Meet Mike: the Managing Director helping more people get a decent night’s sleep

• Business name: The Sleep People

• Industry: Home furnishing

• Founded in: 2014

• Top business products: Business banking

• Key learning: “By building a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement, we’ve empowered our teams to adapt quickly and maintain both quality and efficiency.”

Yorkshire-based The Sleep People, founded in 2014, now produces more than 1,400 mattresses a day across brands including Starlight Beds, The Foam People and Extreme Comfort.

Built on the belief that quality sleep should be accessible at every budget, the company combines traditional hand-crafted manufacturing with modern e-commerce, supplying mattresses and bedding to customers across the UK. 

Alongside its commercial growth, The Sleep People has also developed a strong focus on community impact, supporting local charities, tackling sleep poverty, and creating employment opportunities across Yorkshire.

We spoke to Mike Worden, Managing Director of The Sleep People, to learn how he has helped scale the business, why he’s embraced new sales channels, and how the company balances growth with a commitment to quality, affordability, and social responsibility.

What inspired you to create The Sleep People, and how did your previous experience in the bedding industry shape your approach?

The Sleep People was founded on a simple belief: high-quality sleep shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for those with the deepest pockets. Growing up in Yorkshire, I developed a strong appreciation for community, craftsmanship and resilience, and I wanted to build a business that reflected those values while also giving back. We combine traditional hand-stitched craftsmanship with modern innovation, ensuring every product delivers comfort, durability and value, regardless of price point.

While my background spans establishing and scaling value-driven businesses across multiple sectors, that experience shaped how I approached this industry, focusing on operational discipline, product value and long-term growth.

How did you realise there was a gap in the mattress market, and what made you think it was the right opportunity to pursue?

There’s a common perception that a mattress is just a commodity, but we spend at least a third of our lives lying on one. That has a direct impact on both physical and mental wellbeing.

I firmly believe that a high level of comfort and rest shouldn’t be reserved only for the most expensive mattresses or those with the resources to afford them. While there are cost constraints, our ethos has always been that every product, at every price point, should contain the best possible components we can source. 

That combination of high impact on daily life and a gap in accessible quality made it a compelling opportunity.

Combining multiple brands under The Sleep People must have been challenging. What were the biggest hurdles, and how did you overcome them?

Bringing multiple brands together was definitely a challenge at first. Each brand had its own systems, processes, and way of working, so making everything work together smoothly took time.

One of the biggest focuses for us was keeping each brand’s identity while improving operations behind the scenes. We worked closely across all teams to simplify processes, improve communication, and create more consistency across the business. Over time, this has helped us become more efficient, improve customer experience, and support growth.

Selling on Temu boosted your sales quickly. What made you decide to use the platform, and how has it impacted growth?

We joined Temu in early 2025, and the decision was driven by its growing customer base, strong marketing reach and a highly supportive account team. The platform’s cost-efficient service fee and heavy investment in customer acquisition also made it an extremely attractive proposition, as it lowers barriers for sellers and drives meaningful traffic.

The impact has been significant. We’ve seen a clear uplift in online traffic and access to new, value-conscious customer segments that we couldn’t easily reach before. In one instance, a single campaign drove a 27% increase in mattress sales over a three-week period.

Importantly, Temu has also helped us utilise spare manufacturing capacity. We produce around 1,400 mattresses a day, and previously we faced challenges moving surplus stock. Since joining the platform, that concern has largely disappeared, giving us a reliable channel to drive consistent volume and growth. That's made a real difference.

What have been the key milestones in The Sleep People’s journey so far, and which ones are you most proud of?

The business has grown steadily since its founding in 2014, but a major milestone came in 2022 when we surpassed £22 million in turnover and established ourselves as one of the UK’s leading premium-value mattress manufacturers.

Beyond financial growth, some of the most meaningful milestones relate to impact. Donating beds to families experiencing sleep poverty and supporting local charities has been particularly significant. Seeing how something as simple as a comfortable place to sleep can be life-changing for some families reinforces our purpose as a business. We're not just making beds: we're helping people sleep better, live better, and feel cared for.

Beyond donations, we've created over 100 local employment opportunities, including training and roles for people with special educational needs who may require extra support to enter the workplace.

I’m also proud of the culture we’ve built, developing people, creating opportunities and fostering an environment where individuals can grow both professionally and personally.

The Sleep People has strong community initiatives, including supporting veterans and families in need. How does this tie into your business values?

Social responsibility is fundamental to who we are. As a family-run business rooted in Yorkshire, we see it as our duty to support the communities around us, especially the most vulnerable ones.

Over the past year, we’ve donated more than 500,000 food items to local food banks and thousands of mattresses to families in need. We’re also working on initiatives to support armed forces veterans as they transition into civilian life, offering purposeful roles, training, and a supportive environment that recognise the unique skills and experiences they bring.

For us, it’s not separate from the business. That sense of purpose underpins everything we do.

Scaling production while maintaining quality and speed can be tricky. What’s been your biggest operational learning so far?

One of the biggest lessons has been the importance of focusing on what you can control, particularly operational efficiency, product value, supply chain resilience and team culture.

We’ve simplified our supply chain, strengthened key supplier relationships and improved visibility across inventory and production planning. At the same time, we’ve maintained a strong focus on product quality, ensuring that every component delivers value to the customer.

Ultimately, the most important factor is people. By building a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement, we’ve empowered our teams to adapt quickly and maintain both quality and efficiency, even in a challenging market environment.

What financial products or services have supported The Sleep People’s growth and day-to-day operations?

Having strong financial support has been very important for the growth of The Sleep People. Services such as business banking, payment processing, and cash flow support have helped us manage daily operations and stock purchasing.

Having flexible financial solutions helps us manage seasonal demand and continue investing in growth, customer service, and operations. Using reliable financial and payment systems has also helped improve efficiency across the business as we continue to grow.

What’s next for the business, and how will you continue to grow without compromising on quality?

Our ambition is to become the UK’s most trusted value-based bedding brand, known for quality, ethics and meaningful community impact.

We’re actively investing in sustainable materials, circular design principles and smart sleep technologies to improve both product performance and environmental outcomes.  We’re also expanding our direct-to-consumer international channels, with Temu playing a key role in European growth and brand visibility.

As we scale, our focus remains the same: delivering comfort through craftsmanship, supported by innovation and driven by purpose. Staying true to our values of people, quality and responsibility is what allows us to grow without compromise.