Offers sharp values, strong retail margins
HIGH POINT — The mattress import scene is welcoming a new

player: Turkey. And some bedding observers say the country offers some of the same advantages touted by Chinese mattress producers: sharp values and the potential for strong retail margins.

Two Turkish bedding producers exhibited at the High Point Market in October. Istikbal and BRN Sleep Products, both based in Kayseri, Turkey, showed models that retail from promotional to high-end price points. Both said their value stories were well received.

Istikbal was not a new player in High Point. The company, whose products are marketed and distributed in the United States by Paterson, N.J.-based Sunset International Trade, expanded its showroom presence at the market, adding a second space in Plaza Suites.

Istikbal has gained significant attention in the U.S. market already. Its parent company in Turkey, Boydak Holdings, is a major home furnishings producer, making 6,000 mattresses a day and shipping a broad product lines to 72 countries. Istikbal says it plans to build mattresses at Sunset’s Paterson facility.

Richard Brodlieb, Sunset’s sales and marketing director, said the mattress offerings at market got positive reviews. He said the line has “tremendous value. It is over-speced and over-ticked product.”

The foam-encased models, which include encased coil, conventional coil and memory foam designs, retail from $299 up. Brodlieb said the look and specifications of the beds are so good that a $999 wholesale bed could retail for as much as $1,999.

Making its High Point debut was BRN Sleep Products, which has a broad line of bedding retailing from $199 to $1,499. Constructions include memory foam, latex, conventional coils, encased coils and coil-on-coil designs. The line touts a strong natural story with its ticking.

Larry Craver, director of sales and marketing, said the line, shown in Plaza Suites, received a “fantastic” reception. “We had a lot of interest in the line. We serve all segments of the industry, from low end to high end,” he said.

All beds are foam-encased and are made in Turkey. They can be compressed by 30%, 50% or 75% for shipment and regain their full shape when opened, Craver said.

BRN offers headboards and footboards and a full line of visco and latex pillows, and will introduce new airbed technology in the United States, he said.

The mattresses arrive in Norfolk, Va., about 18 days after they are shipped from Turkey, he said.