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
Funny, just a month or two ago we drove around to test Purple, Tempurpedic, Sleep Number, and whatever other new bed technology is out there... Conclusion: We went with a traditional Sterns & Foster. Super happy with it. All the others felt too gimicky and not as comfortable as old school mattresses.
These stores are fronts. Its easy to hide and transport drugs in a mattress. That's why you see 4 mattress stores at an intersection, none with any customers.
I took this literally and as far as you guys know I don't have $10 Grand stashed inside my mattress. I swear.