HIGH POINT – Two days post the new administration’s announcement to levy tariffs on a broad swath of U.S. trading partners, some mattress makers are preparing to hand out near-certain price increases while others are bullish on what it could mean for domestic business.
The tariffs are nearly certain to impact importers of mattress, but also domestic manufacturers who source cut-and-sew cover kits from abroad, lumber from Canada and elsewhere, and steel for springs.
While still early days, a baseline 10% tariff is set to go into effect April 5 followed by reciprocal tariffs to be implemented April 9.
Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic International, may have said it best for his company and others throughout the industry. “Truthfully, we don’t know what impact this will have on our business,” he said. “But we will remain flexible and nimble in responding to it.”
The current volatility and uncertainty are impacting strategic decisions on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis. For some executives, that means remaining level-headed.
“There is lots happening right now, and we are certain that governmental negotiations are happening over the weekend,” said Todd Wanek, CEO of full-home manufacturer and retailer Ashley Furniture Inds. “The key word for our industry is to stay calm and do not change your strategy until we learn more.”
Gui Perez, CEO of Ergomotion, said the company’s global manufacturing with facilities in China, Vietnam and Mexico will allow the company to minimize the impact of additional tariffs on its products. “Any price adjustments will stem solely from the tariffs imposed by the current administration,” he said.
“Our main concern is that the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs could drive up average ticket prices for consumers in the furniture and bedding sectors, potentially softening unit sales in the near term,” he said. “That said, we’re optimistic that once consumers adjust to the new pricing landscape — and with promised measures like income tax breaks to offset tariff effects — the market will stabilize and rebound. Any price adjustments will stem solely from the tariffs imposed by the current administration.”
Kevin Miller, president of U.S. operations for Enza Home International, a Turkish mattress and upholstery business, said since the ongoing uncertainty he has had conversations with retailers looking to diversify their merchandise mix. Under the plan from this week, products from Turkey were levied a 10% tariff. By comparison, that figure measures up well against other countries hit with higher figures.
“Now that the tariffs have been announced by the Trump administration, we anticipate an increase in discussions as retailers work to stabilize their supply chains and minimize the financial impact of the tariffs,” Miller said. “We believe that Enza Home offers retailers the opportunity to diversify their sourcing and ultimately continue offering products of strong value to their consumers.”
Kingsdown, which has factories in the U.S. and in Canada, has sharpened its eye on its domestic suppliers and the impact they feel from global components while maintaining considered approach.
“The administration’s latest round of reciprocal tariffs adds new complexity to an already cautious consumer environment—especially in the durable goods sector,” said Frank Hood, CEO. “Like many companies, we’re following a measured playbook: negotiating with suppliers, exploring alternative sources, evaluating wholesale pricing impacts and watching for signs of shifting consumer sentiment. While it’s early to gauge the full effect, we expect short-term pressure on demand and are focused on staying agile, transparent, and committed to working closely with our dealers to understand more fully the broader tariff effects so they can best serve their customers.”
While much of Paramount Sleep Co.’s components are U.S.-sourced, it does rely on lumber from Canada, latex from Sri Lanka and some spring units from Germany. Richard Fleck, president of Paramount, voiced concern on the impact the tariffs could have on his suppliers and their sourcing model.
“Either way, our input costs have already climbed and now with the ‘Liberation Day’ announcement, they will climb even further,” Fleck said. “Unfortunately, the tariff process by the Trump administration has been extremely volatile, confusing, and with no regard to planning or proper implementation. It is an ever-changing landscape that is shifting consistently. Fortunately for Paramount Sleep, as a mid-tier to high end/luxury mattress company, the impact is buffered to a certain degree. However, it will have an impact not only on material or product costs, but workload for our staff.”
Fleck said the company has already seen or know of increases coming from its suppliers, and he expects that to “escalate” which means price increases could become necessary.
“There is still a lot of uncertainty, so it is hard to understand what it will look like in six to 12 months,” he said. “We will continuously assess the situation. A portion of our key retailers have stated they are not accepting tariff increases based on the current business environment along with the uncertainty. Therefore, we have a lot to weigh and balance and be cognizant of our customer and market needs.”
As a domestic mattress maker that relies on domestic partners for components, Gold Bond’s Bob Naboicheck, CEO, said while he expects “no impact on our cost of goods” the consumer will ultimately suffer.
“These tariffs will be devastating to the American consumer and will upend the global economy until manufacturers have time to digest the news and reset their businesses accordingly,” he said, adding that he expects to increase his business as retailers look to alternative sources to maintain costs. “Some of the imported goods that seemed like bargains yesterday are anything but now, at what in some cases will be double the price. This will redirect business to us and other like manufacturers.”
Nick Bates, Spring Air International president and CEO, expects the tariffs to benefit the company by tamping down the number of low-cost, imported mattresses.
“We have seen inexpensive options that we could not compete with that have flooded Amazon and Walmart-style retailers that will now double in price,” Bates said, adding that the tariffs will make them less attractive to consumers. “But even with this rosy outlook, we probably all need to buckle up as the broader economy digests this move.
“With the stock market gyrating on the news, all consumers will probably take a breath on making higher-ticket purchases in the near term. But I do believe the economy will settle down, and our Spring Air licensees will see a nice uptick in business.”
To sum up what lies ahead in an already-shaky industry, Borreggine said Therapedic remains stalwart to support its customers.
“It means our lives become more complex,” he said. “But as an alternative brand, Therapedic is accustomed to these challenges. We are committed to keeping our retailers in the game, even when they are competing with other dealers who may not share our commitment to both the industry and the end user: the American consumer.”
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