a more engaging way to com- municate with consumers of all ages. Beyond connecting with consumers on the aesthetic level, Blu Sleep also understands how people shop today. Its mattresses now come roll-packed. While many industry veter- ans have viewed the bed-in-a-box as a low- end option, Blu Sleep took a very different approach. In order to offer the compact and convenient option while maintaining the level of quality for which the brand is known, Blu Sleep invested more time and effort in select- ing the proper Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) rating for the foams—the firmness of the foam and how many pounds of pressure is required to indent it—and making sure that the products would not break down over time. “When it comes to roll-pack mattresses, the biggest issue was shelf-life,” Ciccolella says. “After a certain amount of time, the compres- sion can start to break down the foam so that it comes back uneven. That is why we only use high-quality foams: so there is no question that this bed will come back. When we make our foams, we consider that the mattress will be
roll-packed and we choose the ILD rating of our foams with that in mind. So when the re- tailer or consumer opens the mattress, it will feel the same as when they tried it in store.” By pre-compressing the foam layers before
boxing the bed, Blu Sleep guarantees that its mattresses will maintain their comfort feel and firmness even as they are packaged. As a re- sult, consumers do not have to let the mattress settle or break it in before enjoying it. Opening up a more convenient fulfillment solution, roll-packing is not just for ecom- merce. In addition to cutting down the cost of shipping to the retailers themselves, boxed packaging saves space in warehouses, al- lows for drop-shipping straight to the con- sumer and gives retailers an in-store cash- and-carry option.
Blu Sleep works closely with all of its retail partners to curate and customize the best as- sortment of products for their needs. With a wide variety of different pillow constructions, models and comfort options, Blu Sleep has a pillow for every sleep need and preference— and mattresses to match. So how does the brand onboard new retail partners? “No two retailers are identical or work the same way,” Ciccolella explains. “We try to fig- ure out how they work and what has worked best for them with their sales staff in the past. First, we assess what the retailer’s customer base is and what they have on their floor. We want to work with what they already have—we don’t want to move against what they’re al- ready doing. If they’re putting our mattress and pillows on the floor, we will try to work with the assortment of mattresses they chose and work our pillow line accordingly. Ultimately, we try to make selling as simple as possible.” The goal of the rebrand was to make its entire product assortment clean, crisp and easy to sell. But sales training is another vital service that Blu Sleep offers its retail part- ners. With a specialized staff on hand, the company provides each retailer with an ex- tensive training program that can be custom- ized to each store’s individual need. These days, Blu Sleep products can be found in a wide range of retail spaces: from big mattress and furniture retailers to small specialty bedding and mom-and-pop shops, even ecommerce sellers. The company has experienced a tremendous amount of growth
in recent years—and, as a result, has been actively expanding its workforce and capa- bilities to better meet the increased demand. Since opening up its distribution, warehouse and assembly facility in Pompano Beach, Florida four years ago, the company has been able to offer more quick-ship opportu- nities to its customers. With a wealth of new hires over the past year, Blu Sleep now offers more robust support across all aspects of the retail business: from social media marketing to customer service. “This is what we pride ourselves on,” Dell’Ac-
cio explains. “From our service and shipping to the products themselves; our new POP and visuals to the profit margins, after-sale service, product knowledge and attention to detail. We’re there to help our retailers by touching on every little thing that could come up.” Grounded in a long history of manufac- turing innovation, Blu Sleep’s new product lines, updated POP materials and a steadi- ly expanding team all uniquely position the brand to help its retail partners succeed in the years ahead. Visit
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