ⓒ evezary

Today, we’ll introduce you to a company named Evezary, which occupies the unassailable No.1 position in the domestic bedclothes market. Let’s hear from Ji Cheol-gyu(지철규), in charge of business strategy at the home textile goods company. 

Evezary was established in 1976. Now in its 44^th year of operation, the company operates more like a cooperative consisting of over 1,000 businesspeople who operate branch store locations. More than 50 percent of the retail stores have been in business for over ten years, and some stores have been passed along through three generations as family businesses.

Evezary renovated small bedclothes shops at traditional markets and transformed them into retail stores with convenient roadside locations. This strategy has contributed to upgrading the level of stores, meeting the needs of customers, and renewing the management philosophy of the heads of their stores.

Evezary founder Koh Chun-hong(고춘홍) studied architecture at Hanyang University. He wondered how to combine art and technology to create beauty. Fascinated with quilts and embroidered bedclothes in particular, his interest was sparked in bedding products. In 1976, he set up a firm called Sika Deer. Renamed Evezary in 1986, the company marked a milestone in Korea’s home textile industry.

At the time, most Koreans bought bedding goods from small shops at traditional markets. However, Evezary created retail stores unified under a single brand for the first time in the industry. The stores have since established a broad sales network across the country.

Consumers have also benefited from the change in business practices. In the past, Koreans mostly used a thin mattress on the floor when sleeping, instead of a bed, to take advantage of Korea’s traditional under-floor heating system known as ondol. This meant that people had to tear off the stitched covers of the Korean-style mattresses when cleaning them and sew them back together. To address this inconvenience, the company created a zippered mattress cover, the first such product in the industry. This innovative product proved successful, enabling the company to rank first in the domestic bedding sector. It has since made relentless efforts to retain the top spot in the market.

Evezary has earned many “firsts” in the industry. In 2003, it established the Korea’s first sleeping environment research center and design research center. Dedicated to the development of sleeping goods, the sleeping environment research center began to produce functional mattress toppers after undertaking extensive research of ergonomic designs, another first in the industry. Meanwhile, the design research center unveiled products in collaboration with top designers in Korea. The company has registered its trademark right and applied for patents every year. Thanks to these efforts, Evezary has maintained the top position in terms of brand recognition in the home fashion field for seven consecutive years, far outpacing its competitors.

In the past, bedclothes were mostly focused on beautiful designs and colors. But Evezary has expanded their value into the home health space. The company makes bold R&D investment in textiles, materials, ergonomics and design to create more pleasant and comfortable sleeping environments, with patents in polymers, textile engineering and natural materials processing. Based on this expertise, it has successfully developed environmentally-friendly products. For the “Green-Star certification” announced by Korea Management Registrar, the company has come in first in the category of eco-friendly bedding goods for 14 years in a row.

ⓒ evezary

Evezary has researched and implemented environmentally-friendly materials including modal cotton, cotton Tencel and organic cotton. In 2007, it received Green-Star certification to become the first bedding brand to earn such recognition. As a social enterprise devoted to fulfilling its responsibility for protection of the environment, it has conformed to other environmental standards concerning eco-friendly products for decades. On the back of those efforts and the company’s solutions designed to promote the culture of healthy sleep, Evezary has now established itself as the most beloved bedding brand in Korea. This past spring, the company integrated hemp textile to summer bedclothes for the first time in the industry. The natural material has been well received by customers for its excellent anti-bacterial and deodorant qualities. 

This year, the company used “modal hemp” to expand the scope of the application of eco-friendly materials. Modal fabric is made from beech tree pulp, while hemp is rich in fiber, protein, and omega 3- and omega 6-fatty acids, and even has anticancer properties. It is little wonder that this plant is drawing increased attention from people around the world. The new fabric combining modal fabric and hemp not only regulates moisture and heat but helps fight bacteria and eliminate toxins as well.

In 2014, the company launched “Sleep & Sleep,” the industry’s first brand dedicated to providing bedding items tailored to individuals.

Based on the expertise that it has accumulated for three decades, Evezary launched the Sleep & Sleep brand, which analyzes an individual’s sleeping environment and recommends ideal sleeping conditions for each customer. At present, there are some 200 Sleep & Sleep centers, where state-certified professional sleep coordinators analyze customers’ sleep patterns and suggest the best possible products for them.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, as many as 630-thousand people in Korea received medical treatment for sleep disorders in 2019. With the number of sleep-deprived people on the rise, Sleep & Sleep is playing a leading role in assisting them in getting the high-quality sleep their bodies need. Evezary has developed 97 different kinds of pillows, 25 types of toppers, lightweight thermal comforters, and various other functional bedclothes using processing technology, to provide services tailored to each customer.

The company indeed presents a new paradigm of restful sleep. This is the result of its 44-year-long dedication to creating beautiful bedrooms and promoting healthy lifestyles in an innovative way. Without a doubt, Evezary will continue to serve as an industry leader. 

We’ll continue to upgrade our Sleep & Sleep centers, where customers can experience highly functional products with the help of sleep coordinators. We’ll keep working on the development of IoT-based tech products for sleeping and explore global markets aggressively with the best products and services. We’ll also encourage our branch stores to share our vision for the future and grow successfully. As a leading manufacturer of premium bedding goods, we’ll strive to constantly renew our brand so that we can help customers all around the world enjoy the culture of healthy sleep. 

Evezary has introduced a new concept of sound sleep in Korea’s home textile market. Beginning from China, it has expanded its export destinations to Indonesia, Vietnam, the U.S. and Europe, with ambitions of becoming one of the world’s top total sleep-care companies.