After another year of impressive growth, in which Kent-based multichannel retailer MattressNextDay saw record profits, Furniture News asked its three directors – CEO and founder Martin Seeley, CTO Jamie Latham, and CFO Stuart Rogers – about new initiatives, how the company is celebrating 20 years of business, and what the future looks like for the NBF’s Online Bed Retailer of the Year …
How has the past year been for MattressNextDay?
Martin: It’s been a great year for us. We have been enjoying continuous growth at MattressNextDay, having more than doubled our overall turnover over the last three years.
Stuart: We’ve actually seen our turnover reach £25.2m this year, which is +52% up from £16.6m in the previous year. Our gross profit percentage is up to 46.8% too, with another +52% increase in our pre-tax profit YoY, which is a huge achievement and shows that we’re well positioned for future success.
Jamie: We’ve had a +172% increase in organic traffic YoY, and our SEO visibility versus our competitors is up from +5% to +14%. This is no accident, and is down to the work we’ve put into the website. Never one for sitting still, we’ve been working hard throughout the year to implement more exciting initiatives that benefit our customers and staff alike, from sustainability to staff wellbeing.
Tell us a bit about these sustainability efforts …
Martin: We launched our #SustainableSnooze campaign in 2022 and have reached some incredible milestones in the past year. We’ve recycled over 50,000 mattresses now, preventing them from needlessly going to landfill, and became one of Ecologi’s Top 100 companies, continuing to work with them to support over 21 global projects and plant over 150,000 trees in total.
Jamie: Sustainability has been a huge focus for us in recent years, with the move to our purpose-built DC, showroom and offices giving us ample opportunity to highlight how much we care about our environment. From installing electric charging stations and LED lighting to providing our staff with reusable water bottles, and switching to eco-friendly packaging, we cut no corners when it comes to doing our bit for the planet. Our long-term goal is still to be a net-zero company, and we look forward to reaching that goal.
From left – Martin Seeley, Jamie Latham, and Stuart Rogers
What other projects are on the cards?
Jamie: Another exciting project we’ve been working on is our Staff Wellbeing Initiative (see boxout) – an employee-led venture that focuses on the physical and mental health of every single member of the MattressNextDay (MND) team. We believe our workplace is already a happy and supportive place to be, but we also know there’s always room for improvement. Our Staff Wellbeing Initiative aims to improve the day-to-day life of MND staff across every department, by implementing a variety of different things, big and small.
A team of employee volunteers meets once a month to discuss and strategise ideas that we can put into action to improve the wellbeing of our team. Our mission focuses on areas such as fostering job satisfaction, encouraging a work/life balance, and promoting professional development.
Stuart: Through this initiative, we’ve already given every staff member an extra day of leave so they can enjoy their birthday off, or take whenever it suits them. We also keep our communal areas stocked with fresh fruit, promoting healthy diets, and have allocated each department a specific training budget, which has already been used to hire speakers, book training courses, and download helpful resources.
Of course, our sustainability focus is in everything we do, so with the help of Ecologi, on top of planting a tree with every order, we’ve ensured we plant five trees per month, per employee, to help offset roughly 170 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Martin: This initiative is particularly important to me, as we’re a close-knit bunch at MND and I know every member of the team works exceptionally hard, so looking after everyone’s wellbeing is a no-brainer. It’s not always as straightforward as you might think, as everyone is different and requires different things to feel safe, happy and productive, so having a team dedicated to listening and implementing wellbeing initiatives is absolutely essential.
"The Staff Wellbeing Initiative is an employee-driven programme aimed at cultivating a supportive environment where every team member feels safe, appreciated, and able to thrive.
"The Staff Wellbeing Committee meets monthly to develop new resources and activities to help promote mental, physical and emotional wellness. From providing work/life balance workshops to stocking kitchens with fresh fruit to allocating training budgets, no idea is too big or small if it will improve the day-to-day lives of our team.
"Some of the major achievements so far include giving employees an extra paid day off for birthdays, reimbursing costs for eye exams and encouraging computer screen breaks, and partnering with Ecologi to plant trees to offset each staff member’s carbon footprint.
MattressNextDay’s employee-led Staff Wellbeing group
“Empowering employees to lead the charge ensures the Wellbeing Initiative stays tuned to staff needs and helps encourage a culture of collaboration and openness. As MattressNextDay continues its rapid growth, prioritising employee satisfaction and support isn’t just nice to have – it’s a crucial competitive advantage.“In short, our team’s welfare is our top priority. We believe that investing in their wellbeing, both at work and home, allows them to truly flourish and be their best selves.”
What other highlights have you seen this past year?
Martin: Earlier this year we were featured on ITV’s This Morning, where our very own CoolFlex Pocket Plush 2000 Memory Hybrid Mattress was tested and praised by presenters. We’re super proud of this mattress, with it winning a Which? Best Buy Award and being one of our customers’ most-loved products.
Jamie: The overall traffic and orders we’re seeing is a huge highlight for me, as it’s evidence that we’re doing things right. We’ve surpassed some of our close competitors in many aspects, and it’s a brilliant feeling knowing that our hard work is paying off.
Stuart: We’ve also continued to expand our product portfolio, adding popular brands like Jay-Be and Panda London, with whom we’re very pleased to have formed great relationships. In-house, we’ve expanded our team by +38% YoY, including the addition of a customer services manager and operations manager, who have helped manage operations and bring in their expertise during this period of huge continued growth for us.
Find out what's next for MattressNextDay by reading the full interview in July's issue.
