‘An investment’: Dubuque mattress stores adjust to changing consumer trends

❰
Jordan Sumners builds a mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners builds a mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Dubuque Mattress Factory store manager Will Dunson (left) shows mattresses to customers Dan and Brenda Story, of Apple River, Wis. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Dubuque Mattress Factory store manager Will Dunson (left) shows mattresses to customers Dan and Brenda Story, of Apple River, Wis. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners works on a building a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners works on a building a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jeremy Culbertson sews the top layers of a mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jeremy Culbertson sews the top layers of a mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners builds a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners builds a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners works on a building a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
Jordan Sumners works on a building a custom mattress at Dubuque Mattress Factory. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Kettering Telegraph Herald
❱

Posted By: BY KONRAD STRZALKA konrad.strzalka@thmedia.com November 24, 2024

Brick-and-mortar mattress stores in Dubuque say they’re continuously adjusting to market trends, especially as more customers shop for their beds online.

A 2023 survey by investment firm UBS Securities polled 2,500 consumers, and 43% of participants said they had bought a mattress online, compared to 42% from a brick-and-mortar store. This is a flip from as recently as 2021, when in-person purchases still came out on a top, though by a slim margin.

“I think (in-person shoppers) have more peace of mind,” said Will Dunson, store manager of Dubuque Mattress Factory.

Like trying on shoes

Dunson said he has noticed younger people, who oftentimes are looking for smaller mattresses to put in places like college dorms, opt to shop online.

“College season used to be a big time for us,” Dunson said. “That has definitely dwindled.”

However, Dunson said couples shopping for their primary bedroom setup still tend to shop in person.

Angie Keim, manager of Lebeda Mattress Factory’s Dubuque location, compared mattress shopping to shoe shopping.

“It’s like buying a new pair of shoes,” Keim said. “You want to go in and try on those shoes.”

Keim said the COVID-19 pandemic forced Lebeda to adjust to customers’ expectations, but that she encourages in-person shopping.

“We’ve implemented an online store … but we believe in brick and mortar,” she said. “Mattresses are an investment.”

Rod Leibfried, Verlo Mattress Factory of Dubuque owner, said trying out a mattress in store is imperative to finding the right fit.

“When (customers) come in here, we give them a comfort test,” Leibfried said. “By the time they pick (a mattress) out, they’re real confident.”

Leibfried also said in-person mattress shopping allows for better customer service, as his team is able to adjust mattresses to customers’ specifications.

Online ads get customers in stores

While Leibfried and other local industry leaders encourage in-person shopping, they use the internet to not only advertise their products but also gauge customer sentiment.

“Social media’s definitely something you got to try and do,” Leibfreid said. “You need to make sure you’re keeping up with reviews on Google.”

Keim said Lebeda’s advertising strategy is constantly changing. While the company relies on traditional TV and radio adds, it has branched out to Facebook recently.

Dunson said Dubuque Mattress Factory has invested in online media advertising, particularly to attract younger customers.

“We’re showing up on YouTube commercials quite a bit now,” he said. “We’re trying to reach millennials, people who aren’t watching the 7 o’clock news.”

Unique services keep customers happy

One thing Lebeda, Verlo and Dubuque Mattress Factory have in common is that they are not just retailers. The latter two manufacture mattresses on site, while Lebeda does so at its base location in Marion, Iowa.

“We cut out the middleman,” Leibfried said of Verlo, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in Dubuque this year.

Leibfried said because Verlo manufactures the mattresses it sells, the company can easily make adjustments and even provides home service to its customers.

“If they think they need (the mattress) harder or softer, we can go to their home and adjust it,” he said.

Lebeda specializes in flippable mattresses, Keim said. Both sides can be used, which extends the lifespan.

Keim said Dubuque’s Lebeda location has some products for sale in store, but builds most of its mattresses on demand.

“They are built when customers order them,” Keim said.

Keim said her mattresses come with a warranty for any issues, whether they stem from material defects or workmanship.

Leibfried said Verlo’s lifetime comfort guarantee offers adjustment services to mattresses even if there is nothing technically wrong with them. Depending on the model and the timeframe from purchase, the adjustment could be free.

Dunson said Dubuque Mattress Factory offers a lifetime comfort guarantee for its top 15 mattress models, meaning it will waive labor costs for adjustments to these mattresses.

“If you’re not happy with it, you’re not stuck with it,” Dunson said. “That helps us stick out.”

SHARE TWEET PIN