Furniture store Super Bowl promotion costs owner $7 million, but he’s still smiling
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is out $7 million today because of a Super Bowl promotion he ran in his Houston, Texas furniture store. As reported by KRIV Fox 26 News, the “Pigskin Promotion” offered Gallery Furniture customers a full refund if the less favored Seattle Seahawks won the big game. The patrons just needed to spend at least $6,000 in the store during the two weeks before the Super Bowl and have their items delivered by Sunday at 5pm.
The store’s slogan of “Save You Money” couldn’t have been truer for over 1,000 customers, when the Seahawks were crowned champions. The customers benefited in on Mattress Mack’s losing bet but surprisingly McIngvale wasn’t upset. “Yeah, I get a kick out of this. And it’s also about building the brand. You know, and keeping the brand fresh and invigorated so this is a great thing for Gallery Furniture, great…Delighted a lot of customers and that’s why we’re here,” said the owner.
Mattress Mack told KTRK that he was advised against making the big bet saying, “My accountant told me it was a crazy idea, that I should never do it and he’s pulling his hair out this morning.” Probably wise words of advice considering this was the second losing promotion for the store.
Mack’s first Pigskin Promotion gave more than 100 customers free furniture, at a cost of $685,000, for guessing the correct winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games. That didn’t stop the second “Pigskin Promotion” and even now, McIngvale told KRIV that he would probably do another promotion like this again.
Mattress Mack plans on throwing a celebration at the store on February 17 where he will deliver refunds to all the lucky customers, who, while fortunate, will still have to pay taxes on their purchases.
