From The Publisher: Winter 2021
Here we are with a new year before us! While it does feel like good things are around the corner—with the rollout of the vaccines, some positive economic projections and only a few more months of winter to navigate at home—we recognize that 2020 was an incredibly hard and unprecedented time for a lot of people. And, we anticipate that the bedding and mattress industry, and broader retail industry as a whole, will see a massive evolution in the months to come. We learned so much last year and now many are applying this experience as they reevaluate their individual retail strategies. As you rethink, retool and potentially seek new partnerships, we hope Sleep Retailer can serve as a helpful guide.
A huge topic in 2020 has been the transition to ecommerce and the acceleration of this transition due to the pandemic. One company that is committed to helping brick-and-mortar retailers develop omnichannel sales programs is Eclipse International. Eclipse is a unique company in that it is both a traditional manufacturer with a wealth of industry knowledge as well as a fresh and relevant innovator. In 2020, Eclipse proved itself a reliable partner to retailers and licensees alike. Read more about Eclipse’s nimble approach and conviction that brick-and-mortar is here to stay in our cover story.
Some other highlights of this issue include:
Transparency in organic labeling: Our special feature focuses on the importance of accurate and transparent organic labeling in the bedding and mattress industry. In it, we highlight perspectives from Jeff Bader of OMI, Barry Cik of Naturepedic and Angela Owen of Suite Sleep.
Cross-merchandising: Our Product Focus showcases a variety of bedroom furniture options and explores how displaying full bedroom sets in aspirational vignettes can boost the retailer’s bottom line. Filled with ideas and approaches to rounding out the showroom floor with meaningful pieces, this feature spotlights brands like Malouf, Modway, Classic Brands, Boyd Sleep and offers a very different perspective by including Floyd’s model for ecommerce bedroom furnishings.
What we’ve learned: In this issue’s Q&A—which brings us full circle—industry leaders weigh in on what retail innovations and transformations they predict will emerge as a result of the pandemic as we move forward from it.
In this new year, we wish you peace, recovery and inspiration! We hope the coming months will bring a little more joy and a little more stability. As we face 2021 with enthusiasm, vitality and determination, we also ask that you keep us in the know about how we can continue to help you and your business. Send us an email, reach out to us on social media—we always want to know what you want to read about and what problems you’d like help solving.
