028: How Saatva Disrupted the Mattress Industry and Built a $400M Brand with Ricky Joshi
Jun 8, 2023
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Ricky Joshi, co-founder of Saatva, a luxury mattress brand worth $400M, shares his innovative approach to disrupting the mattress industry. Instead of following the typical online model, he embraced white glove delivery and physical storefronts. Ricky discusses how he decides on new store locations and product lines, leveraging the marketing efficiency ratio for strategic growth. He also reveals how Saatva has doubled its Average Order Value while maintaining excellent customer service and why international expansion wasn't in their plans despite significant U.S. success.
Saatva's distinct strategy of combining physical retail with e-commerce has significantly enhanced customer experience and sales efficiency.
The company's focus on a data-driven marketing efficiency ratio has guided successful expansions and product line diversification efforts.
Deep dives
Expansion into Physical Retail
Sattva has successfully transitioned from a purely e-commerce model to incorporating physical retail stores, highlighting the effectiveness of an omni-channel strategy. The company has launched stores in major cities including New York City, Dallas, and Chicago, with plans to open approximately one store each month. This physical presence has resulted in significantly high sales figures, with the New York City store generating over $10 million in revenue annually. This expansion is supported by a data-driven approach that identifies locations where existing e-commerce performance can translate into retail success.
Marketing Efficiency Ratio and Strategic Decision-Making
A central concept for Sattva is the marketing efficiency ratio, which measures overall revenue against total marketing spend. This metric guides decision-making across different channels, enabling the company to identify areas of greater efficiency and focus marketing efforts there. The findings indicated that stores tend to yield better marketing efficiencies, prompting Sattva to increase its retail presence. Ongoing testing and experimentation remain core principles, allowing the company to adapt and refine its strategies based on real-time performance.
Customer Service Integration in Retail Locations
Sattva has innovatively integrated customer service with its retail locations, transforming stores into customer service hubs. This strategy emerged during the pandemic when remote customer service operation proved to be effective. By establishing a customer service team within the stores, Sattva minimizes the need for separate staffing, enriching the customer experience and fostering a lively store environment. This approach counters traditional retail pitfalls where sales representatives are often isolated and disengaged.
Product Mix Expansion and Average Order Value Growth
Sattva has achieved substantial growth in its average order value (AOV) by expanding its product line beyond mattresses to include bedding, furniture, and accessories. With a commitment to offering an eco-friendly and luxurious bedroom experience, the brand has doubled its AOV through add-on sales. This comprehensive product strategy aims to consolidate its market position as a one-stop shop for bedroom needs, further enhancing the brand narrative. As Sattva continues to explore product expansion and refinement, it remains focused on maintaining high-quality standards and operational efficiency.
Entrepreneurs often follow a simple code: zig while others zag.
So while the DTC mattress industry adopted the online “bed-in-a-box” model, Saatva co-founder Ricky Joshi took a different approach, prioritizing white glove delivery, 24/7 customer service and brick-and-mortar storefronts to build a $400M mattress giant.
In this episode, Ricky tells the story of how Saatva became the seventh-fastest-growing privately held retailer in the U.S. by branching beyond e-commerce and embracing physical retail.
In addition to the story behind Saatva’s growth, you’ll hear Ricky share insights on how he assesses which cities to open stores in, how to determine whether or not to add new product lines, and how Saatva has embraced different verticals to 2x their Average Order Value without losing the customer service touch that helped build their success.
Key Takeaways with Ricky Joshi
How Ricky uses the marketing efficiency ratio to determine where to double down in his business.
The one “super advantage” that e-commerce brands looking to go into retail can latch onto.
How using physical retail stores as a customer service hub can help companies get a leg up on their competition.
What are the factors to consider when determining which locations to open a retail store in?
How do you know when it’s time to take the leap to scaling?
Why hasn’t Saatva chosen to expand internationally despite their U.S. success?
How Saatva has doubled its Average Order Value over the course of its growth.
How can retail companies manage the simultaneous challenges of logistics and inventory while weighing the desire to increase product lines?
Why sticking to a game plan can help companies weather economic turbulence.
Has Saatva seen any revenue slowdown in the face of recent economic conditions?
Want the Full Show Notes?
To get access to the full show notes, including audio, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit Retention.com/28
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