Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
Kingsdown, Airland to Open China Locations
April 24,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on April 25, 2013
Kingsdown and Chinese bedding producer and retailer Airland will open 34 stores in 2013 featuring Kingsdowns MySide line and Bedmatch sleep diagnostics.
The Chinese demand for premium products made in the USA remains strong, and with the accelerated growth of its middle class we know were entering China at the optimal time, said Frank Hood, president and CEO of Kingsdown, Mebane, N.C. Our partnership with Airland has been a few years in the making, and were confident theyre the right licensee to represent Kingsdown. Theyve been a strong player in the sleep space since 1966 and they truly understand the research and science behind our products and how it sets us apart from the competition.
A family-owned bedding producer and retailer based in Hong Kong, Airland also is a large supplier of mattresses to high-end hotels.Airland already has opened its first two MySide branded retail locations, both in Shenzhen, outside of Hong Kong. Stores are set to open in Shanghai and Beijing by early summer. The companys goal is to place both MySide mattresses and Bedmatch sleep diagnostic technology in nearly three-dozen stores this year by targeting every major first-tier and second-tier city nationwide. Airland will secure space in mixed retail locations including furniture and fashion malls, strip malls and free standing shops.
As the program launches, four MySide product lines are being made at Kingsdown facilities in the United States and exported to China, while another five MySide product lines are being made at Airlands state-of-the-art facility in Shenzhen. Additionally, Airland will participate in joint product development with Kingsdown, with all products tested and certified by the Sleep to Live Institute.
Airland introduced MySide to dealers the recent Shenzhen International Furniture Exhibition. After sending out 1.2 million SMS text messages and 20-thousand invitations to dealers across the country, Airland had 200 staff members on hand prepared for the turnout.
Airland is committed to absolutely flood the market in order to build the MySide brand quickly and powerfully, said Hood. "The turnout in Shenzhen was phenomenal, and the market ended with 80 new dealer contracts signed and dozens more expressing interest. We are optimistic that we will see rapid growth in China."
MySide, The Sleep to Live Institutes signature product caters to couples--boasting two individual sleep zones in one mattress. The dual zones can comprise wrapped coils, 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.