News

Target goes to the mat with mattress startup

July 6, 2017

Shoppers browsing Target's aisles can now check out Casper Mattress mattresses and bedding as the retailer is teaming up with the start-up to sell its wares.

The three-year-old startup doesn't boast any brick-and-mortar locations of its own, having been focused on direct ecommerce to consumers. It made a similar move with West Elm just a year ago. The Target partnership, according to a Consumer Reports report, reveals both retailers see big wins in the collaboration.

The twin and XL twin mattresses are part of Target's latest marketing focus on the college student crowd.

Collaborating with retail brick and mortars is all about Casper's "different view" as a disruptive force in a longstanding and competitive mattress industry.

Casper co-founder and CEO Philip Krim, as RetailCustomerExperience reported last summer, believes consumers want a better product and don't enjoy the current mattress buying experience.

"Everyone hates the traditional mattress store experience," said Krim during a chat session at a ShopTalk event in Las Vegas. "We want a memorable experience for consumers to remember," he said.

"We control the product, and that's the difference," he said. "We always knew that we wanted a long-term relationship with our shoppers."