Bed manufacturer Hypnos safely re-opened its Princes Risborough and Castle Donington factories in May following steady demand during lockdown from consumers and retailers.
The company, which recently received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, says it saw consumer confidence and trust in the brand remain high throughout lockdown thanks to steady online sales and continued demand. The recent bank holiday weekend in particular, which saw some bricks and mortar retailers re-open, led to comparatively higher sales levels than the same weekend in 2019 for the company.
CEO James Keen comments: “There’s no doubt that over the past few months life has been very different for us all and that it’s been a real test of resilience for everyone in the industry. However, despite these challenging times, I’ve been incredibly proud to see how everyone at Hypnos has pulled together, using co-operation and flexibility to overcome challenges and continue to support our retailer network when it’s needed most.
“Having initially paused production and deliveries during lockdown, we spent several weeks in May carefully considering and planning our back to work approach following the updated Government guidelines. We are now open and manufacturing our beds and mattresses safely.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our number one priority, which is why we’ve devised a series of robust and industry-leading measures across our factories to manage all orders. These processes are enabling us to fulfil our outstanding orders for retailers, which we will have completed by the end of June.”
Hypnos has a smaller workforce in place, working with stringent safety standards to ensure all orders, as well as new demand for its sustainable beds, continues to be met within a five-week lead time.
Some of its new safety and hygiene standards include all staff in the factory wearing PPE gear, while dedicated hand sanitiser stations are spread throughout. In addition, a scheduled arrival procedure is in place and all employees are having their temperature taken through contactless methods each morning. Anyone with a temperature will be asked to go home to self-isolate.
James adds: “At times like these it’s so important we carry on supporting our retailers, which is why we’re continuing to do everything in our power to process all our orders and get them manufactured quickly and to the same high-quality and sustainable standards they’ve come to expect.”
Hypnos plans to re-open its own showrooms on 15th June.
