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Rise in
Foreign-Made Bedroom Furniture Leads to Boost in Sales
of Premium Bed Support Systems
Knickerbocker’s
“Bedbridge” Becomes Standard for Several Major Retailors
As imported bedroom furniture made in China and other
parts of Asia flood the U.S. market, the Knickerbocker
Bed Company said today that sales of its premium bed
support systems have risen by 25-percent since the start
of 2004. Retailers and consumers are realizing the need
for increased support because many of these beds cannot
hold the weight of heavier mattress and box spring sets
favored by U.S. consumers.
 Knickerbocker, based in Carlstadt, N.J., has been seeing
increased retail support for its patented “Bedbridge”, a
steel support system that replaces troublesome wood
slats and attaches easily to wooden side rails. Since
the fall of 2003, such leading bedding retailers as
Macy’s and Jordan’s have adopted the program and product
sales have risen dramatically. Additionally, Simmons,
the leading mattress manufacturer, has begun supplying
retailers with the Bedbridge.
“While consumers are increasingly purchasing lower
priced bedroom sets produced overseas, they still want
the plush feel and comfort of thick mattresses that
cannot be supported by those products. The imports have
changed the emphasis of the buying decision to be based
more on visual presentation and not on the performance
of the furniture,” said Richard Polevoy of Knickerbocker.
“Research has shown that the key to a good night’s sleep
clearly revolves around comfort and support. It is
imperative to provide a structurally sound support
system that is designed to work in concert with today’s
changing bedding preferences. If a bed frame or support
system provided with a wooden bed fails to provide rigid
support, the mattress and box spring are compromised.
The Bedbridge provides the assurance that the consumer’s
increased investment will provide peak performance and
last longer,” he added.
Bedding industry experts have estimated that more than
30 percent of mattress and box spring complaints
received by retailers and bedding manufacturers each
year can be attributed to box springs sagging from
improper support. The problem has been precipitated by
the increased weight of the mattresses and box springs
being sold. As the mattress industry has developed new
and improved comfort features that enhance the sleeping
experience, the average thickness of a mattress has
grown by almost 40 percent and its weight has swelled in
some cases to almost 300 pounds. This increased burden
is transferred initially to the box spring and
ultimately to the bed frame or support system.
The problem is particularly acute with wood or metal
beds that attempt to support a new set of bedding with
simple wood slats or flimsy metal supports centered
between the headboard and footboard. With all of the
added pressure and weight, ultimately, these old
fashioned and shortsighted solutions are doomed to
failure.
The Bedbridge is designed to significantly increase
support for mattresses and box springs used in
conjunction with wood siderails, and headboards and
footboards. The patented system relies on three
heavy-duty steel beams further reinforced by a spring-
loaded tension bar to provide uniform and structurally
sound support.
Founded in 1919, Knickerbocker is the nation’s leading
manufacturer and distributor of bed support systems,
whose products are carried by such leading retailers as:
Macys, Bloomingdales, Filenes, Strawbridge and Clothier,
The Hecht Company, Famous Barr, The Bon Marche, and
Burdines. Knickerbocker invests heavily in research and
development, and has created a broad line of products to
meet the changing needs of consumers and the bedding
industry. All Knickerbocker products are manufactured in
the United States.
For more information, contact Knickerbocker at
1-800-526-6264 |
