hundreds of retailers across Australia and New Zealand, including Harvey Norman, Forty Winks and Domayne.  The brand also has a large export division across Southeast Asia, partners with organisations such as the Sleep Health Foundation, Beyond Blue and the Australian Institute of Sport, and has a dedicated sleep wellness centre, which provides personalised consultations with sleep specialists. Its new campaign emphasises the health benefits of sleep, and endeavours to eradicate misconceptions about skipping sleep in place of other priorities. This includes tackling slogans such as “if you snooze, you lose,” and, “success doesn’t happen overnight,” which can undermine the impact of sleep on holistic health.  According to the Sleep Health Foundation, up to 45 per cent of Australians aren’t getting enough sleep, with 20 per cent suffering from insomnia, a condition that can lead to other health conditions, such as depression and post traumatic stress disorder. A.H. Beard chief executive Tony Pearson told Inside Retail that the goal of the campaign is to enhance its brand awareness, and bring a level of conscious awareness about the importance of sleep.  He cited research from the Sleep Health Foundation which shows that inadequate sleep is costing the Australian economy over $66 billion, and explained that sleep is not just the first pillar of health. Rather, it underpins everything else, including physiological recovery and mental and cognitive memory formation. “We hear, ‘sleep is for the weak’ and ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ all the time. It’s a significant issue, and one of the great concerns we have in the post-pandemic world. If anything [it’s] likely to have gotten a bit worse,” he said. “Sleep is a core human function, [but] we live in a society that makes it harder to do.” Social and business concerns According to Pearson, A.H. Beard has grown by about 35-40 per cent over the last five years across all its channels. However, like other retailers and suppliers, the business has faced complex challenges relating to labour shortages, supply constraints and costs following the pandemic. The ‘cocooning’ phenomenon, where customers were spending more time at home, and subsequently investing more in their space, contributed to growth in the sale of A.H. Beard’s beds, and peripheral products.  “I attribute most of that growth to a genuine commitment to understanding our consumer needs, and distribution partners,” Pearson said. “In all honesty, we haven’t seen that [growth] stop yet. Our average unit value is certainly up, and we’re selling a higher proportion of higher value products.” Given that one-third of one’s life is spent on beds and bedding, Pearson said he is fascinated  that it is one of the least understood products.  The essentials that are intrinsic to a good night’s sleep include avoiding disturbance, temperature regulation, adaptive support, pressure-relieving comfort, breathability and the right bedding. Pearson believes that customers who buy cheaper beds often have to buy a new bed, which costs more than initially investing in a quality product. “Very few people understand what it takes to build a high quality product, and we’re seeing penetration in this, and global markets, of much lower quality products that’s not increasing the likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep,” he said. “We have concerns from a societal perspective, but also from a business perspective that is committed to employing people locally.” Hunger for excellence Pearson said that retail volumes continue to be quite strong, and that the net migration rates, as well as number of new home builds, are expected to increase.  This, in conjunction with a return to the hotel industry, and the demand for its product in Southeast Asia, will likely lead to that growth trajectory continuing. However, a focus for the brand is solving constraint problems, such as reduced labour availability and supply chain and logistic complexity.   He believes that the prestige brand resonates with audiences who have a hunger for excellence. This audience has led downturn recoveries, and typically has higher consumer confidence, which Pearson said reduces the likelihood of the business being affected by cost-of-living pressures and downturns in the economy.  He added that his hope for the campaign is that it will lead to better sleep which, in turn, will help people become better versions of themselves.  “When you don’t sleep well, your cognitive function starts shutting down,” he said. “Just one hour less of sleep that you need a night, repeatedly, over a short period of time, increases the likelihood of depression by five times. If you keep doing that over an extended period, it leads to much more severe mental wellness concerns.  “So I genuinely hope [that awareness around better sleep] leads to a better society that’s more tolerant of each other, and we have better relationships. “It’s what our society needs; after what we’ve had to deal with in the last three years particularly.”