ISPA news release
ALEXANDRIA, VA – May 7, 2018 – To help mattress retail sales associates (RSAs) better understand today’s consumers, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) has launched an interactive infographic, which includes insights by age group. The BSC, the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, designed the “Mini Field Guide to the Mattress Shopper” to showcase the differing needs and concerns of consumers.
“Our goal is to provide our industry insights on today’s consumer: what they are thinking, how they shop and their perceptions of sleep and their mattress,” says Mary Helen Rogers, ISPA vice president of marketing and communications. “We wanted to develop an evergreen resource that RSAs and anyone selling sleep products can access. We will debut the interactive digital infographic this month during Better Sleep Month and will continue to add details and information to the resource each year, giving more insights into today’s consumer.”
The animated infographic, available at www.MattressShopperProfiles.com, provides an easy-to-use way for RSAs to review consumer statistics and understand the nuances of shoppers by age and gender. Profiles analyze male and female shoppers in three age brackets: 18 to 34, 35 to 54, and 55 and older.
For example, shoppers in the emerging market (ages 18 to 34) are typically buying their first mattress, yet 25% have no idea what type or brand of mattress they are sleeping on now. While we may not know what they are sleeping on, we do have data on how they sleep (and want to sleep). Our research shows that 60% are side sleepers, 32% want a hypoallergenic mattress, 21% want a firm-edge mattress, 15% could be sold a bed frame, 11% could be sold some pillows and 17% are considering adjustable base options. In addition, 78% want enough room for two people, with either a queen or king mattress – but unfortunately, they are only willing to pay $400 to $600 for one.
The field guide also offers tips specific to each generation. For instance, chances are those in the emerging market have never been inside a mattress store, let alone considered buying a bed. RSAs may need to take time to educate them on how to identify which mattress might suit them best.
Data collected for the digital shopper profiles was synthesized from an extensive analysis of existing, proprietary BSC data. First, the BSC consumer research conducted in 2016 offers a robust look at mattress shopping behavior, along with people’s changing attitudes about sleep. For example, trends that emerged from this project indicate that consumers’ expectations of a mattress’ life span have dropped below the 10-year mark for the first time since 1996. Second, the BSC has accumulated a wealth of consumer self-reported data through the Better Bed Quizzz, which launched in May 2016. Currently, 78% of users who start the quiz finish it, offering mattress-buying decision support to the consumer and valuable data on consumer behavior to the BSC via Google Analytics reporting. The BSC will continue to incorporate this data into the field guide as more consumers complete the quiz.
“Everyone sleeps, but not everyone prioritizes it the same way,” Rogers says. “We all have opinions, likes and a specific budget in mind. When RSAs better understand who they are talking to and, in general, consumers’ shopping behaviors and preferences, it can help them complete the sales transaction more quickly and increase the opportunity for up-sale and accessory sales.”
About the BSC
The Better Sleep Council is the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, the trade association for the mattress industry. With decades invested in improving sleep quality, the BSC educates consumers on the link between sleep and health, and the role of the sleep environment, primarily through www.bettersleep.org, partner support and consumer outreach.
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