Posted on 07/19/2014 5:09:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In the market for a new mattress?
Look no further than Bob Manoff’s storage unit business. Yes, a business out of a storage unit. In fact, Mattress Bob (yes, that’s his name) has a collection of 11 Mira Mesa storage units that double as showrooms. Manoff stays busy thanks to word-of-mouth business or from an ad on Craigslist. Twice a week, he gets a shipment from a Los Angeles mattress maker. He’s got pillow tops, memory foam and organic cotton.
The incentive? Most of Manoff’s mattresses sell from between $100 and $700 depending on the size, so who cares that it isn’t your typical mattress showroom?
“At first, they walk down here and they think they’re going to get mugged maybe,” he said. “It’s no frills, but a very pleasant place to do business.”
It's a creative idea, but is it legal?
Yes, Mattress Bob tells us. His business is licensed with the state's Bureau of Home Furnishings, which regulates mattress stores.
As for working out of a storage unit -- or 11 -- he said he has had complaints over the years. The bottom line, though, he said is that he doesn't have the most top of the line mattresses, but he has comfortable mattresses. Manoff thought the business would last a couple weeks. Now, it’s been open seven years. If you ask him, a storage unit is the perfect business setting, complete with a beach chair in the sun. “Sometimes you just got to reinvent yourself and reinvent your business to make it work.”
And his customers (at least the folks we met) don't seem to mind the less-than aesthetically-pleasing setting. "I drove up and I was wondering what the storage unit aspect of it was," said customer Helen Smoole. "But I'm willing to try something new. Why not to save money?
YUUUUP!
Bout the same as Costco or Sams
Good for him.
.
A Brazilian hammock might be best for me, I can never get comfortable on a bed.
Thinking outside the box (spring), as it were.
I bought my mattress from Craigslist for $125. Queen pillow-top brand new in plastic wrapping, and got the boxspring for free. No shady dealing, no thugs behind the bushes. Just good-old fashioned capitalism.
LOL!
I suspect that competitors will eventually arrange for union thugs, state and federal IRS, Federal Trade Commission, EPA, and other attack dog agencies to disrupt and destroy his business.
Government has gotten WAY too big.
/johnny
Of course they will. Some a-hole will sue him because he doesn’t provide a transgender rest room complete with Charmin Ultra and a bidet.
Can’t have any more of that unbridled capitalism thingy. No sir.
Bureau of Home Furnishings? They have a bureau Bureau? I wonder if they have jurisdiction over armois.
And we're getting it dry.
/johnny
Someone should open up a coffee shop next door.
This could be the future!
lol
There’s a 7 day a week flea market I know of that has permanent vendors set up in 20 and 40’ modified shipping containers.
Everything from tires and hardware to hunting/fishing and shoes and clothes.
I just found a great marine plumber off Craigslist. He’s licensed and is gonna replace my entire waste system on our sailboat for about half what everyone else wanted. I use Craigslist alot.
Oh yeah, he is gonna do a fresh water hookup for me at no cost in the deal.
Considering the tendency of American consumers demanding to have the lowest price possible for their goods, paying a premium for your distributors showroom and overhead for employees will be something only the elite will demand.
To stick it to SleepTrain I honestly think RUSH should pick them up as a sponsor..!
A bonus could be free condoms, or something, if the customer swears he’s an idiot..?
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