Online bed and mattress store

Households buying a replacement bed, renters and students furnishing a room, and customers who prefer to order online and have it delivered.

You sell at a markup over the supplier price and charge for delivery where needed. Add-ons like pillows, toppers and protectors lift the average order.

• Building or managing an online shop
• Product descriptions and photos
• Customer service by phone, chat and email
• Working with suppliers and freight

• Australian Consumer Law: check your obligations on refunds, faults and consumer guarantees, which apply to online sellers too
• Delivery of bulky items: check freight costs, damage risk and who handles returns
• Supplier reliability: stock-outs and delays reflect on your shop
• Check product safety standards for items such as bunk beds and cots
• Public liability or product liability insurance, and GST registration once you reach the threshold
• Many shoppers want to try a mattress first, so a generous returns or trial policy may be needed, which costs money

Startup costs are typically around $5,000 to $25,000, based on estimates, depending on your website, photos and marketing, and any returns or trial policy you offer. Suppliers or a third-party warehouse can hold stock, so you need no showroom.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on your range, marketing and supplier reliability. Freight costs, damage risk and a returns or trial policy can all affect what you keep.

Check Australian Consumer Law obligations on refunds, faults and consumer guarantees, which apply online too. Also check bulky-item freight and returns, product safety standards for bunk beds and cots, insurance, and GST registration once you reach the threshold.