Paper Clips

Insights that drive Packaging, Paper and Performance

The 95/5 Rule (Or Why It’s Important To Eat The Ice Cream)

The debate over the balance between short- and long-term marketing can get a little tiresome. But at its heart is an inescapable truth that has been given too little attention: People who may be in-market for your product at some point in the future, may not be in-market for your product today.

In fact, 95% of the buying universe for your product are not shopping for you now. Only 5% are.

In the mattress category, there are 134 million potential buyers in the U.S. That’s the ice cream — the universe of people who will, one day, buy a mattress.

On average they will be in the market every seven to 10 years. Right now, though, only about 14 million people are in any kind of conversation about mattresses. And a little less than 54,000 of them are ready to buy a mattress.

Clearly, 54,000 is a small piece of a 134 million person pie. But here’s the rub, as with all categories, the mattress business is experiencing hyper-competition. There are 600 national brands in the mattress category now. All 600 of them are fighting tooth and nail to win their share of those 54,000 sales.

But there’s a compound problem: just two of those companies account for 45% of all mattress sales in the category. So, the other 598 are now fighting tooth-and-nail for their share of 30,000 sales.

The 95/5 Rule (Or Why It’s Important To Eat The Ice Cream) 06/15/2026

Related Posts

Ad Market Rebounds In March, Delivers High Single-Digit Growth

March came in like a lamb and went out like a roller coaster ride in the U.S. ad marketplace, according to just-refreshed data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Tracker. The index, which decelerated to 2.4% in February -- the worst expansion since the last ad recession ended -- bounced back to a 7.8% gain in March, implying a relatively healthy signal for the U.S. ad marketplace despite continuing concerns about the nation's economy, the macroeconomy, and geopolitical instability that have some economists predicting another looming recession.

Walmart says ‘open partnerships’ are central to its AI strategy, while Amazon goes it alone

ix years ago, independent technology analyst Ben Thompson, who authors the Stratechery newsletter, wrote, “Everyone in commerce is, whether they realize it or not, in the Anti-Amazon Alliance.” At the time, he was describing how retailers and tech companies were increasingly banding together to give merchants and shoppers ways to sell and buy online without relying entirely on Amazon. Today, it also captures Walmart’s latest push into artificial intelligence, as the retailer leans into partnerships, while its biggest rival, Amazon, takes a more closed approach. On Sunday, Walmart and Google announced a partnership that brings the retailer’s shopping experience inside Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Customers will be able to search for products, assemble a basket and check out directly within the chat interface using Google Pay. The partnership, unveiled during a keynote speech at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show industry conference in New York at the Javits Center, will utilize Walmart’s and Sam’s Club’s product selections, pricing and delivery capabilities. The companies said the experience will initially roll out in the U.S., though a launch date was not shared, and then expand internationally.

Apparel sales on the rebound despite tariffs, consumer anxiety

Selling clothing is tough on a good day, given how quickly fashion tastes can shift. With tariffs and consumer anxiety adding to the level of difficulty, this year seemed destined to run roughshod over apparel retailers’ performance. Yet many have thrived. Through October, compared to a year ago, apparel sales rose every month except February, sometimes 6% or more, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In Q3, apparel retailers including Gap Inc., Urban Outfitters Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and American Eagle Outfitters posted results that defied analyst expectations.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search