Whatever Happened To Better Bedder After Shark Tank Season 12?
We've all learned by now that changing bed sheets can be quite the frustrating and time-consuming process. Instead of accepting this everyday annoyance, however, Judy Cannella Schott and Nita Friloux Gassen decided to put their heads together and develop a product to cut down their required effort. The Better Bedder is essentially a massive stretchy band that goes around your bed. Instead of having to lift the corner of the mattress to expertly fold your top sheet or struggle to pull down your fitted sheet over that last corner, it keeps everything tidy and in place with just a bit of elastic.
The pair's product might be simple, but it still made quite the impact on the stars of "Shark Tank" during their Season 12, Episode 15 pitch. From the looks of it, Schott and Gassen left the show even more successful than when they first walked into the Tank — but did this momentum last?
What happened to Better Bedder on Shark Tank?
When Louisiana natives Nita Friloux Gassen and Judy Cannella Schott entered the Tank, they came in with a goal: Convince at least one of the Sharks to invest $150,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in their company. In their pitch, they presented the Better Bedder as a solution to several common issues, like having a hard time finding sheets that fit, struggling to lift heavy mattress corners, or making the bed in a less-than-ideal position (like against two walls).
After showcasing the Better Bedder's usefulness, the pair got into the numbers. The Sharks commented that their production costs were significantly higher than they had to be, but their skepticism quickly turned into support when they heard the Better Bedder's year-to-date sales. After their pitch, three of the Sharks put in their offers, each with different ideas on how to expand the Better Bedder's influence and ensure the product's success. After a bit of negotiation, the pair ended up agreeing to team up with Lori Greiner, accepting $150,000 in exchange for an 18% stake in the company.
After Shark Tank
After their time on "Shark Tank," Nita Friloux Gassen and Judy Cannella Schott experienced a surge in sales common amongst many of the brands featured on the program. Almost immediately after their episode aired, the pair's predicted sales skyrocketed to $20 million in 2022 — a massive step up from their $1 million in predicted future sales on the show. Since then, they've acted as mentors for other entrepreneurs that are in the same position they were just a few years ago, speaking at an event at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.
Since their pitch, the Better Bedder itself doesn't appear to have changed much. A large part of the pair's problem was that their product's production costs were too high, but Lori Greiner promised to help cut those down, either by manufacturing overseas or finding a more affordable partner domestically. With their recent success, it's likely that they were able to achieve this goal.
Is Better Bedder still in business?
By the looks of it, Better Bedder is still in business and thriving. The massive surge in sales after Nita Friloux Gassen's and Judy Cannella Schott's time on the show likely gave them the push they needed to expand to new markets, and their partnership with Lori Greiner certainly helped them secure some more profitable deals in the business world.
While the bulk of Greiner's pitch to the duo on their episode of "Shark Tank" was focused on selling the Better Bedder through QVC, they didn't ultimately end up taking that path — likely because selling through television requires a large amount of ready-to-ship inventory. Instead, they appear to have struck a deal with Walmart to get their products in stores and continue to sell the Better Bedder on their website. Listings for the Better Bedder are also available on Amazon, but the pair maintains that these are not legitimate as they do not sell through the online retailer.
What's next?
The Better Bedder might not be showing signs of slowing down, but Nita Friloux Gassen and Judy Cannella Schott don't seem to be focused on expanding much, either. It's likely that because the Better Bedder is a fairly new product, the pair is still primarily focused on increasing brand awareness and keeping sales up. Most activity from the company online is in the form of YouTube videos to help answer common questions about using the product — like helpful tutorials on how to properly tuck two top sheets or correctly place the Better Bedder so it doesn't slip off of the mattress.
During their pitch on "Shark Tank," however, Gassen and Schott did mention the Better Bedder coming in different colors in response to a question from Kevin O'Leary. As of right now, the Better Bedder is only available in white, the color demonstrated on the show — but a growing business could mean further expansion into different colors and patterns.