Started By
Message

Why are there so many Mattress Firms???

Posted on 9/19/16 at 8:52 pm
Posted by BlackPawnMartyr
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2010
15345 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 8:52 pm
Near me, a new one just opened up right across the street from an older one. I thought the older one would close down, but nope. Then driving down I-10 around the Katy/ Energy corridor this weekend i noticed Mattress Firm just about as often as i saw a Subway or a Starbucks. And that's what led me to google this article that i found interesting and perhaps you will too...


LINK
Posted by Vrai
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2003
3899 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 8:54 pm to
There is a good Freakonomics podcast about this very topic
Posted by Who Me
Ascension
Member since Aug 2011
7090 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 9:02 pm to
I don't know but the mark up they put on their mattresses is ridiculous.

I spent about 30 minutes in one of their stores recently before quickly deciding that ordering online was the way to go.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89640 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 9:38 pm to
quote:

here is a good Freakonomics podcast about this very topic




Thanks for letting me know. I'm listening to it right now.
Posted by BlackPawnMartyr
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2010
15345 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 9:59 pm to
Ha me too.

LINK
Posted by ManBearTiger
BRLA
Member since Jun 2007
21867 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 10:14 pm to
People be sleeping
Posted by BlackPawnMartyr
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2010
15345 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 10:30 pm to
quote:

People be sleeping



Which would be an easy answer to this if Mattresses lasted short term. But your average buyer is going to wait 10+ years per bed before buying another. The article and podcast provide other reasons.
Posted by dabigfella
Member since Mar 2016
6687 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 10:47 pm to
Yea those guys make good money I remember years back reading about that cheesy mattress guy in Houston with the chainsaws cutting beds in commercials buying the comets, the wnba team for like $6M. I was like wow that guy in those low budget commercials makes that kinda money!!!
Posted by montana
Bozeman, MT
Member since Dec 2008
1411 posts
Posted on 9/19/16 at 11:25 pm to
Mattress Mac?
Posted by KG6
Member since Aug 2009
10920 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 6:37 am to
We bought a mattress about 2 months ago. Stopped in a mattress firm, went 2 doors down to a mattress one, then ate next door to the mattress one. After eating, I asked my wife if she like the mattress at the first store, we could go back and pointed to mattress firm. She informed me that wasn't the store we went to and made me turn around. There were 2 mattress firms roughly a quarter mile from each other.

Another thing to note, their prices aren't great at all. But they are good at advertising. Play up the super cheap options that they don't even show you, and always have that price match in your back pocket. Ended up buying from a furniture store.
Posted by ManBearTiger
BRLA
Member since Jun 2007
21867 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 7:27 am to
quote:

Which would be an easy answer to this if Mattresses lasted short term. But your average buyer is going to wait 10+ years per bed before buying another. The article and podcast provide other reasons.




I mean, there's probably more car dealerships than there are mattress stores and people change out cars way less often than mattresses and it's hardly a mystery... Sounds like Freakonomics was running out of good ideas.
Posted by Salmon
On the trails
Member since Feb 2008
83650 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 7:59 am to
quote:

people change out cars way less often than mattresses


I don't believe this is true at all
Posted by tigerpawl
Can't get there from here.
Member since Dec 2003
22407 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:04 am to
quote:

Near me, a new one just opened up right across the street from an older one. I thought the older one would close down, but nope.
Just like C-Stores - it's based mainly on traffic flow. It's a numbers game.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89640 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:12 am to
quote:

Sounds like Freakonomics was running out of good ideas.


Meh. They noted that the number of mattress stores, nationwide, is about 3/4 of the number of Starbucks. That's pretty impressive.

And the clustering makes sense, too. People don't buy mattresses every day/week/month/year. They don't need to drive by store on a regular basis. So, the optimum location will serve a number of stores, just as car dealerships do. It's almost, but not quite, a direct correlation. The 2 things most Americans will ponder, research, comparison shop AND try out before they buy, at least as a big ticket item, are cars and mattresses.
Posted by dabigfella
Member since Mar 2016
6687 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:25 am to
haha no not mattress mac his competitor, just googled it, Hilton Koch, guys a savage he used to always whip out the chainsaw and cut mattresses, really low budget commercials thats why I was shocked when I heard he paid so much to buy a WNBA team but they promptly went bankrupt next year.
Posted by ManBearTiger
BRLA
Member since Jun 2007
21867 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:26 am to
quote:

I don't believe this is true at all







You think the average mattress outlasts the average car in it's lifespan of usage?
Posted by lsufan1971
Zachary
Member since Nov 2003
18402 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:29 am to
My grandfather used to be in the furniture business. He made most of his money selling mattresses. I remember after the 83 flood he had several 18 wheeler loads of mattresses brought in and sold every one in a week. If your paying $1000 for a mattress they probably have $400 in it.
Posted by Salmon
On the trails
Member since Feb 2008
83650 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:34 am to
quote:

You think the average mattress outlasts the average car in it's lifespan of usage?


Is that what you said? No, it isn't.

I don't believe people change their mattress more often than they change their vehicles.

I know not a single person that changes their mattress more often then every 10 years or more.

I know plenty of people that buy a new vehicle every 3-5 years.
Posted by ManBearTiger
BRLA
Member since Jun 2007
21867 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:36 am to
quote:

I know not a single person that changes their mattress more often then every 10 years or more.



That is not normal.


quote:

I know plenty of people that buy a new vehicle every 3-5 years.



That is not normal



You have surrounded yourself with outliers.
Posted by Salmon
On the trails
Member since Feb 2008
83650 posts
Posted on 9/20/16 at 8:40 am to
quote:

You have surrounded yourself with outliers.


link?

or otherwise we are just arguing against each other anecdotes
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 3Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram