America is a sleep-starved nation, desperately seeking new sleep solutions.
As a result, the mattress industry has experienced a huge resurgence in the past five years, with unprecedented interest from consumers and investors alike. Meteoric growth in the omni-channel format continues to fuel demand in the category. Once relegated to commodity product status, mattresses (the product) and sleep (the idea) are the subject and interest of top business magazines, books, newspapers, celebrity influencers and blogs nationwide.
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Ready to build a future in the business of sleep?
Verlo Mattress is looking for entrepreneurs like you!
Sleep is the foundation of our company.
It is what drives Verlo to seek innovation and continually improve our offerings. And it’s the reason why Verlo has expanded beyond just mattresses to the broader category of local sleep solutions. We are passionate about helping people to find the right sleep products – at the best prices.
As a vertically integrated company, our mattresses are built on-site, sold at consumer-direct prices and serviced locally with a Lifetime Comfort Guarantee. This model uniquely positions Verlo to benefit from several key retail trends, such as Shop Local, Made in America, and Handmade Products.
Verlo offers a one-of-a-kind Comfort Adjustment service, in which guests are able to have the firmness or softness of their mattress altered for free within a period of time. This gives the consumer peace of mind that they will not be stuck with a mattress that no longer addresses their sleep comfort needs..
By the way, how did you sleep last night?
- 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep.
- 45% of Americans say poor sleep affected their daily activities
- Driver sleepiness is a factor in 100,000 car accidents each year.
- Sleep deprivation cost the US over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave & property damage.
- Americans spent $41 billion on sleep aids and remedies.
Verlo History
Verna + Lois = Verlo
In 1958, Dale Williams and Guy Day started making mattresses for their furniture store in Wheeling, Illinois. The mattresses were a bigger hit than the furniture, and soon became the focus of their business. Later, when they incorporated in Wisconsin, they renamed their mattress company by combining the first names of their wives, Verna and Lois.
In bed with the Marcus Family
Verlo Mattress was acquired in 2012 by Marcus Investments, the private equity arm of the Marcus Family. The Marcus Family is also a controlling stakeholder in the Marcus Corp. (NYSE: MCS), a public company with an $880 million market cap. Over multiple generations, the Family has been tremendously successful as both a franchisee and as a franchisor.
They bring both their financial assets and operating expertise to Verlo. As investors, Steve, Greg and David Marcus take a hands-on approach to the Verlo business and provide a unique set of resources and contacts that would otherwise be unavailable to the average franchise system.
Since the acquisition, Verlo has benefited from a series of strategic investments in its IT infrastructure, operating systems, brand store environments and new product development.
Currently, Verlo has 37 locations nationwide, with a strong footprint in its home state of Wisconsin.
The Marcus Family
David Marcus and Steve Marcus, Verlo Mattress franchisors, discuss how the mattress shopping experience has changed to reflect the Marcus Family’s customer-centric approach to business. Enjoy the full heartwarming conversation between the father and son of an iconic Milwaukee family.
So much depends on a good night’s sleep.
This belief is the foundation of our company.
It is what drives Verlo to seek innovation and continually improve our offerings. And it’s the reason why Verlo has expanded beyond just mattresses to the broader category of sleep solutions, to include a SmartWake® sleep monitor, adjustable bases, pillows, protectors and sheets. We are passionate about helping people to find the right sleep products – at the best prices.
It’s also why Verlo has taken on the role of Sleep Advocates, partnering with the Sleep Wellness Institute and producing educational content & helpful sleep tips on our blog The SNewzzz.
As a vertically integrated company, our mattresses are built on-site, sold at consumer-direct prices and serviced locally with a Lifetime Comfort Guarantee. This model uniquely positions Verlo to benefit from several key retail trends, such as Shop Local, Made in America, and Handmade Products.
Verlo offers a one-of-a-kind Comfort Adjustment service, in which guests are able to have the firmness or softness of their mattress altered for free within a period of time. This gives the consumer peace of mind that they will not be stuck with a mattress that no longer addresses their sleep comfort needs.
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Verlo enjoys a cult-like customer following, with many families consisting of generations of Verlo customers. In fact, Verlo has a Net Promoter Score of 76, which ranks higher than both Apple (60) and Amazon (66).
A dreamy shopping experience.
Verlo created a mattress shopping experience unlike any other; an elevated customer experience designed to make shopping as comfortable as the mattresses – with the goal of guests feel a sense of “aah” when in a Verlo store.
Every guest touch point was carefully considered in our branded store environment, from music and lighting, to the scent diffused into the air.
A hospitality area near the store entrance gives guests a moment to gather themselves, have a refreshment and relax.
