Mattress 101

May is Better Sleep Month!

A good night's sleep, just like proper diet and exercise, is essential to your mental, emotional and physical health.  Yet, many of us do not devote the necessary time for sleep each night to ensure that we are the best we can be during the day.  Even if we are devoting the recommended 8 hours each night to sleep, that doesn't mean that we are getting a deep, regenerative sleep.  Better sleep can be as simple as sleeping on a better mattress!  A comfortable mattress is the foundation of a good night's sleep.  Check out this Better Sleep Guide for great tips and information on ways to sleep better.

Visit www.bettersleep.org for more information on Better Sleep Month.

Introduction to Buying a New Mattress

At Ravenswood Mattress and More our goal is to fit each customer with the sleep system that best suits their particular needs. If you sleep better you can live better.

We know that this is a challenging process and that it can be very confusing to our customers, especially if they haven’t purchased a new set of bedding in the last ten years. So, we suggest that you take your time, lie on as many beds as necessary, so that you can find the mattress that meets your physical needs and your financial limitations.

The Mattress 101 page of our website will be changing on a regular basis as we share new information and relevant industry news to offer insights into the ever-changing world of today’s mattresses. 

In the near future we will talk about health issues as they relate to sleep. We will offer some ideas on “snoring, acid reflux, and breathing difficulty” and a myriad of sleep problems that afflict many of our potential customers. We can’t cure these ailments, but a good night’s sleep will go a long way toward eliminating their debilitating effects on your daily lives.

You Have to do Your Homework

In order to better understand the Mattress business, I think that we should look at a couple of definitions used in the Retail Mattress industry, and we can define what they mean to the consumer. You are familiar with the terms, but you probably don’t understand how they affect your purchase.

MSRP-Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price, List Price, or Recommended Retail Price

• The price at which the Manufacturer recommends the retailer sell the product. The intention here is to standardize prices among various retail locations. Who suggests this and where do they get their numbers?

MAP-Minimum Advertised Pricing or RPM- Resale Price Maintenance

• The practice of a manufacturer providing marketing funds to a retailer contingent on the retailer advertising an end customer price at or above a specified level.

The combination of these two terms means that YOU, the consumer is paying the lions share of the manufacturer’s advertising “marketing funds” by overpaying for the mattress. A retailer locked into Co-Op advertising and MSRP pricing can’t discount those products to you, their customer. The item will be the same price at any store you care to shop in. The unwritten rule is that if the retailer breaks the price, they can lose the line.

Being Independent is Tough

Well, MSRP and MAP are a disguise. At Ravenswood Mattress and More, we don’t use MSRP or MAP pricing. We will not let an outsider tell us what price to sell our Mattresses at. We will always offer a similar or better product at a far lower price than any chain store. Low overhead and a commitment to our customers dictates that we remain a true independent retail mattress store.

Competition is Good for the Customer

That doesn’t mean that we are the “cheapest”. It means that we will strive to give you the best value at all times with no interference from our suppliers.

Thanks,

Ravenswood Mattress and More