New retailer Blink Mattress, based in Mesa, Arizona, has launched two brick-and-mortar stores—one in Mesa and one in Glendale, Arizona—and an e-commerce site.
New Mesa, Arizona-based retailer Blink Mattress has opened both a storefront and launched an e-
commerce-enabled website selling locally manufactured bed sets.
Whether online or in-store, local shoppers choose from a lineup of private-label mattress sets and receive free shipping or delivery within the Phoenix metro area. In addition, web shoppers nationwide can purchase one of the company’s boxed memory-foam beds.
The company also touts its in-store “custom mattress-building station” for those who want to design their own sleep set. All beds are sourced locally from an Arizona mattress maker.
Owner and founder Susie Merwin got her start in mattress retailing in the mid-’90s when she and her former husband, Rob Merwin, launched R&S Mattress, a Phoenix-based chain of mattress clearance centers. Although she is no longer active in the business, she retains a stake in it.
“We sold as-is product, returns, closeouts and overstock from major brands,” Susie Merwin said. “And every year, we opened another store. I handled the bookkeeping and did some selling.”
By 2006, when the couple divorced, R&S had 10 storefronts. It recently rebranded as Brooklyn Bedding.
In discussing Blink, Susie Merwin said: “We’re all about sourcing locally and we deliver a wide range of premium mattresses at affordable prices for everyone, while offering world-class service paired with factory-direct pricing and endless customization options.”
Merwin has big plans for her startup. A third store is slated to open soon and a franchise concept is in the planning stages. She also runs other businesses, including a production company, as well as a hair and nail salon. And, in 2016, Merwin was selected as Ms. Arizona State and went on to compete in the Ms. America contest.
