Sleep Outfitters in Turkey Creek
Sleep Outfitters has expanded to East Tennessee, opening a store in Turkey Creek.
The company, which has been in business more than 20 years, opened the Farragut store at 11651 Parkside Drive, next to La Parilla, Friday, May 19, said Hunter Grubb, manager of the Turkey Creek location.
The store carries Tempur-Pedic, Sealy and Stearns & Foster-brand beds, and it is an “elite retailer” for Tempur-Pedic.
“Some people don’t know those three brands are all tied together,” he said.
Elite retailer means, “If [a bed is] out there in these certain brands, we have access to it,” Grubb said. “Even if it’s not sitting in my showroom, if you say, for instance, ‘I want a Tempur-Pedic Grand bed,’ and that’s not a thing that’s sitting in my showroom, I can get it for you.
“Basically, we’re huge leaders in Tempur-Pedic. We are the largest Tempur-Pedic distributor in the state of Kentucky and hope to be in Tennessee,” he added. “We believe in Tempur-Pedics just because they respond to you; you are not responding to it. They contour to the body. They are just great.”
Sleep Outfitters is not the only store in this area that carries Tempur-Pedic, but it does have the largest variety, he said.
“We carry about 14 to 16 Tempur-Pedics, and that’s with cooling and not-cooling features, coils and non-coils, soft and firm, that sort of thing,” Grubb said. “We try to keep a wide variety. Personal preference goes a long way with us. We want to help people get the best night’s sleep.”
In addition to a sleep system, which may include the mattress, box spring and power base for an adjustable bed, the store also carries, mattress protectors, pillows and bed linens.
Kim Brown Knopf, the business’ founder, opened the first store called Mattress Warehouse in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1983.
“[Knopf] started this [business] in her boyfriend’s parents’ — now in-laws’ — bottom of their hardware business, selling these mattresses and delivering them in the evening,” Grubb said. “Now she has corporate offices in Lexington, Kentucky, and has expanded this company. She still owns everything.”
Sleep Outfitters now has more than 140 stores in seven states in the Southeast, he said, adding the company so far has stayed in the Southeast.
“We want to make sure we get it right at home before we start expanding outward,” Grubb said.
The move to Turkey Creek in Farragut was a good opportunity to expand the company’s market and show its process within this industry, he said, adding Sleep Outfitters also plans to open stores in Sevierville and Maryville.
“We hope to have seven or eight stores open in the Knoxville area by the end of the year,” Grubb said.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.
In moving to Turkey Creek, Sleep Outfitters is competing with other mattress companies in the area. However, “I think the experience we give is what sets us apart [from competitors],” Grubb said. “We take the time to properly fit people for mattresses. I think that’s why we are successfully able to expand.”
As for location, “We want to get in places where people are already there, where they shop,” Grubb said. “They are not going to have to go out of their way to find us. We want to bring it straight to you and be as convenient as we possibly can.”
