The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed us and, most especially, our lifestyles. Today, individuals prefer interacting with people through social media applications, buying and selling on the Internet, and many more to protect ourselves and our family from the COVID-19 virus.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to progress, consumers learned to adapt to the new way of living. Thus, retailers also soon learned to best cater to their target markets through online selling.
Although, there’s no denying that consumers may still want to purchase in-stores. Shopping offline or online has both benefits and negatives. To help a mattress shopper end up with the perfect mattress, this page focuses on where one can get the best deal: in a brick-and-mortar store or online?
In-store
Shopping in-store is one of the traditional ways of shopping. It’s a convenient option when you want to test a memory foam’s softness or an innerspring or hybrid bed’s bouncy effect that you know and love from your childhood.
Selection
Because the rent space limits a physical store since they need to have a showroom, the store cannot store that many mattresses; thus, limiting your mattress options.
Risk of Disease
You may risk getting the virus due to exposure to germs. You would have to drive to a store, deal with other customers and pushy salespersons. Additionally, when trying a mattress, you may expose yourself to harmful droplets and dead skin cells of other people if the bed hasn’t been sanitized after every use.
Convenience
It’s convenient since you’ve probably already experienced shopping for a mattress in-store, so you would have the knowledge and experience to do it again. Also, if the mattress store is near your home, it’s easy to drive up there and get your mattress needs.
Advantages
Online stores can’t offer customers the option to test out a mattress and see the mattress size with their own two eyes before purchasing it. Since you’re shopping in-store, you can receive the mattress within the day. Additionally, returning a bed is easy since the store is near.
Disadvantages
You may receive the mattress within the day when shopping in-store, although most physical stores will charge a delivery fee. Additionally, with numerous competition, in-store retailers would have to be situated near their target market, resulting in more effective rent. In addition to this, brick-and-mortar retailers will add price markups to these mattresses.
Online
Online shopping has been around for so long. Over the years, technology and the method of buying and selling have improved. Now that we are in a pandemic, shopping online has been more on the rise. Indeed, shopping online is a much safer and convenient option. Just by scrolling on your phone and a push of a button, you can get your order delivered to your front step.
Selection
Online retailers have a limit to their storage space. Still, online retailers don’t need to utilize a showroom since customers are shopping online. Because of the extra space we can store more mattresses and offer more selection from different brands.
Risk of Disease
When you surf for mattresses, you won’t be interacting physically with people. When it arrives in your home, sanitize the packaging properly and wash your hands after removing it; follow health protocols to reduce disease risk.
Convenience
Homeowners can easily shop for a mattress in the comfort of their own homes. They could do this while laying down in their sofas, without the need to go out – which, as we know by now, can be a risky thing to do when the COVID-19 cases are rising outside your home.
Shopping on the Internet requires little to no physical talking. You can message a staff member in customer service if you have any concerns, and that’s it!
Advantages
A physical store may charge a delivery fee. Still, you can receive your mattress in front of your doorstep without paying the delivery fee when you shop online. Did you know that when looking for the best mattresses on the e-market, most companies will offer at least 100 days of sleep trial? It’s true! Plus, returning a bed that you’re not satisfied with will probably cost you nothing!
Also, most online companies will offer warranties that last up to 10 or 20 years. That’s longer than a mattress’ expected life expectancy, which is ten years.
Disadvantages
You cannot try a mattress when you purchase online. Suppose you’re the type of person who doesn’t read that much. You rely on a salesperson to communicate the mattress descriptions to you. In that case, shopping online may be a bad thing.
Takeaway
Citizens didn’t expect that this would be our situation back when the virus first started. It’s normal to be confused with how to function by adjusting to the current situation. We may be used to shopping traditionally, in a brick-and-mortar store, in shopping malls. Still, with the health restrictions we have today, doing so may not be the responsible thing to do.
Luckily for shoppers, online mattress retailers have been around since before the pandemic, and they’ve only just strengthened their forces at the start of the pandemic. So whether or not you purchase in-store or online, know that these two have their strengths and weaknesses.
