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We compared Mattress Firm and the store a hot startup just launched to compete with it - and the winner was clearhttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/we-compared-mattress-firm-and-the-store-a-hot-startup-just-launched-to-compete-with-it-and-the-winner-was-clear/slidelist/63356514.cms2018-03-18T20:14:43+05:30

We compared Mattress Firm and the store a hot startup just launched to compete with it - and the winner was clear

Mar 18, 2018, 20:14 IST

We visited a Mattress Firm store in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. From the outside of the store, the focus was on luring you in with deals and financing options.

Our visit to the store was in the mid-morning on a Wednesday. Although this was definitely not prime mattress-shopping time, the store was noticeably empty.

Each mattress in the store was laid out on a bed frame for shoppers to test out. The mattresses were color-coded by firmness, which made it easy to shop.

The mattresses were expensive — some cost over $5,000 for a king size — but shoppers were constantly reminded of the financing options available.

The lower floor of the store had lots of discounted mattresses.

This is because the company offers a 120-day return period for customers to trial its mattresses. Returned items are then offered to other customers, often at a 50% discount.

The store was huge, and there were areas of unused space. In some parts, you could find boxed-up inventory on display.

Similar to Casper, Mattress Firm also sells specialty pillows.

There were pillow shields available for customers to test out the bedding, which was a nice touch.

There were also plenty of options for cheap bedding. These sheets were being sold for $10.

These mattress covers came with a 10-year warranty.

In October, Mattress Firm launched its own version of the bed-in-a-box, called Tulo. Costing between $375 for a twin and $800 for a California king size mattress, these products are aimed at millennial consumers.

It's clear that the company is taking its new competition seriously: there were signs discouraging customers from shopping from bed-in-a-box companies, though it didn't mention Casper specifically.

We visited Casper's new store in New York at the beginning of March. It wasn't open to the public at that point and was still under construction.

At the front of the store, there were sleeping accessories such as pillows, duvet covers, and even dog beds. The assortment was definitely simpler here, and there were fewer items to choose from.

Casper wants to create an engaging space where customers can trial products and have fun. In the pillow section, you could touch and feel the fibers.

It's aiming to be more like an Apple store than a traditional store. Products were neatly boxed up in trendy packaging, and it was easy to buy them and then carry them away.

The biggest difference between Mattress Firm and Casper is how customers are invited to trial the different mattresses.

The idea was to make the experience of trying a mattress more discreet. Parikh describes it as an intimate moment. "You have your own bedroom here," he said.

The open ceilings were designed to make the customer feel less trapped.

Each room has a different design and sound effects, such as bird noises that activate as you walk in.

These structures take up a lot of space. If there are lots of people in the store, it might be tricky to get your turn trialing a mattress.

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