From The Ethical Mattress Company:
The Ethical Mattress Company, a specialty sleep store located on Millburn Avenue and featuring mattresses, pillows and bedding made from certified organic and natural materials, is celebrating its second anniversary this month. According to Bryan Umiker, the owner and a long-time Maplewood resident, the omni-channel retailer has shipped and delivered over 2,000 mattresses since opening.
“We’re thrilled with how our store has been embraced, especially within the MapSo community. We’ve now delivered over 800 mattresses locally, from the Jersey Shore up to the Catskills, and New York City out to Pennsylvania. We really get around!” Umiker says with a laugh. “But I have to say, as nice as it is to have customers coming to us from all across the region, Maplewood and South Orange customers still represent the core of our business, and we’re incredibly grateful for their support.”
With a mission statement of “Changing the world one mattress at a time” the Ethical Mattress offers products that are toxin-free and made in the USA from natural and organic materials, ranging from mattresses to pillows, toppers, beds and bedding. “We sell great mattresses from famous brands like Avocado and Shifman, as well as a locally-produced brand called Natural Dreams. Our mattresses are all made with organic cotton, wool, natural latex and springs, and we’ve basically become the retailer-of-choice in our area for anyone looking to improve the quality of their sleep while creating a clean sleep environment.”
While area residents are the retailer’s primary focus, the Ethical Mattress has also built a thriving online business. “Our ecommerce business continues to grow at an amazing clip,” says Umiker. “People from all across the country are finding our website and selecting our products, and we’ve shipped over 1,000 mattresses to customers in all 50 states. One of my favorite things to see where all of our ecomm orders are going, and our team likes to celebrate new destinations. Alaska was the last state to order from us, and when the first one finally came though, that was a big deal!”
Umiker says the Ethical Mattress strives to provide every customer with a level of personalized service unmatched by other retailers, and that customers have taken note. “When you read our reviews, the thing that really stands out for people, and the thing I’m the most proud of, is our commitment to service. I tell our team, our goal isn’t to make a sale. Our goal is to help our customers solve their sleep problem. That starts by listening closely to their needs and using our knowledge and experience to help them find the right solution.”
While it’s difficult to provide online shoppers in other states with the same level of service, that doesn’t stop the Ethical Mattress from building a personal connection, Umiker says. “For every ecomm order we ship, I put a handwritten thank you card in the box along with my contact information, and I let the customer know they can call me directly if they have any concerns.”
A twenty-year veteran of the mattress business and former vice president for both Casper and Bloomingdale’s, Umiker has been a member of the community since 2001. He and his wife, April Heeren, have been active parents in the school district, and in 2016 Umiker worked with Kate Schmidt at the South Orange Rec Department to found the youth SOMA Flag Football League.
“Opening this store was a dream of mine since I started out in retail, and I was thrilled to be able to open our first location right next door to our community. With the things we’re doing – selling natural and sustainable products made locally, helping people get amazing and toxin-free sleep for themselves or their children – well, like our mission statement says, together we can change the world, one mattress at a time.”
