Dos Marcos

Sure, Amazon is going to offer a service where assemblers come into your home to put together furniture you bought online. But the e-commerce juggernaut is known for creating platforms that take cost centers and turn them into profit drivers. What does that mean for furniture and mattress retailers? Listen up and learn how to compete. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Mark Quinn sits down with Mark Chase to talk all-things Sherwood, including the company's approach to re-thinking private label programs.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

We're going to Vegas baby! That used to be a war-cry for an energy-filled bedding business crowd that was ready to tackle market, make mattress deals, and catch up with friends old and new.  What was it actually like in Las Vegas as the mattress industry returned for the first in-person market since the pandemic struck? Mark Quinn was there and has the inside scoop.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

He can predict sleep problems and he wears a mattress superhero costume--do you have someone who can top that? On this episode we get to know Andrew "Mattman" Schlesser, the world's most super human retail manager. We discuss retail education, sleep spindles, the Mattman podcast and the doorcounts dance we're challenging everyone to do. Links Mentioned In the Show: Mattman Podcast Series Doorcounts Dance Go Giver Series --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

When a customer talks about a brand or a specific store, their good encounter typically involves the sales person with whom they interacted. Thus, why wouldn't you invest in your most valuable asset--your people? This week we tackle salespeople and the importance of them developing their own personal brands and the value this provides back to you as a business and brand owner.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

We've launched the new FAM.news website. The industry's FIRST audio everywhere media hub. We know new things can be scary, so today we give you a sneak peak inside what you can expect from the Audio Stories with The FAM. Check it out at http://www.fam.news --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Is implementing change in your business optional? Sure it is. As long as you understand that ensuring your business survives isn't mandatory. Listen in as Nationwide's Mike Whitaker talks about changes unfolding in the furniture and mattress industry. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

It's time to do away with Daylight Saving Time. Any time the clock kicks us forward or back an hour, people die. Car accidents increase, heart attacks start attacking, students suffer, and people feel like junk. Even though we need to rally around a permanent clock, time changes do create an opportunity to have a conversation with your customers. Check out this audio story on fam.news for more about the history of daylight saving time. Okay, now for some good news... In this episode, we feature the musical stylings of Charlie DeCarlo. Be sure to check out his music on Spotify. Charlie's a super talented singer, songwriter, and musician who happens to be one of us! He's in the bedding business. Thanks to Charlie for sending us his tunes and letting us share his amazing work with the Dos Marcos galaxy.  One more thing...want to get Dos Marcos' #1 Amazon Bestselling book for FREE? Listen to this episode and find out how.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

It's here. The long awaited, much anticipated 200th episode of the Dos Marcos show. True to our character, we hold nothing back and even invited a few special guests from outside the industry, but who are personal fans of the show. Listen in as we toast DOS tequila shots to the journey thus far of the Dos Marcos podcast and go into detail about our new home: FAM.news. FAM.news--for all things mattress-- is the first ever, all audio platform that delivers news, relevant articles about the furniture and mattress industry, has an entire section reserved for sleep education, and is the host home of four different podcasts. Unique to the FAM is each article, news story, and sleep education piece will be an audio version of the article read aloud for you to listen to wherever you get your podcasts.  We're excited and hope you join us as a part of the FAM. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Time travel happened. We can prove it. Imagine you went to bed one night in 2021 and the next morning you'd awoken in the year 2031? What would be different? How far would technology, society, and general civilization have advanced? In 2020, we saw a glimpse of that kind of advancement for retail. In March 2020 we went to bed and in an industry where 16% of transactions occurred in e-commerce. In May 2020, that percentage had risen to over 27%. Since 2009, retail e-commerce has risen 1% per year and in 2 months, we saw a decade of growth. Retail e-commerce quite literally jumped ten years into the future. What was generally accepted business practices in March were antiquated, outdated and overall useless by June. E-commerce catapulted a decade into the future and we're still playing catch-up. How have you faired? Check out this week's episode and as we deep dive into our to stay relevant and how to gut check whether you're falling behind. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/mess

Justin Barnes is the Vice President of FurnitureLand and Ashley Homestores headquartered in Delmar, Delaware. He's an effervescent combination of purpose, energy, and vision who leads with a servant's heart.  In this dynamic episode, we talk about creating a culture of ownership, making the mattress department your office, and why you shouldn't train salespeople until they get it right—you should train them until they can't get it wrong.  Get your notepad handy because Justin drops gem after gem of wisdom and ideas.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Have you ever wondered about the man who is responsible for Mark Quinn? Wonder no more. Today, we host the man, the myth and the legend that is Mr. Nick Quinn. We chatted about the early days of Montgomery Ward, the inception of the concept of the value zone and competing with Sam's Club and how small retailers can play in the big leagues with the major players, even in a digital environment. You'll hear funny stories about Mark, but more so, you'll gain insights and pearls of wisdom provided by an industry veteran.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

It's prediction season! A listener reached out and asked, "Hey, when is Dos Marcos doing their famous predictions episode?" Here it is, in all its glory. 1) Be prepared for continued supply chain issues and watch growth of verticalization in industry. As orders go unfulfilled and manufacturing times take longer and longer to complete, we predict many brands and companies will begin internally taking steps to make their own raw materials.   2) Consolidation. We predict the big guys are going to keep getting bigger using the leverage they have to takeover larger shares of the market in everything from the supplies to small business retailers.  3) D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Brands will continue to expand.  4) Sleep behaviors and patterns will continue to evolve and sleep expertise will be sought after education.  5) Dos Marcos FAM is getting a whole lot bigger.  6) The consumer journey will continue to get much more intimate. From texting your customers for marketing to invoicing the

