Started on Children’s Day last year, Beddy is a specialised mattress brand- a subdivision of Centuary Mattresses that offers a range of optimally designed bedding for babies and children. Mommy & Baby Times (MBT) had a detailed chat with Mrs. Shruti Malani, Co-Founder of Beddy about the motivation behind starting the brand, its manufacturing, market presence and the future goals of the company.
September 07, 2019
MBT: Kindly take us through the business journey of Beddy?
Shruti Malani: The idea for Beddy- mattresses suitably designed for babies and children, was conceived with the birth of my first born. Having worked in the mattress industry and heading the export division of Centuary Mattresses, I was already into exporting high quality materials for baby mattresses to Europe. It was only when I bought my son’s cot, that I realised there weren’t good mattresses available for infants and children in India. Having insight into the best practices in the baby mattresses industry world-over, the first Beddy was designed to support my son with the best materials. Understanding the dilemma that most parents faced in the absence of a reliable mattress, the idea of launching “Beddy- India’s first specialized baby and child mattress” saw light on Children’s Day- 14 November 2018. It has been heartening to see the positive response from parents, on understanding and choosing the right support for their children.
MBT: Describe the product range offered by the brand.
SM: Based on research, Beddy mattresses have the most important qualities needed in a baby’s mattress- firm, made from certified, high quality materials (mostly natural), breathable and waterproof. Beddy comes in 3 varieties; Beddy Nest – the premium Natural mattress; Beddy Blossom – for Optimal Support and Beddy Guard – the Multipurpose Mattress. Waterproof accessories like Beddy Protect – the waterproof zipped cover and Beddy Shield – Water proof Protector are also available for the consumers. Though the mattresses come in 4 standard sizes of 120 x 60 x 10 cm, 85 x 46 x 5 cm, 111 x 65 x 10 cm and 140 x 70x 10cm, they can be customized as well based on the specific requirements.
MBT: What was the primary motivation behind the inception of Beddy?
SM: In India, the importance of a separate mattress for babies is often overlooked. Due to lack of options, or awareness, parents end up making choices which may not be the best for their growing infant/child. Infants and children require a firm surface that supports their growing needs. Their mattress should therefore be neither hard, nor soft, but appropriately designed for them. Also, a used mattress or even sharing the mattress with a new born has the additional risk of making them susceptible to infections/germs that might already infest in a used mattress. In fact, the leading Paediatric Associations (such as the American and Canadian Paediatrics Associations) recommend that the babies should sleep next to their mothers- but on a separate bed. This is ideal for the safety as well as comfort of the child. The Indian consumers have been deprived of quality baby mattresses and hence we saw the potential in this segment and ventured into it.
“We are manufacturing Beddy at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of Centuary Mattresses which has a rich experience of over 30 years in mattress industry, and over a decade of experience in exporting of baby sleep-related products to European countries.”
MBT: How important do you think the right bedding is in the overall development of babies?
SM: Paediatricians regard nutrition, sleep and activity to be among the top indicators of good overall development for a baby. A baby typically spends 18-22 hours of his first few months sleeping, resulting in 70% of his development happening while asleep. During this period, their bones start fusing together, muscles gets strengthened, and their brain develops rapidly. Thus, their body needs to be aligned on a mattress suitable for them – which is firm, comprises of high-quality materials (preferably natural) and hygienic. Beddy products are therefore made from high quality materials, with special focus on use of natural and certified materials. The entire sleep environment – the room, the light, the temperature, the bed, the level of noise and of course the mattress, has a significant impact on baby’s sleep and growth.
MBT: Please outline on the manufacturing and the market presence of the brand.
SM: We are manufacturing Beddy at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of Centuary Mattresses which has a rich experience of more than 30 years in the mattress industry, and over a decade of experience in the export of baby sleep-related products to European countries.
Beddy products are available online through our website and on leading online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Pepperfry & FirstCry. We are also selling the products through retail outlets in Hyderabad. With that, we are also actively working to promote the brand through digital marketing, trade fairs (in India and internationally), consumer exhibitions and tying up with baby retail outlets and websites.
“Beddy comes in 3 varieties; Beddy Nest – the premium Natural mattress; Beddy Blossom – for Optimal Support and Beddy Guard – the Multipurpose Mattress. Waterproof accessories like Beddy Protect – the waterproof zipped cover and Beddy Shield – Water proof Protector are also available for the consumers.”
MBT: How are you planning and charting your marketing and distribution strategies to tap into the offline market?
SM: As about our offline market presence, we have started with the retail of Beddy products in the city of Hyderabad. The products are available in stores of Centuary Mattresses, as well as in a number of baby stores across Hyderabad. Eventually, we plan to extend our retail presence in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi through Centuary stores, and a number of baby stores.
MBT: What is the approximate size of the baby bedding industry in India? How do you foresee the growth and evolution in the particular market segment in the near future?
SM: The baby mattress industry in India is at a very nascent stage but has an immense potential of growing further. It is difficult to estimate the exact market size, as the industry is only just beginning to take shape.
The changing lifestyle of Indian consumers and growing awareness with higher income have created a market for quality baby products in the country. Other factors which are propelling the growth includes the shift to nuclear families, change in mindset to prioritize purchasing the best for the children and an increasing preference to make baby sleep on a separate bed.
“We have started with the retail of Beddy products in the city of Hyderabad… we plan to extend our retail presence in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi”
MBT: Share some details on the raw materials used in the product as well as on the designing of the same.
SM: All materials used in making a Beddy mattress are breathable, making it the preferred choice for babies. Beddy mattresses are made from natural rubberised coir, natural latex foam, high density profiled PU Foam, cotton fabrics and waterproof materials. The core materials used to make Beddy are certified to be “Free from harmful chemicals” and safe to use for babies by Oeko-Tex- an independent German laboratory. All components are put together to ensure firmness and optimum support for the baby’s right development. Beddy covers are skin friendly, and the mattresses are waterproof to ensure that the baby sleeps in a hygienic environment. Beddy only uses the finest materials in the making of all its mattresses.
MBT: Is there any recent development or future plans at Beddy that you might like to talk about?
SM: We intend to educate and make most Indian parent aware of the fact that separate mattress is a need and not a luxury for babies. Babies are more delicate, and their growth depends on the surface they spend most of their time. Beddy is made available anywhere in India and in different sizes as required by the customer. We intend to continue our partnerships with leading online marketplace and in addition to our offline presence in Hyderabad; we will be rolling out Beddy mattresses offline in retails stores in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.
