What is the ultimate luxury? Wealthy people who seem to have everything money can buy often admit that the greatest luxuries in life are health and love. An essential component of staying healthy in our increasingly busy, digitally dominated lives is a restorative night’s sleep. We’ll talk about love later.
Founded in 1852, family-owned Swedish bed manufacturer Hästens specializes in handcrafted mattresses, renowned for their expertise and six-figure prices. They’ve been a supplier to the Swedish Royal Family since 1952, and now the world is waking up to the comfort and craftsmanship of their products.
The eye-catching blue checked bed has become a favourite with a growing number of celebrities, who have made cameo appearances in Netflix hits. Emily in Parisand a shout-out in a Post Malone rap lyric.
Fifth-generation owner and CEO Jan Ryd points out that 172 years of expert craftsmanship and the brand’s “culture of love” have driven Hestens’ success on the global stage, helping discerning consumers prioritize the importance of better sleep.
Reid joined the family business as CEO at the age of 25 and has grown Hästens from a small family-run business in Sweden to a company now sold in over 50 countries.
His book on leadership, When business is loveHis book, Hästens: Success and Growth with CSR, published earlier this year, details his self-development story and his approach to building a generational business through a love-based approach to people and purpose.Indeed, a focus on quality, brand values, customer service and sustainability was at the heart of Hästens long before CSR became a boardroom buzzword.
“It helps us to have a big vision of making the planet a better place, of empowering people all over the world to live in success, love, joy, peace and abundance, and our products are part of that,” the CEO said. Jin Daily.
This might sound a bit idealistic, but redefining mattresses from an everyday household item into the realm of aspirational luxury wellness has worked wonders for Hästens: The brand only produces on demand, with waiting lists that are months long.
“Our beds are a labor of love, made with joy and gratitude,” says the passionate CEO.
Like any venerable fashion house, Hästens’ traditional craftsmanship, quality materials and innovation represent the brand’s excellence and value to its elite clientele.
In Köping, the small village where Ryd grew up, an hour outside Stockholm, Hästens’ light-filled “Dream Factory” has the atmosphere of a quiet studio. The company employs about 300 people and is a driving force behind the growth of the local business. They tuft, assemble, and sew each mattress by hand, the way it’s been done for almost two centuries; it takes up to 600 hours to make a single bed.
Comprised of a base, middle mattress and topper, the bed is made from sustainable, natural materials like bouncy hand-pulled horsehair, wool, cotton and flax, layered with a multi-spring system. These materials naturally promote airflow to keep you cool. They also eliminate static electricity, absorb noise and vibrations, and provide deep support so you feel like you’re sleeping in your mattress, rather than on it.
Blending tradition and style, Hästen’s signature blue check pattern, introduced in 1978, epitomizes bedroom luxury. In 2020, the brand has taken this even further, partnering with interior designer Ferris Lafauli to create the premium Grand Vividus range. The bed is set on a base designed to resemble a trunk.
The 2024 China National Healthy Sleep White Paper, published by the China Sleep Research Association in March, found that Chinese people are not getting enough sleep.The average sleep time is 6.75 hours per night, well below the recommended 8 hours. 64% of respondents feel their sleep quality is poor. 2024 survey A study of young people in China found a correlation between lack of sleep and mental health problems.
Hestens entered sleep-deprived China in 2008 and joined Tmall as the e-commerce platform’s first imported home goods brand in 2020. The company will take part in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2021 and 2023, and held a themed exhibition in Shanghai last June to celebrate the 45th anniversary of two of its brand icons, the blue plaid and the 2000T bed.
A new version of the popular 2000T bed features important improvements in craftsmanship, comfort and aesthetics and will be available in China and around the world this year.
“This launch marks a major evolutionary step beyond our ongoing enhancements to deliver an unparalleled sleep experience,” said James Aschberger, chief customer and marketing officer at Hestens.
Though Ryde has a presence on Tmall, Hestens acknowledges that e-commerce is not a focus for the brand. Consumers typically prefer to book a “sleep spa” to experience the bed before investing heavily. The brand now has 40 partner stores across Asia, including a new store at Beijing’s China World Mall. “But there are still a lot of untapped spots on the map where we can grow just by building our distribution network.” [in China]” says Ryde.
Hotels are an effective partnership vehicle for Hästens, allowing customers to experience the beds and building brand awareness and trust among Chinese consumers.
“For a long time, hotels weren’t interested in sleep. They were interested in other things,” says Reid. Looking for new ways to deliver luxury experiences, hotels such as London’s Corinthia and the 15-room Hästens Sleep Spa-CBR Boutique Hotel in Coimbra, Portugal, are now touting the Hästens bed as their USP.
McKinsey’s Future of Wellness The study estimates the global consumer wellness market to reach $1.8 trillion in 2024, highlighting that sleep is consumers’ second highest wellness priority but also the area with the highest unmet need, making it a key area for market expansion.
“Consumers aren’t being educated about the importance of beds,” Ryde said. Jin Daily“The car you drive, the watch you have… these are superficially important to people. But to feel as good as possible every day, sleep is number one. People are realizing this and starting to invest in the best sleep they can. And I’m not talking about sleeping pills or supplements, I’m talking about having a bed that does it naturally.”
Presentation by Hästens.
