At 2 p.m. on the 5th, upon entering the third floor of a warehouse-style building in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, 13 beds of various kinds were laid out. It was a large-scale experience space that replicated real sleep conditions such as lighting and temperature, where visitors could lie down on a bed they liked or take a rest.
Each bed was outfitted with signature products—duvets, pillows, and mattress covers—from 13 bedding brands at home and abroad. When you lay on a bed, a tag on the ceiling listed the brand name and a QR code, allowing you to check the product on the spot or make a purchase.
According to related industries on the 6th, 29CM, a lifestyle platform operated by fashion platform Musinsa, is holding an offline pop-up exhibition specialized in the bedding category, "29 Nuphause," from the previous day through the 8th. It is an experiential exhibition designed so that bedding products mainly sold online can be touched and tried out in an offline space.
29CM said it took into account that, because bedding comes into direct contact with the skin, it is difficult to fully convey texture and density through online images alone. The feel of the bedding was divided into four types—"rustling," "soft," "plush," and "airy"—and reflected throughout the exhibition space.
At each brand's booth, visitors could compare and experience products focused on the type of feel. Some visitors touched quilts and pillows hanging on hangers or walls, while others lay down on the beds. Some brands separately displayed fabric and fill materials for duvets to show the differences in materials.
In addition to bedding, various sleep-related products were introduced. Alongside loungewear such as sleepwear and pajamas, products to decorate sleep spaces—including eye masks, rugs, and curtains—were also on display. Some brand employees wore pajamas while guiding visitors through the products, drawing attention.
This is the first time 29CM has held an offline exhibition centered on bedding. It aligns with a rapid rise in sales of sleep-related products, including bedding. Last year, transaction value for bedding such as pillows and duvets within 29CM's home category "Yigu Home" increased by more than 48% from a year earlier.
During the same period, transaction value for loungewear such as sleepwear and pajamas grew by more than 60%, and transaction value for eye masks increased by more than 95%. Home fabric products including bedding have grown into a core category, accounting for more than 30% of total transaction value at Yigu Home.
With rising interest in sound sleep, consumption aimed at improving the sleep environment is also increasing, analysts said. The sleep industry is in fact growing rapidly. According to the Korea Sleep Industry Association, the size of Korea's sleep industry expanded from about 480 billion won in 2011 to about 5 trillion won last year.
A 29CM official said, "As new terms like 'sleeponomics' (a portmanteau of sleep and economics) and 'sleepmaxxing' (maximizing sleep) emerge, interest in sleep quality is rising, and bedding is expanding beyond simple household goods into a consumption category that reveals tastes and lifestyles," adding, "We plan to continue expanding diverse offline experiences in the home lifestyle category."