World of Sleep 2024 through the lens of HGH India
The 15th edition of HGH India, (2nd-5th July, Mumbai) will speak volumes about the innovations in the World of Sleep. One would witness a spectacular showcase of sleep solutions, unveiling exciting breakthroughs in the realm of rest and revitalization.
HGH India has been working with the home improvement sector for over a decade now. It is the only trade show which is designed to connect the Indian and global home product brands and manufacturers with the Indian domestic market. It integrates home textiles, home decor, home furniture & houseware under one roof to provide comprehensive sourcing solutions to retailers, distributors, importers, architects, interior designers and institutional buyers, keeping upcoming design trends in focus. HGH India is an international trade show with a focus on India.
The 15th edition, slated to take place in Mumbai, from 2nd to 5th July at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, is expected to witness over 700 exhibitors which would include leading brand manufacturers, importers, designers and OEM suppliers from across India, and 32 other countries. One can expect to discover a wide range of innovative home products for the Autumn/Winter 2024-25 sourcing season.
HGH India has always been a facilitator and catalyst of business growth for specific categories with high potential in the Indian market. One of these categories, World of Sleep, is dedicated to showcasing latest trends and innovations in the Sleep Industry in India.
Leading brands like Sleepwell, Kurl-on, Springfit, Centuary, Serta, Refresh, King Koil, Sealy, Latex Green, Flotemp Nilkamal, Peps, Simon, Spring Air, SleepMax, Repose, Fresh Up, Therapedic among others, have been showcasing technology-driven innovations at HGH India, that characterize healthy sleep.
World of Sleep pavilion at HGH India has been imparting useful information for the retailers and channel partners on innovations in sleep products like mattresses, pillows, blankets and comforters. In addition to the need of good quality of these core sleep products, brands and manufacturers are discovering the importance of products like mattress protectors, sleeping bags, sleeping pods, sleeping gadgets and the right music, light, room temperature, colours, aromas and fragrances, air purifiers etc. in ensuring a good quality sleep.
It has been encouraging to see the value that our exhibitors have found here, with year-on-year showcase and launch of breakthrough technologies and innovations in this category. For instance, who would have pictured a mattress by a brand like Nilkamal, which is essentially into plastic furniture. Innovations like Latex mattresses, horse hair mattresses, eco-friendly sustainable options, bed warmers, orthopaedic mattresses, etc. are some of the new age additions, that have been introduced at HGH India in the last 4-5 years.
The current size of the mattress market is about INR 18,000 Crores and about 1.5 Crores by units for the last year. Yearon-year growth for this segment is between 15 to 20%.
Sleep technology has changed in 2024, with some mattresses using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor sleep patterns and adjust to the sleeper’s needs. These mattresses can dynamically tweak settings like firmness and temperature based on real-time data. Smart mattresses can also adapt to your body temperature, pressure points, and sleep positions.
Unlike in India, where smartwatches are a preferred choice for health tracking, the US talks of non-wearable devices integrated into mattresses. These gadgets will measure sleep scores and offer aids for better sleep. In India, there has been a preference for traditional sleep aids like melatonin tablets and eye masks. Some mattress/sleep tech brands offer psychologist to offer free sleep counselling through their websites.
For instance, Neuma, a firmness-adjustable mattress by Duroflex, was highlighted as a solution for couples facing challenges with different firmness preferences. Additionally, there is a top-tier bed frame with features like zero gravity and massage capabilities which enhances sleep experiences. The brand also offers a twin format, so if your partner wants to sleep, he or she can sleep and you can still read your book.
Another example of a new innovation from this segment, at HGH India, is that of Sealy, as American line of mattress manufacturing high-quality luxury mattresses using its compressed cotton patent technology. Sealy has started their manufacturing unit in Hyderabad and they are launching their First (Made in India) Mattress at the upcoming edition of HGH India in July 2024.
There is certainly a need for continued investments in products, education, and messaging to make a meaningful impact on sleep awareness and health outcomes. The category of Sleep is so vast that there feels like a need to expand the showcase only for this category. It is not just mattresses and pillows but also elements like lighting, temperature, bed linen, comforters, fragrances, what one eats before going to bed, gadget exposure, blue light exposure, mattress protectors etc, all of these make a difference.
In India, though the adoption is relatively slow but the response to know more and staying aware is definitely positive. So, educating the audience how proper sleep environment and sleep cycle helps increase overall efficiency during the day and about the new innovations in the world of sleep is paramount.