The mattress industry - an introduction

No matter how much knowledge a consumer may have about mattresses,

without a way to put this knowledge to practical use by knowing where to buy a
mattress and why, this knowledge will be wasted. This is the reason for this section
of the website. In conjunction with the forum, it can provide the specifics of where to
go in any area so that consumers have a way to connect with knowledgeable and
experienced manufacturers and retailers in their area that have their customer's best
interests at heart and that they may not otherwise even find out about because they
are so often drowned out in the "noise" of misleading and misinformed advertising
and information.

There are currently over 500 mattress manufacturers in the USA and perhaps
a hundred more in Canada. While many of these represent the many subsidiaries,
hidden and otherwise, of the larger mattress manufacturers, hundreds of them are
also independent local and regional private companies that are owned by people
who love producing mattresses and have amazing value. They know their stuff and
genuinely care about the products and the value they produce. They and the better
retailers that sell them are accountable to their customers and their reputation rather
than the profit margins they "sell" to large corporate chain stores or the profits and
return on investment of shareholders and investors. In other words ... they are
"mattress people" rather than "money machines".

The larger manufacturers, also called "name brands" or "S" companies because
the names of so many of them happen to start with an "S", and the chain stores and
larger retail outlets with which they have a completely co-dependent relationship,
call these local and regional manufacturers "off brands" and in this segment of the
industry this is considered to be a derogatory term. It is equivalent of saying "stay
away" and a not so subtle way of influencing consumers not to consider them as an
option through comparative shopping. The only comparisons they were and are
comfortable with are with other mattresses ... made by subsidiaries of the same
companies ... using the same materials ... and going by a different name with
different ticking (covers) so they look like a different and "unique" mattress.

The manufacturers that produce these high quality mattresses, and the
retailers who sell them in a spirit of knowledge, service, and value deserve to be both
recognized, rewarded, and to prosper. The greatest beneficiary of their individual
success will not only be the consumers who "discover" them and buy a better quality
and value mattress, but all retailers and manufacturers who share these values, and
the industry itself. Re-connecting these three parts of the industry who share
common values and goals is the purpose of The Mattress Underground and the
reason it began. This site and the information in the forum is a way to help you
recognize and discover who and where they are.