Sleep Country is opening an “ultra-premium” location in Toronto as it looks to cater to a more upscale clientele with handmade luxury items.

The new concept store located within Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall, which the company has dubbed “the rest,” will offer unique products with a focus on luxury on exclusivity, according to a news release from Sleep Country.

“This is luxury redefined, something we’ve been talking about for 10 years,” Stewart Schaefer, president and CEO of Sleep Country Canada, told BNN Bloomberg in a television interview on Tuesday. “We think there’s an enormous opportunity in this growing section of bedding.”

The new store will offer products not available at any of Sleep Country’s other locations, including “the world's most luxurious mattresses” and other hand-crafted products, the company said.

The company said a “sleep concierge” guides customers through the selection, which includes the high-end brands Kluft, Kingsdown and Sferra, as well as custom pillows, duvets and bedding. 

MATTRESS RETAIL TRENDS

As consumers return to traditional return from the pandemic boom of online shopping, retailers like Sleep Country are refocusing their efforts on brick-and-mortar sales.

Earlier this month, Endy, one of the three primary retail branches of Sleep Country, opened its first physical location in Mississauga, Ont., as the mattress-in-a-box company found customers still prefer to experience their products before buying.

“I think folks were so immersed in online shopping throughout the pandemic, that coming out of the pandemic, there are a lot of shoppers who do want to feel and touch and go back to experiencing things in the physical space,” Alexandra Voyevodina-Wang, Endy president and general manager, told BNNBloomberg.ca earlier this month.

Last month, Sleep Country opened the first location for its Silk & Snow brand in Ottawa, marking the first brick-and-mortar store for the primarily direct-to-consumer brand.

In October, Sleep Country also opened the 63rd location for its Quebec-based brand “Dormez-vous.”  

‘CUSTOMERS ARE GOING TO INVEST IN THEIR SLEEP’

The company’s widespread expansion comes at a time of economic uncertainty, as consumers look to rein in spending amid rising costs.

“The world is a little bit scary right now, but we believe customers are going to invest in their sleep,” Schaefer said. “We’ve seen that trend since COVID and the entire luxury bedding collections are continuing to do quite well.” 

Schaefer added his company has seen a drop off in spending on its products sold for under $750, but demand remains for its luxury products.