Mattress Gallery vs. Furniture / Department Store
I want to start off by saying that I have nothing against furniture stores or department stores. I got my start in the furniture business and I respect all that they have to offer the consumer. With that said, when someone asks me is it better to buy a mattress from a furniture or department store, I have to give a truthful opinion and say “no”. Here are the reasons, in my humble opinion, that you should skip these stores and go right to a Mattress Gallery.
Reason #1:
Furniture and Department stores do not have enough floor space to represent a good cross section of what’s available in the mattress industry. Mattresses take up a lot of floor space. This means that there is not a wide selection and many models are shown in twin sizes. It is impossible to get a real feel for a mattress on a size smaller than a queen. Especially if there is going to be two users. Couples must try the mattress at the same time to get a feel for how the mattress responds to two users.
Reason #2:
The RSA’s at a furniture / department store have so many products to learn that it is near impossible for them to know enough about the mattress line to be of any real help. It is not their fault but in a store with hundreds of products it is hard to grasp everything one needs to know to help you find the right mattress for all your needs. A product as specialized as a mattress requires a vast amount of knowledge. That is why statistically these types of stores have a much higher return rate than that of a mattress gallery.
Reason #3:
I am sure you have heard the saying “the more you buy, the more you save.” That is certainly true at the wholesale level. Furniture / Department stores are rarely able to buy enough bulk to gain them the benefit of manufacturers wholesale discounts. A mattress gallery buys so much from each manufacturer that they get better deals at the wholesale level and can in most cases provide better discounts on the products. In a furniture store you have to spend a lot of money on other products to get a discount on a mattress.
I hope this helps. There are other reasons, but for the sake of keeping this brief I hope I have given you enough info to at least try a visit to a mattress gallery discount store in your area.
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3 Comments
Hypstir Subscriber
Great point! Seems like everything is going online but there are just certain things you have to try in person. A mattress is at the top of that list for me. And I’m not too sure I buy into the idea of the mattress or bed in a box scenario. It just don’t see how they could really last all that long after being squished into a tiny box. call me crazy. I’d much rather spend my money in a mattress gallery or showroom with a salesperson to direct me to the right solution.
Hypstir Subscriber
I found this entry very interesting. I have often wondered what would be the best way to buy a new mattress. I really like the idea of saving money at a discount club but at the same time I see tremendous value in seeing an expert in a specialized mattress gallery. Sleep is important and is probably worth paying a little extra to get properly fitted for a custom specialty sleeping surface. The best option would be to find a local mattress company that has bedding experts and factory closeout prices.
Hypstir Subcriber
Great blog! We always shop at local mattress gallery stores that have clearance and direct prices. Way better than buying from sams club or Costco. I still can’t believe that people buy these bed in a boxes either. Weird! I have to try a mattress before I buy it.