As a young entrepreneur, I’m continually fascinated by new businesses (big and small) and especially love learning more about the ones that are re-shaping the way that we shop, and use products and services, as consumers. Obviously companies like Uber and Air BnB are two fantastic examples of companies that have shaken up their industry, and lately I’ve started to notice a number of ads pop up in my feeds to promote an incredible new way of buying (and receiving) a new mattress.
In the past, buying a new mattress meant going to your nearest department store (or designated mattress retailer) and rolling around a million different sheet-less mattresses until you found “the one”. Then, you would have to organise a delivery and hope to God that it would A. fit in your home upon arrival and B. that you wouldn’t have to use a Sick Day to receive said mattress that you already used half your salary to pay for.
Now, a growing number of new companies are changing the way we shop for mattresses by offering well-priced, quality mattresses that you can buy online, and have arrive at your door in a little box that can even be delivered by bike. Who would have ever thought that a brand new mattress could be delivered in a tiny box and miraculously inflate in your bedroom and become the best bed ever? I certainly didn’t, but that’s exactly why this new concept has caught my attention, and the attention of many others.
As an avid supporter of Canadians brands and budding Canadian businesses, I was eager to get in touch with the team behind Endy Sleep – a Canadian company that proudly sources and assembles their products in Canada – to find out more about what their business, product and service is all about. Take a look at my Q&A with Endy Sleep’s Marketing Director and Co-Founder, Aashish Nathwani, below!
Q: Aashish, tell me a bit about your background and how you got into the mattress business:
Endy’s founders (Aashish and CEO, Mike Gettis) have a background in e-commerce sleep products, selling primarily memory foam products for over 5 years. We took our industry knowledge, combined with a digital and e-commerce background to engineer and market the Endy mattress.
Q: Why was the company Endy Sleep started and what exactly do you offer?
The entire mattress industry tends to be overly convoluted and almost purposely confusing for consumers. We wanted to simplify the mattress buying process. We took a new-age approach to an antiquated business model. We offer a premium memory foam mattress, compressed in a box (about the size of a set of golf clubs), delivered right to your door. You as the customer are in full control: you have 100 nights to try in your own home and can return it for a no-hassle refund if it turns out the Endy isn’t the right fit for you! It’s been all about empowering our customers with a seamless buying experience.
Q: What you are providing through Endy Sleep is “disrupting” the mattress industry as you say. Why do you think it’s taken so long to shake things up in the mattress world?
Overall online buying has increased in the last few years and we believe consumers are just becoming more and more educated about what is available online. For so long, it’s been difficult to communicate the fact that you can get a high-value product at a very reasonable price, without sacrificing quality. We are now in an age where this is so much information available at our finger-tips that consumers can now extensively research what is available on the market and can use peer reviews to justify their online purchase. I think a mix of education and accessibility, along with the physical technological advances within the mattress industry have helped propel this industry forward.
Q: This mattress and delivery concept is new (and exciting) but you’re not the only one out there right now. What makes Endy Sleep different?
Our Endy mattresses are proudly manufactured here in Canada which is something we take a lot of pride in and it’s a pride that we share with our customers. In terms of the product itself, we’ve gone with a very universal approach to a premium memory foam mattress, so it truly is made for everyone. Not only is the product versatile but it comes at a very competitive price-point, leveraging the Canadian dollar and Canadian manufacturing. The entire mattress buying process via EndySleep.com is seamless and is almost an expectation of today’s customer.
Q: Who is your target market? Who is buying your mattresses and why?
One of our core audiences has been millennials. As our CEO, Mike Gettis mentioned in the Globe & Mail, millennials have a higher propensity to spend more online and have seemed to adapt to the idea of getting a traditional product that we all need and buying it online.
Q: In your opinion, how is your company going to change the retail, and e-tail, landscape in Canada?
Efficiencies in how we get our “must have” products in our home is an area that is poised for exploration. As Warby Parker made buying glasses easier and Uber has made hailing a cab easier, Endy is trying to take an everyday (albeit, once every few years) purchase and make it simple. We intend to continue to lead e-commerce trends here in Canada, both in our product offering and our marketing approach.
Q: What advice would you give to new start-ups and entrepreneurs who are looking to make a splash, and make a difference in today’s market?
You have to be unique. And if you’re not unique, you have to be the best. It could be your product, your marketing, your customer service, etc – at the end of day, besides having a ridiculously strong work ethic and hustle, start-ups ultimately need to find their unfair advantage. Additionally, today’s market is all about speed – being the trend setter, not the trend follower.
Q: As a Toronto man, where are some of your favourite places to eat and hang out when you’re not working?
On any given day, you’ll find me grabbing a bite at Valdez on King, grabbing a ’tee’ from Frank + Oak or catching a Jays game over at the SkyDome (yes, I know). We are very fortunate here at Endy to be right in the hub of a lot of startups, restaurants, pop-up shops, etc. so it’s a very inspiring place to explore.
Q: If you could place an Endy Sleep mattress anywhere in the middle of the city, where would that be?
I would love to take a boxed mattress on the EdgeWalk and have it up on the CN Tower! But if that couldn’t happen, I’d have to say on display for everyone to see at Yonge-Dundas square. I’d love to just watch all the people walk by and wonder how we get a mattress into a box like that!
Q: I’m always interested to know about the sleeping habits of of busy people. What time do you normally go to bed and wake up? Do you have any night time rituals before bed?
I typically go to bed around 12-1. Wake up by 7. Before bed, if I’ve made it past midnight, I like to recap on the analytics from the day and I try to read one inspirational/positive news story. My mornings usually involve lots of coffee and taking our dog for his morning walk.
Q: If you could describe the Endy Sleep mattress in one word, what would it be?
Perfect.
Q: And in one more word, how describe how it feels to sleep on an Endy Sleep mattress:
Dreamy.
For more information on Endy Sleep please click HERE.
Thank you Aashish and Endy Sleep!
xo
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