Sleepy Hollow stays alert for slumber-inducing trends

The owners have been in the mattress business for 25 years.
BOARDMAN -- More than 40 percent of Americans are leading sleep deprived and stress-driven lives, say the owners of a mattress shop.
Pat and Bruce Berry, the owners of Sleepy Hollow Sleep Shops, are in the business of sleep. They are constantly trying keep up with the latest trends in the mattress industry.
Bruce Berry said, "The mattress is a relatively unappreciated utility, but everybody needs one. It's critically important to a person's health."
He said the industry is always looking for new, high-tech materials and designs to create softer, plusher materials, to provide more support and make mattresses more comfortable.
Berry and his wife, Pat, who are involved in the day-to-day operations of their five stores, have been in the business for 25 years.
Tempur-Pedic
He said one such product they introduced to their stores four years ago was the Tempur-Pedic mattress, made of Swedish memory foam that is temperature-sensitive and conforms to the body.
Berry said that even though Sleepy Hollow sells traditional mattresses, sales of the Temper-Pedic have been strong. "The sales have taken off because of the health benefits, such as promoting circulation and providing relief to individuals with neck and back injuries," he said.
"The brand-name mattresses we sell all the time is a 'need' item, but Tempur-Pedic, which is more expensive than traditional mattresses, is a 'want' item," he said.
Pat Berry added, "With our fast-paced lives, many people turn to their bedrooms as a 'refuge' for resting, reading, watching television or using their laptops at the end of a long day, and they want to be comfortable."
She said, "We sell what the consumer wants -- not what Pat and Bruce want. "
Bruce Berry reflected that consumer desires change. For example, waterbeds were once the hot trend in the bedding industry,but no more. "At one time, half of our business was selling waterbeds, then sales dropped 20 percent every year. Now they're virtually gone from the marketplace."