When GoodMorning opened its first flagship retail store at Mayfield Common last November, it marked a new chapter for one of Canada's largest online mattress retailers.
The company wasn't aiming for an immediate splash. "We wanted the store to build over time and get that exposure within the Edmonton market," says Josh Bliss, GoodMorning's retail operations manager. "It's been amazing so far." A few months in, that patient approach appears to be working: the store is consistently exceeding its targets with month-over-month growth, and the details behind the experience reveal how much thought has gone into every customer visit.
"You don't have to buy from us in-store," Bliss says. "We want you to get the right mattress. Period."
That philosophy shapes every part of the Mayfield store. A typical visit lasts 45 minutes to an hour. Staff begin by asking customers about their sleep position, their current mattress, who else shares the bed, and whether they prefer foam or springs. From there, they tailor recommendations to each customer rather than steer them toward the most expensive option.
It's a deliberate departure from the commission-driven approach that dominates traditional mattress retail. GoodMorning's staff don't work on commission, and the in-store price matches what's listed online.
Bliss says the team avoids hiring salespeople who push for a sale. "We are here to ensure a customer gets a good night's sleep. We're not here to ensure that a customer spends a bunch of money on a mattress," he says.
Bliss was the company's first retail hire. He joined after spending 15 years in British Columbia, where he opened six stores for an online sporting goods retailer in the Whistler area. Born in Edmonton, he returned to Alberta to be closer to family — and to help build something new.
The GoodMorning store employs six people, part of a retail team approaching 10 across the company's two locations — the Mayfield store and an earlier Douglas-branded location at Manchester Square. There has been no staff turnover since the retail operation launched.
"I think there's a lot of other companies out there that have a passion for selling," Bliss says. "We have a passion for providing service. And that is what I feel will set us apart."
That service extends to small touches customers might not expect. After noticing that visitors arrived bundled in winter gear with nowhere to put it, the team added coat racks and a bench with slippers near the entrance. A washer and dryer in the back of the store keeps the slippers laundered after every use. "If that's a pair of slippers that makes it feel like home, then we got that pair of slippers for you," Bliss says.
That attention to detail also shapes how GoodMorning tracks what's working. Staff ask customers how they found the store, whether through one of the company's brand websites, Google, or simply by passing the high-visibility Mayfield location. "We've become a very successful company because of all the experiments that we've done and the testing that we've done and the data that we've accumulated over all these years, and we want to do that in the retail world as well," Bliss says.
The approach is intentionally omnichannel. GoodMorning wants customers to discover its products online, visit the store, research, and reach out to customer service or the store if they have more questions. There is no pressure to buy on the spot. Every mattress purchase comes with a sleep bundle that includes a mattress protector, pillows, and sheets — with Douglas, Octave, and Logan & Cove purchases also including a duvet and duvet cover.
One of the biggest surprises since opening has been customers' eagerness to try mattresses in person. Bliss estimates 60% to 70% of customers won't buy a mattress online, even from a brand they've researched extensively. "Customers come in often and they're guarded, because they're used to a salesperson that's going to sell them something," he says. In-store, customers can experience GoodMorning's award-winning mattress collection firsthand and make a more informed choice through a customer experience built on guidance, comfort, and care rather than pressure.
That mindset also shows up when things don't go as planned. Bliss describes a couple who bought a mattress on a Friday only to have it delivered the following Monday — before they'd had a chance to remove their old one. The customer service manager arranged for assembly services to set up their new mattress. "Is that going to happen every time? No," Bliss says. "But that was the right thing to do for those customers, because … we're here to help you sleep better."
The Mayfield Common location — anchored by a Save-On-Foods grocery store with visibility from 170th Street and Mayfield Road — was chosen to attract a mix of walk-in traffic and intentional visitors. The store currently holds a 4.9 out of five-star rating on Google reviews.
For Bliss, the immediate focus is documenting every element of the customer experience into a playbook that can be replicated as GoodMorning expands. The company plans to open more GoodMorning-branded stores, though no specific next location has been announced. All products continue to be designed in Edmonton, with mattresses manufactured in factories across Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario.
GoodMorning CEO Sam Prochazka has said the company's goal is for a quarter of all Canadians to wake up on one of its mattresses by the end of the decade. Building on the more than 500,000 mattresses it sold over the past 15 years, the Mayfield store is another important step in GoodMorning's mission to disrupt the mattress industry — this time, in person.