Why Mattress Sale are Synonymous with President’s Day
A look at why mattress sales have been a fixture of President’s Day since the '70s
Why President’s Day & Mattress Sales are Intrinsically Connected
Unless you’re living under Mount Rushmore, you’ve probably noticed there is some odd connection between President’s Day and mattress sales. Like clockwork, every year when the third Monday in February rolls around, mattress are on sale. You’re inundated with reminders before the day happens. In fact, Mattress sales are a fixture of President’s Day, dating back to the ‘70s.
There are several reasons why mattress sales and President’s day align. Here they are, at a glance, and then we’ll go into more details on the most interesting aspects.
It’s a 3 day weekend
Many have already received their tax refund (seriously?! not me…)
Mattress brands want to clear out old inventory & boost first-quarter sales
This connection between mattresses and President’s Day dates back to the 1970s. That’s when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 established the third Monday of February as the official annual celebration of George Washington’s birthday. So lots of government offices and banks are closed, and it’s a federal holiday, resulting in a 3-day weekend for many. That means extra time to shop.
So mattress brands took advantage, offering extra incentives to shop during the long weekend. For brands, it’s an opportunity to boost sluggish first-quarter sales and clear out old inventory before new ones roll in during the Spring.
Mattress Sales Supported by Tax Refunds
But wait — there’s more! Apparently a new mattress is often purchased at this time of year because people are flush with cash. The holidays are over and many have already received their tax refunds.
“Who are these people that have already filed their taxes & gotten a return?”
There is so much in this that blows my mind. I get that a refund is needed — mattresses are expensive. Considering the amount of time we should be spending in bed, it’s a worthwhile investment with real return. You cannot put a price tag on quality sleep, and waking up without an achy body is bliss.
But what I’m flabbergasted by is that as of Feb. 6, nearly 23 million people had already filed their tax returns, according to the IRS. That’s about 1 million less than this time last year, which is a 5% decrease. In total, 164 million returns are expected by April 15.
So far this year, the average tax refund is $2,290, according to MarketWatch.
Who are these people? To me, this is hilarious and insane. My taxes nearly always filed on the April 15 deadline. It’s an inevitable scramble to the end and I typically owe money. I can’t remember the last time I got a refund, so clearly I’m in no rush to file that bad boy.
What About Buying Mattresses Online?
While mattress sales over the 3-day President’s Day weekend are real, it’s not like it’s the only time of year you’ll find a discount. Similar deals are available on Black Friday / Cyber Monday. Ditto for MLK weekend, Memorial Day and Labor Day. So it’s curious the trend continues.
It was one thing when you had to actually go somewhere to buy a new mattress. But now you can do it from the comfort of your own home. It will be delivered right to your bedroom with white-glove service. And you can do it all, never moving from the sofa the entire time.
A lot of marketing dollars have been spent building online mattress brands. You’re likely familiar with at least one of the notable options, including: Purple, DreamCloud and Helix.
Go Figure: nearly 65% of consumers still buy their mattress from a physical store, according to a recent study from Consumer Reports.
I get it! When we bought our new Saatva mattress last year, we ordered it online. I can’t remember why, but for some reason we decided to also go to a showroom, which was in Dallas where we live. So glad we did! We would have hated our initial purchase. It was way too hard. We needed something less firm. In store, we were able to swap out the order. My partner also upgraded us, adding a massager that is noisy and a total waste.
Apparently online mattress purchases hit a peak in 2021, according to the same Consumer Reports study. It makes sense — Covid! That year, 45% of mattress sales happened online. Last year, just 35% of purchases were made online, the lowest share since 2018.
Did you buy a mattress over the long President’s Day weekend? Share your tale!
Makes sense. I noticed the same about mattress sales and MLK, Jr. observance. First quarter sales and more folks at home (three day weekend) with time to shop.