COVER STORY
chance to experience it for themselves. For that reason, ReST has primarily focused on the in-store retail channel. When a consumer lays down on the bed, they can immediately feel the difference—and having that first ex- perience in a store allows them to ask ques- tions and gain a clearer understanding of what ReST can do for them. Understanding the im- portance of this initial in-store introduction, the company has invested heavily in developing an RSA training program that is dynamic enough to meet the demands of selling a smart bed. “How do we give sales associates who have
never sold a smart bed before the tools to be able to demonstrate the bed? Part of that is just good old fashioned sales and training materi- als, product information, and in-person face- to-face role playing,” Bryant Looper, senior vice president explains. “Beyond the tried and true industry best practices, we leverage our unique technology. We have an advantage in that we have an app and a sensor, making the ReST Bed the most demonstrable bed in the industry.” Armed with a fully differentiated product and a comprehensive training infrastructure, ReST equips its retail partners with all of the resources they need to really maximize their incremental business. This approach is what sets the company apart from a myriad mat- tress manufacturers that have attempted to break into the adjustable air category over the years. “We’ve seen what has tripped people up in the past: lack of attention to the training, lack of attention to the quality,” Feingold says. “You need to be willing to not view those as secondary. It has to perform, because there’s a lot more moving parts—literally.” “From day one, this is what we do,” Sommers
adds. “We are not a conventional mattress play- er who has decided to have an initiative around air or around technology. That’s a hard thing to pull off if you’ve spent decades building your company around a certain material or approach or philosophy, to now tack on something that has different skill sets, different types of peo- ple, different manufacturing, different compo- nents, different sales process. You’re starting a new company. Well, that’s we we’ve done. Except we have no fall back. We’ve been all in from day one, so we have to get it right.” This approach has had a direct influence on raising retailers’ incremental sales. Rather
“With the ReST Bed being a smart bed, everything we do is dynamic, experiential. Everything is in line with that theme.”
than trading on convenience or affordability like many of the younger online bed-in-a- box brands, ReST has created a new kind of mattress that offers both a compelling story and a clear value proposition. At the same time, it also gives retailers the chance to con- nect with the growing number of consumers who are exclusively interested in adjustable air—a category that has been dominated by the direct-to-consumer channel for quite some time. And because of its advanced function- ality and high-quality comfort components, the ReST Bed is able to operate at a higher price point than most traditional mattresses—with the queen size selling for $4,999. This helps raise retailers’ average tickets, while the cus- tomizability element helps maintain lower rates of return and greater post-sale satisfaction. To ensure even more success on the retail floor, ReST has bolstered the mattress with specific in-store POP that help customers recognize its value, including two iPads with all floor mod-
els.The pressure map display feature on the ReST app allows them to visualize their specif- ic comfort and support needs—and reinforces how a smart bed can address them directly. Of course, not everyone is ready for a product that is totally new and different. But even when a customer doesn’t end up pur- chasing the ReST Bed, it can still have a posi- tive impact on retail sales. According to Loop- er, many of their dealers actually start every customer that walks through the door on the ReST Bed because it gives them a visual aid to support their normal comfort fit process. In those instances, the pressure map functions as a sales tool, guiding consumers to other mattress models that align with their support needs. It can also help increase attachment rates by giving the RSA a way to showcase the benefits of an adjustable base or of a particular pillow—how they can help alleviate
pressure points and maximize comfort. This kind of evidence-based sales strategy has been shown to boost consumer confidence, especially when it comes to higher priced items. “There are many ways The ReST Bed adds value to a retailers floor,” Looper explains. “One is you have a product that people buy. That’s, of course, primary. Second is you can show- case our unique and differentiated technology to drive traffic. And then the third way you can add value is unique to us: use our bed as a tool to help improve your entire product line- up and sales presentation for your customers. We have a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ philosophy when it comes to our retail partnerships.” That benefit-driven perspective permeates throughout every aspect of the brand. The company has carefully considered each step of the sales process to ensure a seamless ex- perience. “With the ReST Bed being a smart bed, everything we do is dynamic, experiential,” Sommers says. “And that applies to the deliv- ery and that applies to the customer service as well. Everything is in line with that theme.” For instance the entire ReST Bed set up pro- cess—from taking the bed out of the box, set- ting it up in the bedroom, plugging in the sensor and air pumps and then letting the bed inflate— takes about 20 minutes, Sommers estimates. Looking towards the future, ReST has its sights set on expanding its approach to smart sleep tech by leveraging the sensor’s capabil- ities to “help a consumer craft a perfect sleep environment for
them,” Sommers explains.
“The mattress is certainly central to that, but there’s many other things that affect sleep. There’s the adjustable base, temperature, light, sound, air quality.” As more retailers seek new ways to engage with consumers and increase sales, ReST has developed an innovative solution that delivers sustainable growth opportunities. The com- pany understands that it’s not enough to just push the envelope on technology; you have to create and prioritize the proper infrastructure to effectively introduce it to consumers. From its patented technologies to proven in-store resources and dedicated post-sale services, ReST is not simply at the forefront of the smart bed revolution—it is leading the charge. Visit
restperformance.com
sleepretailer.com 11
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