If you find yourself needing a mattress, this may be a very good time to shop. The week leading up to and through Thanksgiving, retailers are spending gobs on advertising and promoting all sorts of mattress specials. Per earlier blogs, the savings may not change that much from the rest of the year, but there is something else in play.

CHRISTMAS

For those commissioned salespeople who get paid monthly, what they sell in November directly impacts their paycheck just before Christmas. In other words, they are hungry. November is a very depressing month until the final week. There is a whole lot of pressure to hit the monthly goal, earn bonuses and sell enough so the little ones at home will have a happy holiday.

Use that to your advantage. Now don’t get silly demanding that the salesperson cut their price in half. That most likely is not an option. But extra savings on accessories, delivery, price matches etc should all be on the table. Remember, every little discount will directly impact that salesperson’s wallet. Depending on the way they are compensated and current sales prices, “free” delivery may wipe out the entire commission on a sale. Whatever negotiating is done will always hit the salesperson the hardest. You win, the retailer wins, the manufacturer wins and the salesperson gets screwed. That is just the nature of the business and why it takes a special person to thrive in this industry and not be a snake.

Having said that, if you have done your work and narrowed down your choices, you can still use comparable products and prices to your advantage. See my earlier blog posts for more details on how this works, or the page on Mattress Purchase. No salesperson worth a darn will be beat by a competitor on a comparable bed. Don’t just go by the ad you saw on TV that said, “Sealy queen set for $199.” That bed is NOT the same as the comfy 17″ pillowtop on sale for $1400.

Please keep in mind that a GOOD salesperson is worth every dime that they earn in commission. Sleep is the most important activity in your daily life. A good salesperson will get you fitted properly on the right mattress and make sure it gets to you in a timely manner. That is certainly worth the 5 or 6% they might make on a sale.

A note on Black Friday – some retailers will feature early morning discounts early Friday and Saturday. These are most likely the skankiest mattresses on the floor. That is unfortunately the reality. You are likely to save as much, if not more, on higher quality mattress sets during the prior week when every salesperson is waiting patiently for the crowds to come. But if you feel the need to just go take a look, I’m sure they will be very happy to see you.

And per my earlier blog, take a look at some of these new memory foam products and let me know what you think. I am eager to see how customers respond to these new mattresses.