Tempur Sealy opened its High Point showroom a few doors down from the Ashley showroom to capture the attention of Ashley Home dealers.
HIGH POINT — The sleep category was experiencing a moment here at the just-ended spring High Point Market.
Three of the industry’s largest mattress brands returned to the market with showrooms, chasing Ashley Home retailers and additional business. Other sleep companies invested in expanded showroom space at the event.
The additional companies and the increased investment for show space helped lift the bedding category in a way that the sleep business hasn’t seen in High Point since the early 2000s.
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Purple Innovation, Serta Simmons Bedding and Tempur Sealy have all taken showroom spaces in the International Home Furnishings Center.
This marks the first time Purple has shown in High Point, while Serta Simmons and Tempur Sealy have both previously held showrooms here in years past. Sealy also has a showroom at its Archdale, N.C., factory, about 10 minutes from the epicenter of High Point Market.
In addition to those three companies, sleep accessories brand Purecare made its High Point Market debut in a shared showroom with Paramount Sleep Co., while Kuka Home created a new, 2000-square-foot space in Furniture Plaza for its Kuka Sleep division to highlight the company’s expansive private label capabilities.
Both Mlily USA and Bedgear expanded their showrooms in Suites at Market Square to showcase additional products, and Therapedic International returned to the High Point Market sharing space in the Lifestyles Enterprises building after being away for four years.
Holly Adorno, vice president of player development at Bedgear, said the additional space gives the company room it needs to better showcase its mattresses and its growing pillow and top of bed product offering. The company has been an exhibitor in High Point for more than a decade.
“We’re pushing forward with our renovated and expanded showroom here,” she said, adding that the company sees several retail executives don’t typically shop the Las Vegas Market. “The top 100 ownership comes here, and we think it’s important to connect with them here.”
For Mlily, the extra showroom space across the aisle provided additional room for the company to better tell its one-stop shopping story. The company continues to tout its expanded capabilities as a go-to resource for mattresses, pillows, top-of-bed and protectors. As for the additional bedding resources, it’s a good thing, said Derek Leishman, national sales director for the company.
“Retailers have options to shop more bedding here, and that benefits all players in the bedding category,” he said. “Having other companies here definitely brings more attention to the category.”
South Bay International made its second showing at the Market, and Toby Konetzny, CEO, said he welcomes additional bedding companies.
“It’s good for the business to have other mattress companies here,” he said, adding that he sees retailers in High Point that don’t attend the Las Vegas Market. “Here, we see furniture retailers. It’s very beneficial to have another touchpoint with customers.”
Paramount Sleep has been a mainstay at the High Point Market since 2009. Its South Wrenn Street showroom has become a destination for retailers, said Richard Fleck, president. Unlike other bedding executives who see the addition of brands in High Point as a business booster for the category, Fleck has a different perspective.
“We are one of the only bedding companies that has created a destination for the category at this market,” he said. “I don’t think more vendors make a market successful. People are either shopping for mattresses or they’re not. If, as a producer, you aren’t committed to delivering a better experience, you won’t be successful. If companies are really going to be here, they have to be committed.”
Therapedic previously had a showroom in the Main wing of the International Home Furnishings Center until about four years ago when the company chose to take a break during the pandemic. April marked the company’s return, and Kyle Borreggine, vice president of specialty sales for Therapedic, said the company sees a bright future in High Point.
“We’re back because we think this market is going to get bigger and bigger,” he said. “We see a lot of growth here. Therapedic was here for a long run, and we’re looking forward to being back here for some time.”
For Tempur Sealy, Serta Simmons and Purple, the primary draw was the Ashley Home dealers shopping the market. All three brands sell the network that boasts buying power of about $6 billion. The Tempur Sealy showroom was on the 9th floor of IHFC’s Main wing, just down the hall from Ashley’s showroom. The company was showcasing special point-of-purchase materials and dedicated products created for Ashley Home.
In its new 6,000-square-foot showroom on the 10th floor of the Wrenn wing of IHFC, Serta Simmons featured its newest Beautyrest Black and Serta Perfect collections, along with its Baselogic adjustable bed base program.
Tom Stiffler, territory manager for SSB on the West Coast, said the company’s new showroom allowed the company to connect with retailers where they shop. The company also returned to the Las Vegas Market in 2023 with new showrooms for its brands after taking a hiatus at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Purple’s showroom was on IHFC’s 7th floor in the Main building.