The Luxe Scoop talks to Thijs Veyfeyken, the Managing Director of Heveya®, to discuss the journey, challenges, and future of this sustainable luxury sleep brand. Known for its commitment to natural latex products and eco-friendly practices, Heveya is making significant strides in the bedding industry. Let’s delve into Thijs’s insights on sustainability, business expansion, and the unique aspects that set the brand apart.
The Luxe Scoop: What inspired you to focus on sustainable bedding products, and how did your vision for Heveya® evolve over time?
Thijs Veyfeyken: We initially offered a wide range of mattresses to cater to all price levels, including mattresses made with synthetic latex or polyurethane foam. Over time, we decided to focus solely on natural latex mattresses sourced from ethically and sustainably managed rubber plantations.
Our customers are health-conscious individuals who value luxurious, sustainable products. While our customer base is predominantly over 40 years old, we also attract younger customers who actively seek out companies that value transparency and are environment conscious. In line with worldwide trends and this customer base, we decided to focus and deep dive further into sustainable bedding products.
The Luxe Scoop: Heveya® has made significant strides in the bedding industry. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while transitioning from offering a wide range of mattresses to focusing solely on natural latex products?
Thijs Veyfeyken: Our main challenge was the education around Natural Latex Products. The mattress industry is a very dormant industry—with the big spring coil players running the entire market for decades. Marketing is done on big billboards, radio & TV ads. For Heveya®, we decided to market luxury mattresses the way that E-commerce brands do: primarily online. We are not a department store brand and wouldn’t want to spend too much on expensive rent in shopping malls. We’ve always built showrooms in areas of town that were a bit unorthodox. A nice place in a quaint part of town with nice cafes. Education of Natural Latex Mattresses is primarily done online, after which when customers see where we are located, they’d be willing to come down. They have a coffee around the showroom and come and select their mattresses; it’s a real destination store.
The Luxe Scoop: Can you tell us more about the decision to launch in Dubai and how you envision it serving as a hub for the Middle East?
Thijs Veyfeyken: We started the brand Heveya® in Singapore in 2013, after which we found a distributor in Perth, opened up a showroom in Hong Kong. Right before the pandemic, we visited Dubai a few times because some customers moved from Dubai and said we would do very well in this region.
Because of the lockdowns around the globe, we gave priority to opening up in Bali in 2022. In early 2024, we prepared everything we needed to “go live” in Dubai. The website and social media accounts were set up. We started doing what we do well: online performance marketing, after which we saw immediate results. When we received an online order of 150,000 AED in the first month we opened the online shop, we decided to kick it up a notch and rapidly open an actual showroom of our own. We’ve found a beautiful partner in homegrown brand Custom no9, customizing wooden furniture here in the UAE.
We’re currently renovating a beautiful Experience Centre in Goshi Warehouse City in Al Quoz.
The Luxe Scoop: Heveya® has achieved B Corp Certification. What does this certification mean for the brand, and how does it align with your long-term goals for the company?
Thijs Veyfeyken: Achieving B Corp certification has been a dream ever since we founded the brand. We took more than a year to work on it and had one person on the team fully dedicated to documenting and improving our position.
The reason why we’ve decided to apply is that our guiding principle in our business is the word “CARE.” CARE for our customers, employees, suppliers, partners, society, and the environment. This is exactly what B Corp is also all about. Heveya® is more than its products; it’s about an organization that wants the best for all of its stakeholders: suppliers, customers, workers, etc. We wanted to find a way to make this official and visible to the public. Ever since we’re part of the B Corp network, it’s been lovely getting to know like-minded brands and partnerships. It’s truly a dream come true, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team for achieving the B Corp Standard.
The Luxe Scoop: Sustainability is a core principle at Heveya®. Could you share some specific initiatives or practices that demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility?
Thijs Veyfeyken: Sustainability and Social Responsibility are ingrained in our DNA. Our commitment to supporting a sustainable economy can be seen throughout our production and supplier practices.
We were the first brand to commercialize organic latex mattresses in Asia. Going a step further, we have also engaged in agroforest or multi-crop plantations in collaboration with our supplier. At first, farmers were very resistant to the idea because they like their plantation to be clean and easily accessible. Agroforestry involves planting crops like peanuts, pineapples, papayas, and bananas in between the rubber trees, making navigation on the plantation more challenging. The result has been remarkable, though. Unlike mono-culture plantations, agroforest plantations are full of greenery and life and completely restore an ecosystem.
