The ideo Mattress

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Forget everything you think you know about buying a mattress… We chat to Robin Jones, whose ideo e-commerce start-up will deliver a high-quality mattress to your door at the click of a mouse.

Tell us about ideo?

The main idea behind ideo is the ability to deliver a high-end mattress from the factory to your door for free anywhere in South Africa, usually within two to three days, at a third of the price you would pay retail. This starts your 60-night trial, with the option of returning it free of charge for a full refund.

It came about after I needed to buy a new mattress. I visited some stores and did a bit of research online. What I found was eight or nine well-known brands that all started to look and feel the same.

I started to research mattress and upholstery materials, and learnt that mattress retailers inflate their prices dramatically. So I delved deeper and designed my own dream mattress. The idea of compressing the mattress for delivery only came later, after I came across a Chinese manufacturer that had been roll-packing foam mattresses for years.

Who are your suppliers?

Most of my components are manufactured locally in Tongaat, Pinetown, Hammersdale and Cape Town. The cover is stitched on and the mattress made in Pietermaritzburg.

What sets the ideo mattress apart from its competitors?

Cutting out the middleman saves costs, which we pass on to the consumer. Convenience, I think, also plays a big part; we have delivered quite a few mattresses to work addresses.

What are your main challenges at the moment?

Driving traffic to the website is a challenge. Social media and SEO drive most of the traffic, as I don’t advertise. Word of mouth and referrals are picking up, and customer reviews also help. Educating consumers about the advantages of an exclusively foam mattress is also important. Some people have only experienced spring and low-quality foam mattresses, and do not know that not all foam is created equal.

Find out more at ideo.co.za.