In this, Mattress Sales and Discounts Guide. Buying a new mattress can feel daunting, especially when considering how much money you’re investing. After all, you want one that will last a long time and be comfortable and supportive for as long as you keep it. Fortunately, you can usually get a good mattress for an excellent price, especially if you know how things work in mattress sales.
Where Are You Shopping for a Mattress?
The first thing to do is decide where you want to buy your mattress. You can make your purchase in a brick-and-mortar store, or you can buy online. Each of these has its own benefits and drawbacks, and you will need to decide what works for you.
Buying In-Store
When you buy in a store, you get to try before you buy. While you can’t spend an entire night on them, you can take as long as you need to stretch out and figure out how each bed conforms to your body. You can spend as long as you want – within reason – testing out different mattresses to see what you like and don’t like.
Buying in a store also means that you get the expertise of a salesperson who, hopefully, knows a lot about the beds sold at that store. If nothing else, the salesperson can usually point you toward literature and websites that can answer any questions about the mattresses, including what they’re made from and any certifications they might have.
On the other hand, those same mattress salespeople are known for being pushy. They may not want to give you the time you need to evaluate each mattress, and they may want you to make a decision before you’re ready. Sales people typically work on commission, which incentivizes them to push you towards more expensive options, that may or may not be great beds. This isn’t always true, but it is something common in the industry.
Outside of salespeople, another drawback of shopping in-store is that you only get to see the mattresses they have there. You don’t get to evaluate and choose between all of the options that exist.
Buying Online
If you buy online, there are so many choices out there. You can evaluate all of them and decide what will work best for you. However, some people get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available on the internet. In fact, that can be a downside of shopping online: you have a lot of choices but you may not know how to filter out the ones that won’t work for you.
When you buy online, you also get to try the mattress in your own home. Almost all online mattresses come with a trial period, the length of which varies by company. This means that you actually get to sleep on the mattress for a number of nights before you have to decide if you like it.
There’s also no one pushing you to buy when you’re shopping online. You can take all the time you need to think about your choices, do your research, and figure out what you want to buy. No one will bother you or push just to make a sale.
Many times, you can also get the best deals online, especially if you’re buying straight from the company that makes the mattress. Since they don’t have to deal with the overhead costs necessary to keep up a store, they may be able to use similar materials but charge less. This means you can get a high-quality mattress for less money.
How to Save When Shopping Brick and Mortar
If you decide to buy your mattress in a store, there are several ways to save money. Here are the best ways to get your mattress for less.
Close-Out Sales
Mattress stores are opening and closing all the time. Chances are, one near you is shutting its doors soon. Give them a visit and see if they have any mattresses you like. Remember, the closer they are to closing their doors, the better deals they will offer. You can also look for department stores or furniture stores closing, as they also sell mattresses and will be looking to offload inventory before they close.
Beware of mattress stores that always seem to be closing. Sometimes, they only change hands and remain open under new ownership. Other times, it seems like it’s just a gimmick to get you to come in and buy. The sales offered at these stores may not be sales at all, or they may be much less of a bargain than they will lead you to think.
Negotiation
Negotiating the price of your mattress is a fully accepted way to buy such an expensive furnishing. The process intimidates some people, but it can be a great way to get a better deal.
Before you go in to negotiate, decide how much you’re willing to pay for the mattress you want. Do your research and have good reasons to back up the price you want. If they can’t match that, ask them to sweeten the deal. Maybe they can throw in pillows, protective covers, delivery, and more without charging you for them.
As with any time you negotiate, be willing to walk away. If they can’t give you what you want, turn around and leave. You can try to find another store that will give you the deal you want, though many times they stop you as you’re walking out the door or call you the next day, much more willing to work with you.
Time Your Purchase
Sometimes, you don’t have to do anything other than time your purchase well in order to get a good deal. Here are the best times of year to buy a mattress in a store.
- May. Mattress companies roll out their new models in June, which means that mattress stores need to dump their excess inventory in May. You will often find some of the best deals during this month. However, do your research to make sure you’re actually getting a deal.
- Holidays and Discount Days. Many mattress stores have discounts over certain holidays. These include, but are not limited to, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the Fourth of July, Columbus Day, President’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. You can always find out about these deals in the store, or you can find them advertised in newspapers and online. Many mattress stores also have deals on Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and they may have special deals on days that are important to the company and the store (like the day the company was created). When you’re in a mattress store, you can always ask when their next discount day is.
Use one or a combination of these methods, and you can save big money on your new mattress. If you want to buy online, read on.
How to Save Online
You can save money when you buy your mattress online, too. Try one or more of these methods to get the mattress you want for less.
Referrals
Many online mattress companies make deals with other websites, offering a certain amount off on a mattress if you use that website’s link. These can be limited to certain mattresses, and usually amount to a $50-$100 dollars off the normal price of the mattress. Some of these may only be available for a limited time, so make sure you have a current link before you buy. Check the price of the mattress when you check out to make sure you got your discount.
Online-Only Promotions
You know those annoying windows that sometimes pop up when you’re trying to access a website? They can offer good deals when the website belongs to an online mattress retailer. You will probably have to put in your email address in order to get a code, but then you will save if you buy from that site. These may only be available for a limited time after you click the link, so be sure you’re ready to buy before you sign up. If you revisit a site and don’t get a pop up, email the company, tell them what you saw before, and see if you can still get the same deal. Be sure to tell them that you are ready to buy as soon as you get it!
Coupons
A simple Google search can help you find a coupon for most online mattress companies. Simply put in the manufacturer you want to buy from, as well as “coupon” and see if anything pops up. Make sure that any coupons you try to use are not expired and apply to the mattress that you are looking to buy. You can get a discount of at least $50 off with just a few seconds of work.
Buy at the Right Time
Just like in-store retailers, online retailers offer sales on particular days. Holidays are popular times for sales, as well as the following days.
- Black Friday. This is the Friday after Thanksgiving, when people do a lot of Christmas shopping. However, it’s fine to buy for yourself if you see a good deal. Look ahead, as many stores post their Black Friday deals ahead of time. But also be sure to check the website for your online mattress dealer that day, as they may post more deals then.
- Cyber Monday. This is the Monday after Thanksgiving and is one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. All sorts of companies offer deals, including the people who make mattresses. As incentives to get you to buy, they may offer a certain amount or percentage off the mattress you’ve been eyeing. Just make sure the deal pertains to the particular mattress you want.
- Amazon Prime Day. This is the day when Amazon, the online retailer, offers all sorts of deals. Since many online mattress companies also sell through Amazon, it can be a good time to get your new bed. Amazon Prime deals only last for a short time, while supplies last, and they often aren’t announced ahead of time. If you want to buy your mattress this way, you’ll need to check the site often and be ready to buy if your mattress goes on sale.
- Labor Day. Yes, it’s a holiday, as mentioned above. It’s discussed here because it is one of the single best days of the year to buy a mattress. Many online retailers offer special discounts for this day only, so it’s worth checking out if you need a new bed.
You rarely have to pay full price for your mattress. Decide where you want to buy, then use the methods outlined above to get a great deal, every time. Sleep even more comfortably knowing you saved money when you got your new bed.
