About 20% of mattresses are now purchased online. That's a lot of mystery for so many consumers! We still hear daily that most customers would rather try out their mattress before making a final purchase. Try it before you buy it is a great mantra to follow!
Reasons for an online purchase vary, of course. Click and ship has its appeal. Having a mattress shipped to your door is convenient...the trial periods offered add to a "sense of security." Unfortunately, the reality of returning, donating or dumping a mattress you don't like is a hassle. Then, reselection begins again. Just sifting through the acres of hype from each online company is exhausting from the start... and you still have to hope for the best, right?
The reality of cheaper prices online is not necessarily accurate. The advertising alone costs huge percentages to the manufacturers, cuts into their profit margin and is funded by you, the consumer. Perhaps that $699 mattress is worth only about $275... clever marketing greatly increases the appeal of even a mediocre product. It is well known that several "top" brands spend up to 40% of their gross on marketing. Sleep ain't free! This is likely with online brands as well... just because something is recognizable by brand does not guarantee product quality, unless you are considering heritage quality mattresses. Notice how many products are the same with different advertising hooks? Some online brands will thrive and survive... some are opening brick and mortar stores of their own....
Brick and mortar stores are seeing more opportunities to offer quality product at manufacturer online prices. Seeing more integrity across the internet should be reassuring to you as a consumer. You have the reassurance of trying before you buy as well as the important manufacturers pricing offered in store. Win/Win!
At our locally owned, family operated store, we have spent countless hours researching natural products that have certifications and are either organic, or environmentally-friendly with no toxic flame retardant. For 15 years, the toxins in sleep products has been my professional focus. Most of us can fight off some of the chemicals used in our industry... some cannot (those with suppressed immune systems, children, infants, pregnant women.) Everytime one sleeps on a mattress with brominated salts, teflon, kevlar, arsenic, toluene, formaldehyde, mercury, lead, phthalates, "tris" flame retardants and other heavy metals, traces of flame retardant become bio-accumulating. This means that dangerous offgas adds to toxins in our system forever.. no sloughing off! So, when you replace a product at home, try to be conscious of toxins that are unavoidable!
Oh, today I heard an actual horror story! A well-known online brand mattress came with a warning for DEATH if the mattress was unzipped. This was due to fiberglass wrap flame retardant... yikes!! Customer returned the mattress immediately and went organic with non-toxic components!
Natural components ie. natural rubber latex, wool, organic cotton, cashmere, hemp, eucalyptus, kapok and European plant-based foams with Oekotec certification are known to enhance natural sleep cycles. Two examples of online choices... Zenhaven and Avocado. According to statistics, some online offerings have as much as 20 to 30% in returns (not necessarily the ones mentioned.) Then the hue and cry of search cycles through your life again!!
The ability to try it, then buy it has worked for 99% of consumers for generations. It can work for you, as well.
We always, always try to find the perfect match for you! If not, I can suggest alternatives that might work...
Questions always welcome,
Karen Woods aka the Sleep Diva
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