Mattress Promotions That Attract Consumers
How to craft advertising messages that drive consumers in-store to buy.
When it comes to helping consumers navigate the mattress shopping experience, advertising messages work. Even at the height of the pandemic, when an unprecedented number of people were buying new mattresses— advertising still played a key role in the decision making process, especially when it came to when and where to buy. In a recent research study of consumers who purchased a new mattress in the last two years, Colonial LLC found that more than half the respondents (56.1%) said advertising “very much” influenced their mattress buying decision—and 71.8% said that the Internet is their primary advertising source. So what sort of advertising messages are resonating the most?
Sales & Discounts: Promotional Messaging
As consumers adjust their spending strategies to accommodate higher inflation, many are looking to find a deal—especially when they’re shopping for a mattress.
Of the group of consumers who said advertising “very much” influenced their mattress buying decision, the two advertising messages that impacted the most respondents to shop were “40% to 50% off” and “save $300 to $700.”
In fact, messaging about sales and discounts were selected as the most effective across the board. The line “manufacturer closeout—save $500-$1,000 on select mattresses” resonated with 27.5% of this group, while 23.5% said “manufacturer special purchase—was $1,299, save $600 now $699” was the most impactful promotion. Finally, the list of most effective messaging was rounded out with “lowest prices of the year” (20.1%) and “anniversary sale—save an additional $300 – $600” (19.9%).
Reaching Consumers Online
With this study, Colonial was specifically looking at consumers who had intended to buy a new mattress from an online-only website—but changed their mind and bought it in a retail store or through a local store’s website instead. Logically, that meant that 92.9% of respondents said they looked on the Internet prior to or while shopping. In particular, the study found that 55.6% went to a review website prior to purchasing this time.
So what pulled them to buy from a local store instead? Advertising. The study found that 65.2% said a local store was promoting a name brand sale event—so they went because they could lay down on the mattress and get one that was most comfortable.
Final Take Aways
With 92.0% of customers starting their search for a new mattress online, retailers must win the digital advertising war—and compare prices as much as possible.
Consumers need information about the products to make an informed decision, but they need a deal to pull the trigger.
The most effective promotions to use are “manufacturer’s closeout,” “manufacturer’s special price,” “lowest prices of the year,” and “anniversary sales.”
To drive consumers in store, promote name brand sales events — then encourage them to lay down on all the beds they want.
For more information, visit colonialllc.com
About The Study:
Colonial commissioned this research study in Q1 of 2022 through America’s Research Group. The sample included eight hundred consumers who purchased a mattress in the last two years and planned to buy it from an online-only website but changed their mind and bought it in a retail store or through a local store’s website. The study was conducted in eight major cities across the United States.
