King size profits in the mattress business

The Rs. 5,000 crore Indian mattress market of which the organised market constitutes Rs. 2,500 crore is growing at 12-15% per annum and about 70-75 % mattress sector is unorganised, still there are innumerable opportunities.

With countless brands in the mattress business, many questions arise: How much market share will the organised sector’s giants gain? Who will thrive? In other words how will the organised mattress brands sideline the unorganised brands and finally who will end up sleeping on the floor?

Most of the organised brands in this sector report bullish growth and say they aren’t threatened by the unorganised lot as they are trying their best to reach their consumer to all the cities across India via their exclusive franchisees or dealers. While the organised brands encompass  approximately about $225-270 million selling coir, rebounded foam and foam combination products which constitute to about 80 per cent of this segment. The remaining 20 per cent ($45-55 million) falls under premium and high-quality product including spring, premium foam combinations and niche products.

How are brands spreading their reach?

Metros and tier-I cities are main hub for organised sector and helps in generating volume in the range of Rs 3 - 15 lakh ($ 5500 - $ 28000) per month. As per the press release of Kurlon Enterprise Limited: “Kurlon has endeavoured to highlight the importance and create awareness of the seemingly innocuous consumer durable ‘mattress’. World class products have made Kurlon a household name synonymous with ‘Mattress’. The Kurlon Mattress Xpress is a one- stop- shop focused on shopping experience for its customer's comfort needs. It is the smaller retail adaptation of the branded retail space from Kurlon ranging between 400 - 900 square feet where customers could shop for Kurlon products like mattresses, pillows, beds, bedside tables, bed sheets, comforters, cushions, and mattress and pillow protectors.”

Not just the domestic players, but, even foreign brands are leaving no stone unturned to explore this lucrative market. US- based mattress brand Sealy is looking forward to penetrate in metros and tier-I and II cities pan- India via franchise route. When asked why the brand opted for franchise business model, Puneet Verma, General Manager, Sealy India said: “Being a premium international mattress brand we opted for franchise model as compared to the regular distribution model which is adopted by mass brands. We want to showcase all our range of mattresses where people can experience and decide on the model. We have two types of franchise format- gallery and studio. Gallery is approximately 1000-1200 sq. ft in area and 10 models are displayed. The mattress price range in the gallery is Rs 1 -10 lakh. Studio is approximately 500 sq. ft in area and five models are displayed. The mattress price range in the studio is Rs 0.5 - 1.5lac.” He further added: “We look at supporting our franchise gallery/studio at a local level to increase sales; alongside we have introduced domestically assembled range to support the long lead time for the custom sizes and to get better price point.”

Bangalore- based mattress brand Peps Industries Pvt Ltd, boasts itself to be India's largest inner spring mattress company with a product lineup that rivals the best in the world. While seeking potential franchisees and dealers for providing luxurious sleep to the customers, G Shankar Ramm, Joint Managing Director, Peps Industries Pvt Ltd said, “After gaining overwhelming responses and establishing brand in southern India, we now want to move to the north. Already our three stores are operational in Delhi but as a part of the brand’s roll out we look forward to add 20 stores in cities including Delhi and NCR, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ludhiana and many more. In a market that was focused on archaic coir mattresses, Peps blazes a trial that others are still struggling to follow.”

“Our sleep systems are crafted with 100% imported raw materials only because we truly are dedicated to craft sleep comfort products that not only meet the international standard specifications, but more importantly cater to the ever-changing needs of wide range of consumers,” he asserted.

Room for growth

Entrepreneurs seeking opportunity in mattress business have a bouquet of brands to choose from. Kurlon invites partners for franchise. As its franchisee, one will inherit the company’s great heritage and the goodwill that it has earned over the last 50 years & the brand strength.

However, Peps Industries Pvt Ltd is all set to spread its presence in north India via the franchise as well as the dealers/ distributors model. With three units in Delhi, the brand plans to open 20 more stores in different cities of north India by the end of 2015. The mattress brand currently has over 3000 dealer and distributors across south India. Now, the brand is looking for expansion in other major cities of the northern region.

Franchise facts