Readers offer thoughts on white ticking ... and Pam
By David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, February 23, 2004
This week we turn things over to you, our faithful readers.
A number of you commented on our column lamenting the vast sea of white mattress ticking on retail floors. You may recall that we noted that white ticking can be quick to show signs of soiling.
A Top 100 furniture retailer wrote: "White sells! We have overcome the dirt problems with boots on the foot of the bed, improved packaging, and we sometimes spray our floor samples with fabric protection. We have reduced bedding damage by more than 40%."
A West Coast bedding producer said: "Great article about the color white in mattresses. As a manufacturer with a showroom in our facility, we have found that we periodically have to repaint the walls so that we don't get bored with the 'sea of white.' But there is a strong consumer attachment to light colors. I do not know what drives that, but I will always remember my grandfather's comments about ice cream. He always ordered vanilla because he believed it to be the most pure. 'They could hide things in the chocolate,' he said. Whatever the reason, people have become accustomed to the sea of white in ticking."
I also heard this from another reader: "To aid in your campaign (or dissuade you from further efforts), it might be helpful to know the color balance of sales in the sheet business. If white sheets are greater than 50%, you might want to concede, since the mattress color will definitely telegraph through the majority of white sheets sold today."
My response: Despite the preponderance of white sheets, I will never concede. My White Fight will continue.
Interestingly, I got a tiny bit of encouragement in my lonely crusade when I visited the bedding department in Marshall Field's State Street store in Chicago, where the sea of white abruptly gave way to some shockingly dark ticking on the Simmons Joseph Abboud line.
That ticking resembled menswear in color and style. It would look great as a suit.
The line may not be for everyone, but it certainly caught my eye. And that's my point about the value of stronger colors.
Anyway, we move on.
Our column about Pam Anderson's humorous, sex-inspired answer to a Better Sleep Council-supplied question on the "Hollywood Squares" TV game show brought this e-mail: "Well, my friend, you have done it again. I actually laughed out loud while reading a furniture magazine! (Editor's question: Is that as rare a phenomenon as this reader suggests?) I enjoyed your column on Pam Anderson's answer. If you need any additional research done in this area, please feel free to call — and send Pam my way."
Well, my friend, there are several volunteers in line ahead of you.
Thanks for the comments. Keep 'em coming.