After being behind-the-scenes for a few months, Yo Adrienne! made her first official appearance on the Dos Marcos Show. Yo Adrienne! handles all social media, email, and much more. She told The Marks about a secret sleep survey she pushed out to her personal social media contacts and the results deserved a deeper dive.  In this episode, you'll get to know Yo Adrienne and discover what more than 400 of her friends think about sleep and buying a mattress online. Plus, the triple play foot traffic-driving idea that'll light up your sales floor, and a tip on selling better sleep that involves dirty rats.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Dos Marcos heard a dirty rumor that the guys from GoodBed.com are starting a mattress podcast. In classic schoolyard style, the Marks confront Mike Magnuson and Jeff Cassidy to get the details.  Does the industry need another mattress podcast? What will their show be about? Can the universe handle another bedding business show, or will it get sucked into a black hole of sheets, springs, foam, and fiber?  In the first season of their show, they'll talk about how COVID has affected the consumer journey, threats facing the mattress industry, and answering the question, "Is retail walking dead?"  We'll announce when the Mike It Up podcast goes live, so be sure to subscribe to this podcast for the latest. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Scott Smalling is a friend, mattress industry veteran, and the founder of Relief Bed International.  In this episode, Scott tells the story about how Relief Bed came to be, and how they're partnering with retailers and manufacturers who are looking for ways to give back—and make sure their giving magnifies their brand.  Scott believes in emphasizing the heart behind your mission. Relief Bed's model is similar to TOMS Shoe's "buy one, give one"—each time a customer purchases a pair of TOMS, a pair is donated to a person in need. In one example, Smalling shares the story of how Relief Bed partnered with Brentwood Home to give a mattress to someone in need each time a customer made a purchase -- but then they asked customers to donate more after they made that purchase. Scott discovered that 33 percent of customers would donate above and beyond to ensure their purchase paid it forward.   Smalling also touched on the ever-increasing problem of homelessness.  Based on the latest numbers, half a million people in t

This week is different. Quinn found an article that's so important for the mattress industry, we wanted to make sure you heard it.  On December 21, 2020, The Atlantic Magazine published "The Mysterious Link Between Covid19 and Sleep," a piece that highlights how melatonin could be a knight in shining armor in the fight against a raging pandemic.  The article digs into studies about how melatonin and sleep could unlock a cure and alter the long term effects of COVID. Currently there are eight clinical studies reviewing the correlation between sleep and COVID-19.  In our industry, it's important we continue highlighting the health benefits of sleep and connect them to the products we sell. It's a revolutionary time to increase our relevance with consumers. But, we have to be intentional about telling that story.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

It's a new year!  Typically, this event would usher in new resolutions, fresh goals, and some untouched challenges to tackle. We would grab a fresh piece of paper, pull a new pen from the box, and inhale a breath of fresh air before getting started.  Yet, given the recent year that  just departed, many of us aren't going through the traditional pomp and circumstance a new year brings—2021 just doesn't "feel" like new. As we sit here on January 4th, we mustn't let any emptiness of our circumstances deter us from making goals for our personal lives and most certainly our businesses. Strategy is still important, now more than ever and understanding how to tackle the coming year with both the mental fortitude to forge on as well as the adaptability to embrace whatever comes at a moment's notice will be more valuable than ever. So, as we look towards 2021, whatever your circumstances may be, memorize the following and sear it onto your heart: Action is the answer, always.  The way things used t

Adam Levene is the founder of Hero, a virtual platform that’s making online shopping more human. Used by brands like Nike, Levi’s, and Faherty, Hero works to bridge the gap between online and physical stores. We first came across Hero when Kinsley was shopping on Faherty and noticed an icon that, when clicked, popped up what looked like an Instagram story. A guy said hello and talked about the brand. When that story wrapped up another guy starting describing his favorite shirt and a bubble appeared where the user could click on that shirt and buy it. Even though all this was happening on a website, it was a wonderful and very human experience. Levene joined us to talk about trends in virtual shopping and where the connection between digital and physical commerce is headed. As more customers shop online, how will brands need to adapt—and what will customers demand from the online and in-store shopping experience? We dig into lots of trends. What’s a KOL in China and how many billions of dollars of products are

Do you work in retail? Do you love what you do? How has this year affected how you define success?  This week, we chatted with Ron Thurston author of Retail Pride: The Guide To Celebrating Your Accidental Career on what success looks like (especially in 2020) and the actions it takes to be successful in retail, regardless of the category.  Success does not necessarily equal sales. Yes, selling product is necessary to keeping a business going, but as Thurston pointed out, "There's no one resource, there's no one platform that says, 'if you do this, then you will be successful'."  Success is a mixture of factors and just because your work doesn't deliver a sale today doesn't mean it was a meaningless exercise.  Additionally, the impact you have on people goes further than you will ever know. In our conversation, Thurston mentioned fellow author Brett Russo who details her journey through IVF in her book, The Underwear In My Shoe. Russo writes an entire chapter on how, during her lowest days,