Leesa Is Another Entry into the Disruptive Online Marketplace

As we have examined previously, the world of internet commerce has reshaped practically every corner of retail sales. The wrenching changes were triggered by Amazon of course, first by upending the publishing industry with the online sales of books. Consumers quickly cottoned to the concept, understanding that once they wanted a specific book, there was everyreason (other than immediate gratification) to save significantly by ordering through Amazon.

Soon airlines took notice; have you lately seen any brick and mortar airline counters outside an airport? Amazon quickly expanded its product offering, and a discerning look at their corporate logo suggests everything from A to Z is available, although founder Jeff Bezos originally claimed he envisioned a river of products flowing to customers. And to solve the immediate gratification hurdle of ordering online, Amazon more recently has raised eyebrows with their visions of drones dropping product on doorsteps within hours of an order.

More reasonable delivery options are in effect, and in an everything old is new again tautology Amazon has announced plans to open (drum roll please) brick and mortar bookstores. They are currently looking to hire managers in key locations. (In San Diego, the Amazon store will be opposite an Apple store).

This despite recent dismal holiday sales results for once mighty offline retailers like Kohl's, Sears, Best Buy and Restoration Hardware.All that retail (r)evolution has not gone unnoticed in other sectors. In one of the more improbable developments, the seemingly staid mattress business has seen an online upheaval.

One such newcomer is Leesa, a Virginia-based company. Leesa emphasizes its global sustainability and community-friendly mindset. Commendably, for every ten mattresses sold, the company donates one mattress to community organizations (such as emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, addiction recovery programs and respite care programs).

The company uses a discerning set of criteria to ensure the maximum positive effect of their mattress donations. Thus far they have given away 3000 mattresses.Leesa couples those efforts with local volunteerism (food banks, shelters) and a very green program of planting one tree for every mattress sold.

The company has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation, committing to plant 1 million trees by 2025. That equates to a lot of online mattress sales.The company claims to have sold over $30 million in mattresses in the US and UK thus far.

The company is expanding its sales footprint into Canada, partnering with Ottawa-based Shopify. I tried Leesas simple online ordering process. The prices were about a third of what is found in traditional brick and mortar stores.

The box soon arrived (via free shipping), and I peeled the air tight wrapping off the compressed mattress. Soon the three layers expanded: a 2 top layer of cooling foam, a 2 middle layer for contouring pressure relief and a dense 6 foam core support. It was a breeze to position the mattress on our existing frame.

Leesa has a fully made in America production process and 100 night free return policy. Most critically, we found the Leesa mattress incredibly comfortable. Ongoing research confirms that high ambient temperatures deter a solid nights rest, and the Leesa indeed avoided the tendency of traditional mattresses to overheat through the night.

Its medium firm support is ideal for me, although other brands allow varying degrees of firmness customization.Leesa has certainly tapped into several significant trends: ease of online ordering, free shipping, customers attraction to companies who give back, risk-free trial period and most importantly a strong quality/value ratio.