Mattress collections are designed to address specific sleep comfort needs, and are organized hierarchically on the sales floor in pod groupings – a unique concept for the industry. Icons, representing specific needs, are mounted to the pods to clearly identify the needs met by a collection so that guests can easily navigate to their perfect fit.
The sales process features technology through the use of iPads loaded with a proprietary “Sleepography” app that asks guests a few questions about their needs, and then makes mattress suggestions based on their answers.A private kiosk with fast and easy financing options contributes to the stress-free environment
And Comfort Coaches, our sales personnel, are trained to serve as professional sleep comfort experts, educating guests in a no-pressure environment.
In striving for merchandising excellence, Verlo created a mattress shopping experience that was easier and more comfortable for guests, while helping to narrate the brand and product story.
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Helping you to successfully run your business is our business.
Verlo’s Franchise Support team is your personal team of experts in product, systems, management and business – and they are there to provide training and ongoing support for your business. In fact, Verlo has a dedicated Franchise Support Call Center to directly assist you.
Verlo has developed a number of integrated tools that offer business owners an easy and reliable way to understand what is happening with their business so they can make important decisions with confidence.
As a new franchise owner, the Franchise Support team will provide in-depth training on a wide range of topics, including how to manage teams, operate a Verlo business, utilize our state-of-the-art ERP system, and follow best practices for managing delivery and inventory.
The team will be dispatched to assist with store openings, on-going support, quarterly onsite visits and phone calls. They also can assist with developing strategic goals, as well as recruiting and training new team members.
Customer Engagement
- Point of Sale System
- Estimate Process
- Service Training
- vOrders
- Delivery Tracking
Omni Channel Commerce
- Verlo.com eCommerce site
- Store Sales Dashboard
- CRM Transactional Emails
Financial Management
- Integrated Accounting System provides Financial Reporting
- COGS
- Labor Management
Sales Management
- KPIs - Close Rate, Average Ticket, $ / Visit
- Leadership Training
- Traffic Management
Inventory Management
- Integrated Purchasing
- Inventory Tracking
- Warehouse Setup
- Supply Chain Management
Rest assured, the Franchise Support team will be with you every step of the way to your success.
Finding your comfort zone.
Making an informed decision on your store location is critical. To help you analyze potential locations, Verlo has a real estate-focused staff with project management and architectural backgrounds to assist you. Our hands-on real estate professionals will work with you to:
- Assess proposed locations & analyze site selection attributes
- Assist with brand design implementation
- Conduct a thorough market analysis
Additional site selection criteria includes:
- Co-tenancy to mattress, furniture, home improvement and/or grocery stores.
- Minimum population of 125,000 people in a 20 minute drive.
- Signalized full access from arterial roadways with 20,000 cars per day or more.
- Great building & signage visibility to arterial roadways with storefront condition.
- 3.5 parking spaces per 1,000 SF minimum for whole retail center.
And once the ideal location has been found, Verlo will provide:
- Proposed exterior signage & improvements direction
- Sales fixture, finishes, equipment (FF&E) & interior signage direction
Of course, any location decision will depend on the type of Verlo Mattress store you want to open. There are 3 prototypes for a Verlo Mattress store, with each version having different space requirements:
Satellite Store
Approximately 3,500 to 4,500 square feet (SF) space, located in the center of a retail node, with a minimum retail store frontage of 30’-0” containing a 3,000 SF min retail showroom, small storage area, toilet room and janitor closet.
Hybrid Store
Approximately 5,000 to 6,500 square feet (SF) space, located in the center of a retail node, with a minimum retail store frontage of 40’-0” containing Satellite Store conditions with the addition of a Comfort Adjustment room.
Factory Store
Approximately 7,000 to 10,000 square feet (SF) space, located near a retail node, containing Hybrid Store conditions with a full assembly area & loading dock
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Supported by an award-winning marketing team
Verlo’s in-house team of seasoned marketing professionals uses smart marketing strategies and tactics to attract new Verlo guests and keep them coming back.
We utilize an inbound marketing platform that helps with lead generation, email collection, monitoring visitor behavior, conversion tracking and insightful reporting so you can fully understand your ROI.
You’ll have access to a comprehensive portfolio of effective marketing materials:
- Digital marketing campaigns, including pay-per-click (PPC), remarketing, display advertising, organic search (SEO) & landing page optimization
- Campaign builds, on-going monitoring, maintenance and optimization; monthly reporting and analysis; digital consulting
- Annual MarComm promotional calendar, including events, promotions, blog content
- Active PR campaigns with the goal of making Verlo a recognizable national brand
- Taggable television and radio commercials for use in local markets
- Social media content, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Individualized store page on Verlo’s award-winning website
- Special event promotion and onsite support
- Customized print advertisements
- Daily blog content you can share
- Product videos
