Mattresses, not stereos is where the money is


On my way to Macy’s, to buy a bed, which is about 6 blocks from my office, I passed by literally 6 different mattress stores. 3 of them practically on the same block.

The competition is fierce, and it seems almost all of them were selling Tempurpedic and Sealy (which I think are owned by the same company.) They even had at least one paid sign holder with a sign directing you 1 block away to another store.

Think of that. 6 stores selling $500-$4500 goods, in a Los Angeles suburb. They are all paying rent, and staying open.

I know the average retail markup for stereo gear is around 45%. What must the mark up be for mattress stores to stay open with this much competition? 90%?

I still went to Macy’s. :) Two simultaneous discounts + a modular bed system with replaceable coils sang to my geek heart.

By comparison, the nearest high end audio store is about 30 minutes away.
erik_squires

I once was told that $2 toothbrushes often cost stores less than 10 cents. That's the business I should be in, setting up discount toothbrush stores at malls.  Have adorable models outside dressed all in black offering to brush your teeth for you, and then charge $30 per toothbrush....

Bottled water. Now, that's markup. $3 a case of 24, sells in the airport for $4.75 per bottle.

I once was told that $2 toothbrushes often cost stores less than 10 cents.

Consider that you will spend almost a third of your life in bed. So paying decent coin on a good mattress that will last for 15-20 years is money well spent.

Sure there are a lot of overpriced mattresses, but I have never come across a cheap one (sub 1k) that could compete in comfort to the multi layer expensive ones.

I agree that a good mattress is vital, but this discussion is about markups, not value. :)

Based on experience, I would not recommend keeping a mattress for 15 or 20 years no matter how good it is. Any mattress will eventually start sagging and losing support, and when it does, say hello to serious sciatica and back issues.