Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Southerland Launches “Southerland Connects” Program
August 5,
2020 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Independent mattress manufacturer Southerland has announced a new program, Southerland Connects, to assure retailers have access to its newly introduced and updated products.
Southerland Connects is a complete plan that provides the company’s retail partners with product samples, turnkey point-of-sales materials and private, one-on-one product demonstrations for enhanced safety.
The company, with a focus on keeping customers and employees safe and in line with its COVID-19 safety protocol implemented in the spring, will not be showing at the Summer Las Vegas Market. In its place, Southerland Connects will give retailers the ability to touch, feel and experience its products and make the best-informed buying decision either by appointment one of six strategically located factory showrooms around the country, locally coordinated private regional showings or via sample reviews sent directly to dealers.
“The bedding industry’s product introduction cycle is historically driven by markets, but this year the pandemic is causing significant disruption to our customers’ buying patterns because of travel restrictions across the U.S.,” said Bryan Smith, president and CEO. “With Southerland Connects, we have developed a way for our partners to experience our products firsthand. We feel a virtual experience through a computer screen is ineffective for sleep products; therefore, we are taking market to our customers.”
While Southerland will not open its showroom in August, the company expects to celebrate the reopening of its showroom at the Winter edition with fresh new offerings from the Thermobalance and American Sleep lines.
The manufacturer's six factories in Tennessee, Arizona, Oregon and Oklahoma each have onsite showrooms. Southerland can coordinate with its customers to go to the various showrooms to receive a hands-on showroom experience, while still abiding by Southerland’s protocols and safety measures. Southerland Connects will allow retailers to experience the aesthetic, design and craftsmanship of the company’s lineup.
“Through Southerland Connects retailers will have more time with the products and with new information being released everyday about COVID-19 we believe it is best to put everyone’s health and safety first,” Smith said. “This will not be a setback, but a push forward by creating a new normal for the industry and creating more of a personal, individualized experience for our customers.”