In New York, bedroom furniture store lets customers nap for free

Small rentable spaces designed to allow busy workers the opportunity to get 40 winks while they’re out and about in the city have been around in countries such as Japan for a while – even London got its own sleep pods recently, courtesy of Podtime. Combining this concept with a try-before-you-buy twist, the eco furniture COCO-MAT store in New York has set up a hotel room-style space where customers can take a nap for free while also testing out the quality of their beds.

While other furniture companies might actively discourage customers from getting into their showroom beds, Greece-based COCO-MAT is enabling visitors to its outlet in New York City’s SoHo district to spend up to a couple of hours in its mock hotel suite, which features its Californian king-size bed, fresh linen, soothing music and a complimentary glass of juice. The brand also has a policy of ethical manufacturing – its beds are made of natural renewable materials and are produced in a sustainable manner, while the private bedroom is available to customers for free, unlike existing rental options. Speaking to MailOnline, founder Paul Efmorfidis said: “I have no trouble if they misuse [the service]. If you come here with your friends for a handful of naps and don’t buy anything, that’s OK.” His reasoning is that the free sleep service will get customers talking about the store with friends and Mr Efmorfidis believes that the next time they need a mattress, the first place they will think of is COCO-MAT. Customers can book themselves into the sleep suite or walk in if it is vacant. To top it off, every store serves free juice, espresso and Greek food to customers at lunchtimes.

COCO-MAT’s nap room offers free a service (where others charge) at the same time as allowing customers to try out their products. The brand believes this will increase customer engagement even if they don’t intend to buy. Could you adopt similar thinking to change the way customers think about and interact with your business?