Mattress Online has strengthened its team with six new hires as home working continues to drive retail trends.
During the pandemic, the Rotherham-based retailer saw turnover leap to £37.5m, fuelled by stay-at-home spending on DIY and homeware. The business expects this trend to continue, so has expanded its 64-strong team to 70, adding new roles in merchandise and forecast planning, product management, graphic design and content administration.
CEO Steve Adams says: “As the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated online trends, Mattress Online’s agility meant that we could continue to innovate, adapt, and stay ahead.
“We’ve seen some significant changes in consumer behaviour, and it’s estimated that consumers are spending up to +30% more time at home. That has helped drive sales, and as customers adapt to new hybrid ways of working, it looks set to continue.”
Last year, Mattress Online processed 128,500 orders from 3.1 million web visitors. The award-winning company’s investment in new roles forms part of an expansion strategy which will see a blend of online and physical shopping in key locations.
Mattress Online plans to acquire and roll out 10 brick-and-mortar stores over the next five years, making its prices, customer experience and quick turnaround times available to all, whether online or for customers looking for a more traditional, tactile experience in-store.
“There are some huge shifts in the industry at the moment,” adds Steve. “Black Friday has scaled up from being a day to a weekend to a whole-month event. Planning is a year-round necessity, and several of the roles we’ve created support these now-traditional fixtures in the retail calendar.
“We’ve also strengthened our customer service team with new recruits. Customer service is consistently at the heart of what we do – we take the time to understand and listen to our customers. I’m confident 2022 will be an excellent year where we continue to innovate and use technology in the smartest and most evolutionary ways.”
Pictured: New hires Victoria Bowden, merchandiser and forecast planner, and Dave Birkett, customer service
