Snoozestation: A Leeds Mattress and Bed Retailer with a Difference

Snoozestation: A Leeds Mattress and Bed Retailer with a Difference

What Snoozestation Do

Snoozestation is a popular mattress and bed retailer based in Pudsey, Leeds, UK. Founded by Paul Holmes in 2011, the company has established a reputation for selling high-quality mattresses and beds that offer genuine value for money. Offering a range of exclusive products, including mattresses, bed frames, divans, ottoman storage beds, headboards, and accessories, Snoozestation has become a go-to store for customers looking for affordable high-quality handmade products in Leeds.

Business Strategies

Snoozestation’s approach is to provide the best possible quality, at realistic prices customers can afford. Carefully curated products to ensure that they are well made to exclusive specifications, using quality materials and manufacturing techniques to meet customers’ needs. Snoozestation sleep experts know and understand mattresses, how they’re made, filling types and manufacturing types ensuring they perform well, last well and improve the quality of customers’ sleep – which is what mattresses are really all about.

Shipping goods all over the UK (most mainland locations), in 2022 Snoozestation decided to move to being an online-only retailer, closing both their retail store and warehouse, with exclusive products manufactured quickly, to individual customer order and specification.

Owner’s Story and Motivation

Paul Holmes, was inspired to start the business after returning from living in South East Asia. Falling into mattresses by accident, he started selling graded, high-end branded mattresses that included cancelled orders, damaged packaging, end of line, discontinued, and liquidation stock. Inquisitive and amazed at the retail prices of the products, Paul investigated what was inside these products – having the ability to open mattresses, to see how they were made and what they contained, to justify the huge prices charged “the most expensive mattress we’ve had retailed at almost £30,000” he told us. Due to inconsistency with stock, Paul decided to develop his own Snoozestation products, realising high quality, handmade, traditional and beautiful mattresses and beds could be manufactured at affordable, realistic prices, “we don’t add huge margin, yet still offer old-fashioned personal service where customers can discuss their requirements, get professional, knowledgeable advice and a great product supplied, that will perform and last. It’s almost a bespoke service, without the usual bespoke prices.” Paul said.

Researching the market, Paul was disappointed with the knowledge, professionalism, and service levels on offer to customers, retailers selling and recommending products they know nothing about, stifling the customer’s ability to compare products on a like-for-like basis. Charging big prices for low/average quality products, using loose terms and marketing jargon purposely to confuse customers with a ‘smoke and mirrors’ approach, that said, there are some very good independent retailers who get drowned out by the ‘big name retailers’ spending millions on ‘tricky’ marketing campaigns, unfortunately, to the detriment of customers getting great products and value.

Challenges the Business/Market is Facing

One of the biggest challenges facing Snoozestation is competition, there are literally thousands of mattresses on offer, with so many companies advertising unrealistic offers, 50%, 60% and even 70% discounts offered, Snoozestation’s view is that if retailers are offering such huge discounts, how much margin are they actually making?

Snoozestation stay ahead with a simple approach of being transparent, on products, happy to disclose manufacturing techniques, mattress filling types (and actual filling quantity). They know the market and are 100% confident nobody is offering like-for-like quality, specification, and exceptional customer service at a lower price.

The pandemic affected the retail industry hugely, and many businesses, including Snoozestation, have had to adapt to new ways of operating, minimising their cost base and minimising the impact on customer prices. The pandemic also affected the supply chain leading to delays in product delivery and increased costs for a lot of retailers, especially those importing from overseas. Snoozestation manufacture most of their products within 10 miles of their own location, making quality control, regular factory visits and transportation simple and easy, it also reduces lead times with most products, even handmade mattresses and bedframes supplied within 7-14 days.

The Opportunities the Business/Market is Facing:

Despite the challenges, Snoozestation continue to benefit from high levels of recommendations and referrals, and there are still many opportunities with lots of attention recently on the impact of poor sleep to people’s health and wellbeing, more and more customers are becoming aware of the benefits investing in a quality mattress or bed can make, plus the trend towards online shopping, by improving its online presence and investing in digital marketing.

Another opportunity currently in development for Snoozestation is their expanded product range, adding new models and designs that offer increased choice and flexibility, plus an exciting, environmentally friendly range of products utilising recycled materials, coming soon.

Advice to Others About Business:

Paul Holmes, the founder of Snoozestation, offers the following advice to others about business:

Focus on providing quality products and exceptional customer service.

Offer transparency on products, manufacturing and materials.

Offer genuine value for money, with competitive pricing all year round, not just for special and sale events.

Invest in digital marketing to reach a wider audience, with smaller retailers, possibly working together.

Lessons Learned from Running This Business:

Running Snoozestation has taught Paul Holmes many valuable lessons about business, one of the most important is the importance of providing quality, on products and exceptional customer service. Paul has also learned the importance of adapting to new challenges and changes in the market. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught Paul the importance of being prepared for unexpected events and the need to be flexible in the face of adversity.

https://www.snoozestation.com/aboutus

https://www.snoozestation.com/mattresses

https://www.snoozestation.com/make-it-british

https://www.snoozestation.com/snoozestation-products

Nataly Komova

Nutritionist. Bluffton University, MS

In today's world, people's eating and exercise patterns have changed, and it is often lifestyle that is the cause of many diet-related illnesses. I believe that each of us is unique – what works for one does not help another. What is more, it can even be harmful. I am interested in food psychology, which studies a person's relationship with their body and food, explains our choices and desires for specific products, the difficulty of maintaining optimal body weight, as well as the influence of various internal and external factors on appetite. I'm also an avid vintage car collector, and currently, I'm working on my 1993 W124 Mercedes. You may have stumbled upon articles I have been featured in, for example, in Cosmopolitan, Elle, Grazia, Women's Health, The Guardian, and others.

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