Just noticed this sale on tele regarding mattress upgrade and it caught my interest.
https://www.fortywinks.com.au/Products/Sale
First thing I do of course is check ozbargain and notice the stores been banned for representative posts lol
Despite this, is this mattress upgrade a decent deal, is it common, is there better going around?
I want a quality mattress and don't mind paying a premium but of course I want the best price I can get for said quality.
Appreciate your input.
I reckon it's alright but compared to other online brands with free returns it's really all they've got as a differentiator.
It shows what kind of markup they're making if they can sell a $3100 mattress for $1599, and still be making a decent profit.
On another point - who on earth is buying single mattresses for $1599?!
They run this same sale every few months.
I thought the same thing lol
I work in industry
Let me cover over a few misconceptions:
1) Can sell a mattress at single price and still make a profit: This is true but what you should also be aware is that the RRP is never the price a mattress is sold at. Years ago when HN got into mattresses he was selling them at half price and loosing money on every one in order to get the market share. In response the manufacturers increased their RRP so that mattresses could be sold for 50% of the RRP and still be profitable for HN. This changed the way pricing worked ever since.
2) Other companies offer free returns: Yes this is true but they also have a very subpar product compared to a traditional mattress. Chinese foam and springs, poor quality control etc. This is why the "Bed in a box" industry is sitting at a return rate around 46% where as the traditional mattress market is closer to 1.5%
NOW… Saying all this the any mattress for a price of a single is not the best deal a consumer can get
Lets say a mattress RRP is $3999
When its 50% Off (usual sale most of the year) it would be $1999
Where that $3999 mattress in a single might retail for $2499 which means you pay $500 more than you would if you got it at the usual 50% sale time.
The ONLY time AMPS deal is good is if you are buying a Super King.
and as for the margin, Retailers make more margin during the AMPS sale than they do during the usual 50% off sales etc and the margin is No where near the size people think it is (unless its an in house brand which some stores are required to show you first)
That's the first time I've heard of the Super King and now I realise I've been living like a pleb all my life.
I've wanted one for quite some time. Like, who doesn't want almost a whole room that's just bed?
Good info, thanks for taking the time to tell me 👍
Go to beds'n'dreams - try their range its great.
Hey Op- former staff here.
This sale offers really good value on King Size mattresses, often better then boxing day.
The catch is that queen mattresses in this sale are actually hundreds of dollars more then the usual sale price.
So basically great for king size, but ripoff for queen. Most people buying queens think this is a steal haha.
Most people buying queens think this is a steal haha
It is, it's just the customer who's getting robbed!
Yeah, starting to see the trend here, cheers :)
Personally I wouldn't buy from a brick and mortar store, in saying that though, I'm not too fussy about wanting to try it out.
The mattress industry is unbelievably dodgy. Choice investigation The Checkout Infotainment about mattresses
I bought a Queen Zzz Atelier mattress, I love it and it was a good price. I'm not associated but I bought it here
Everyone puts so much stock in Choice yet they require retailers to pay (quite a hefty sum) to be "choice rated" this is why Sleeping Duck for example can advertise currently they are 5 Star Rated by Choice. Those ratings are only worth the money the retailer spends on getting them. To me that screams of Cash for Comment style marketing.
The 'Recommended by Choice' program is only available to brands after they've had a product come out as one of the best performers in a test.
A brand can't just buy a high rating - it has to be earned. The firm then pays a licence fee to include this 'recommended' status in their advertising.
I can tell you 100% that’s not how it works.
You have to pay to even be considered.
Choice sells magazines with paid ads. They will always give good reviews to those that pay the most.
No, Choice magazine doesn't contain any paid advertising. What magazine are you thinking of?
Cheers, saw this exact marketing strategy for sleeping duck just now
I'm not about to throw the baby out with the bathwater but "as a guilty mum" I regret linking Choice. Disregard!
I guess not-for-profit endorsement counts for bugger all when you price out the little guys.
Oh yeah absolutely, I'm not endorsing Choice reviews at all.
There are similar articles written by others but I just linked that one because I've actually read it and I think it is objectively helpful.
As someone who works in the industry there is def some stock in what they have to say.
The industry has been a minefield for a long time.
I am grateful i work for a company who pays well and does not pay commissions so we are more about selling whats right for the consumer not whats right for the salesperson.
The industry has come a long way but def has a way to go.
We can thank Mr Harvey for the way things are these days sadly :(
A good OzBargainer wouldn't shop at Hardly Normal :P (Annoys me that they co opted that nickname, bastards!)
Get out and have a look around, you will soon see 40 winks is a rip off.
Many mattresses are the same with a different brand/name tag.
We recently bought a queen mattress in a box on ebay for a 2nd b room for $160 delivered and it is great.
There are good and bad amongst those mibs so do your homework well.
Get out and look around the retailers and see what you like, there is a lot to choose from.
Just marketing voodoo