At Leggett & Platt, we have created a new product called NanoCoil, so in preparation for its release at this year’s ISPA EXPO, we did some research on industry opinion around coil counts. Using this new coil as well as two other Comfort Core® units, we were able to boost the coil count in our foam-free concept called “Superbed: The Mattress of Steel.” (You can test this bed for yourself at the Furniture Today Bedding Conference in Orlando this week.)
But does that matter to anyone?
It turns out that it absolutely does. Take a look at the infographic below.
We reached out to our 5,000-member Sleep Geek community and our LinkedIn group, Mattress Industry Executives, and asked people what they thought of using coil counts when selling a mattress. Can high coil counts build value in the mattress set and, if so, in what way?
Some people that responded were reluctant to give too much credit to coils because there are so many variables that impact the comfort of the core. If you have a lot of coils and the wire gauge is low, you can get great support, much in the same way of serving up fewer coils with a stronger wire. So really, coil count in a vacuum is inconclusive unless you start talking about coil construction, turns, and the configuration of the system. We couldn’t agree more.
But consider the following data points taken from that survey we conducted:
- 91% of industry people polled said coil counts can be used to tell a quality story
- 76% say coil counts can be used to communicate a comfort story to the consumer
- 60% of those polled say they use coil counts to build overall value in the sleep set
Not only does the industry think it matters – coil counts are very IMPORTANT when it comes to talking about a mattress. It is critical that we train people on the proper way to talk about innersprings. If done correctly, we can demystify the purchase for the consumer.
I am not saying RSAs should bring coil counts up to every consumer, because many could care less. But when you have that customer in the store asking those types of questions, you shouldn’t back down or try to change the subject. Bottom line here is to educate yourself on the innerspring core so you can communicate the right message to the right consumer. If you do it well, you can help quantify the value to your customer.
Listed below are some resources you might consider when educating yourself or your sales team. Also, feel free to subscribe to this blog and I’ll give you some tips that might come in handy.
Are there better ways to deal with coil counts? Tell me in the comments section!
- The Innerspring Story video
- The Making of Comfort Core® video
- Sleep in 60: Why Innersprings?
- Geek University
- 7 Reasons Coil Counts Matter
2 thoughts on “91% Polled Say Coil Counts Can Tell Quality Story”
I probably use the phrase coil count 1x week, or less if I’m lucky. The numbers can get jumbly for some customers especially when some brands post coil “density” and not the actual count(talk about a sly way to advertise your “good quality product”). Some consumer’s are driven to get as much information as possible and they may ask for that info. But in my opinion, it’s best to move on and ask if it feels supportive for them or not. No use explaining the coil count if they don’t like the mattress.
Great comments Andrew and I understand where you are coming from. I always default to comfort to sell the bed but to your point some people are not satisfied shopping that way and want more information. My comment for rsa’s out there is if you are asked you better have the answer or know where to get it so we want to make sure people have those resources. There are ways to talk coils without getting too technical. We also have some very good videos for people on Sleep Geek that even take a consumer on a factory tour if they are that into it. If we don’t answer the questions that the consumer has they will shop somewhere else so we want to make sure you have the right tools is all! Thanks for reading.
MQ