Kingsdown Expands Global Reach

October 8, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on October 9, 2012

Global bedding vendor Kingsdown has formed new alliances with manufacturing and retail partners in Asia and the Middle East.

The top 10 bedding producer recently signed three licensing deals granting its partners the right to manufacture and distribute select products including My Side mattresses and bedMATCH technology. The agreements will bring Mebane, N.C.-based Kingsdown's product into China, and multiple Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, while the company renews its licensee in Malaysia.

Entering the world€™s fastest-growing major retail market, Kingsdown will see its product on showroom floors in China by late October. Working in conjunction with Airland, the company will place both My Side and the bedMATCH sleep diagnostic technology in 35 stores within the first year, by targeting every major first-tier and second-tier city nationwide. Airland is securing mixed retail locations including furniture and fashion malls, strip malls and free standing shops. Additionally, Airland will participate in joint product development with Kingsdown, with all products tested and certified by the Sleep to Live Institute.

€œThis entry into China is very exciting for us, and we are confident that we found the right partner. Airland understands the My Side product and the value of the Sleep to Live Institute€™s scientific research, which sets us apart from the competition,€ said Kingsdown President and CEO Frank Hood. €œWith its large emerging middle class and the demand for American designed product, we are entering China at the optimal time and we expect accelerated growth in this market.€

In the GCC, Kingsdown signed a licensing deal with Symbol Mattress Industries LLC, and the first seven stores offering both My Side and bedMATCH opened in July in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Using a variety of retail environments, Symbol and Kingsdown will evaluate which shops are most successful before opening additional locations. Moving further into the gulf region, Symbol plans a future expansion into other countries in the GCC, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Renewing a successful licensing agreement in Malaysia that originated in 2010, Kingsdown continues its relationship with Sweet Dreams, which will have 45 stores featuring My Side and bedMATCH by the end of the year. Sweet Dreams served as the company€™s first Sleep to Live licensee and has proven to be a great partner for the company as it worked to implement an American brand into South East Asia.

€œThrough our relationship with Sweet Dreams, we learned that retailers overseas really appreciate having a Kingsdown team on the ground to help with sourcing, marketing, customer service and beyond. We are as involved as our partner wants and needs us to be and that€™s in sharp contract to many other companies. As we work to expand our global distribution we understand that each and every relationship needs to truly be a joint effort, and we have the resources to make that happen,€ said Kingsdown Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management Lee Hinshaw.

The Sleep to Live Institute€™s signature product, MySide, caters to couples--with two individual sleep zones in one mattress. The dual zones can be comprised of foam, gel, or latex and are recommended through the bedMATCH diagnostic system. bedMATCH uses 18 statistical measurements and 1,000 calculations to help consumers pick the best mattress for their body type.