No matter how good a product is, if its not presented well, consumers may not even consider seeing the product. The finer details could be a game changer when it comes to consumers’ ‘acceptance for the product’. Things are not very different with mattresses either. Even mattresses developed with latest technology and high-end raw materials may not lure customers’ attention if it’s not wrapped up with good quality fabric. With more number of consumers becoming health conscious and with their increasing disposable income, the aesthetics of a mattress, especially, when its displayed at the store, holds a lot of importance. Mattress manufacturers are increasingly paying attention to the mattress design, in terms of, its aesthetics and also how it could impact the comfort and health of the end consumers.
Importance of Mattress fabric – the element of design and comfort
Mattress fabric makers have a big role to play when it comes to support manufacturers ideas about new concepts and prototypes. Manufacturers can introduce better sleep products if mattress fabric manufacturers understand the changing consumer preferences and offer best possible solutions that would support the game changing ideas of mattress manufacturers. For instance, if the mattress manufacturer has assured a warranty of 10 years to their customers, the mattress fabric should complement well with the warranty assured by the manufacturer on the mattress.
Mattress fabric plays a vital role in determining the aesthetics of the mattress. When a mattress is displayed at a mattress showroom or at a local mattress shop, wherein it is not covered with a bedcover, it is the design element of the mattress fabric that will pull the attention of the buyer. “Consumer preferences in terms of aesthetics, comfort and quality of mattress fabrics has definitely evolved in the last few years. If talk about fabric design, earlier consumer preference was more towards floral design, then they switched to geometrical designs and now we see the trend going to abstract designs. With time, design keeps evolving and it will shape up further based on the trend dominating the European and American markets. Besides that, we may also consider having some ethnic Indian design,” says K C Pooviah , Director at Jacquard Fabrics.
While comfort plays an important role in influencing buyers decision, the fabric design also carries a lot of weightage and that is the primary reason, mattress manufacturers are ready to invest more on new fabric design. “The preference for design is very high. While the bigger market players will try to bring in more exclusive designs and colours, the smaller market players will go for exclusive designs but with limited colours. So, at any point, design plays a vital role,” says Senthil Prabhu, VP-Sales at GTA CBE.
Consumer preferences and pricing
With mattress fabrics getting more priority from the end consumers, mattress manufacturers are willing to try new designs, different fabric qualities and are willing to invest those extra bucks on mattress fabrics. However, the willingness to pay better and to experiment with different types of fabrics differ in different consumer segments.
Mattress manufacturers are increasingly paying attention to the mattress design. This plays a vital role when it comes to support manufacturers ideas about new concepts and prototypes.
“We are seeing our consumers showing a lot of interest in our new collection with cooler fabric. Going ahead, we are more likely to see consumer preference going towards this fabric. If we look at different segments, the premium segment is more inclined towards the natural series like cotton, bamboo etc. As far as fabric colour is concerned, the mid segment prefers darker shades, while the premium segment is more inclined towards the shades of white,” – Prabhu of GTA CBE.
Considering there is high demand and varied preferences for mattress fabric, are mattress manufacturers willing to pay a good price for it? Answering to this question, “Three to four years back, our customers were conservative while paying up that extra amount for different kinds of fabrics. Now the mattress companies have realised that it’s not an expense and an investment. They are realizing that they are adding value to their brand by paying a bit extra for the fabric. Now, the big brands are ready to invest a better price on value addition of mattress fabric that will generate more sales for them,” explains Pooviah of Jacquard Fabrics.
The road ahead
Consumers are increasingly showing more interest in the material that goes into making a mattress. In such case, besides the aesthetics and comfort provided by the mattress fabric, the breathability offered by the mattress fabric will also get high priority among consumers. Consumers expect mattresses to be fire and stain resistant and have anti-microbial properties. Going ahead, mattress fabric manufacturers have to offer more variety to mattress makers to support their business goals. Additionally, with the mattress manufacturers increasing their involvement towards sustainable measure, sustainable fabrics is likely to see more demand from mattress manufacturers.