Farmers have benefited as well, selling additional crops like bananas and papayas. They have even introduced beehives and fishponds. Furthermore, the enriched soil has increased rubber tree yields by 20%, and they get a higher price for their latex sap. They can save on pesticides as this is taken care of by nature itself. Their trees live until the age of 50, while in mono-culture plantations, they need to be replaced at the age of 30.
The Hevea Brasiliensis, or rubber tree (hence our name ‘Heveya’), already contributes to environmental preservation by absorbing over a ton of CO2 in its lifetime. Through ecosystem restoration, we move closer to replicating the effects of a real rainforest. Our next step involves sourcing latex from trees growing naturally in rainforests in Borneo, leaving nature completely intact.
In addition to our natural latex mattresses, we offer a range of other sustainable products. This includes bamboo-lyocell bedsheets, which utilize a production process that recycles 95% of the water and avoids the need for toxic chemicals, as opposed to the cheaper viscose process. We also provide linen sheets made from flax, vegan cotton towels produced and colored without animal traces, and handwoven, hand-dyed throws—each item with its own eco or socio-friendly story.
In cooperation with Replant.world, we plant 12,000 trees per year in the rainforests of Borneo and provide these trees to our customers. Through our program, customers receive a certain number of trees based on the size of their purchase. These trees are given as digital tokens in a personalized wallet we create for them. Customers can also gift these trees to their friends. For each tree they give away, we plant an additional tree. This initiative not only allows us to expand our tree planting efforts but also helps us connect with like-minded individuals through our customers’ referrals. On average, we plant approximately 12,000 trees per year.
Each year, we sponsor students from the Sumba Hospitality Foundation (SHF). The SHF aims to provide opportunities for the people of Sumba to participate in the growing hospitality sector on their island. Given the low education levels in Sumba, without the foundation, locals would miss out on the benefits of the emerging tourism industry. The SHF prioritizes sustainability and witnessing the transformation of its students within a year is truly inspiring.
The Luxe Scoop: How do you balance the luxurious aspects of Heveya® products with your commitment to sustainability? Can you give examples of how you achieve both goals?
Thijs Veyfeyken: First of all, we believe that real sustainability is about buying quality products that last a longer time than cheaper alternatives. This is not only so for our bedframes and mattresses but even down to our bed linen and organic latex pillows. Sheets of a higher thread count and pillows of higher quality will outlive cheaper budget alternatives while being kinder to the planet.
Apart from that, when we do our resourcing and development, we only work with like-minded, environment-conscious suppliers and follow up closely to ensure all stages of production prioritize sustainability. This can go from wastewater reduction, recyclable packaging to making sure there are no harmful chemicals in the production procedures for any of our products. We go as far as to check the working conditions of those who work there, with some of our suppliers having achieved WRAP certifications to ensure a good quality of work-life balance for their staff. Of course, these products are higher in cost than the ones made in less than ideal circumstances.
For our own staff, we only hire people who are willing to live sustainably as well. We promote cycling to work, don’t do single-use plastics in the office, try to get our items secondhand before considering new items, etc.
The Luxe Scoop: With your extensive background in sleep, wellness, and interior design, how do you incorporate these interests into the development of Heveya® products and services?
Thijs Veyfeyken: It’s been absolutely a very fun ride to be able to bring all of those items together. As the MD of Heveya, I need to be up to date with all the latest sleep trends, wellness novelties, etc. That’s why I like to roam around inspirational trade show fairs like Maison et Objet and Trade Shows such as the Sleep Expo here in Dubai. We’ve also been very much blessed by our customers. A lot of our customers in Bali are in the wellness space (think breathwork instructors, healers, yogis, and artists) that keep it very interesting. We’re always amazed that plenty of our customers are also in the sustainability and wellness space, which makes it easy for future collaborations.
I love to combine all these things when working on a new showroom. We always try to incorporate natural materials, matched with education about latex as well as displaying local artists and handicrafts. We want our showroom to be more than just a place where we sell products; it needs to be inspiring to everyone visiting. There are so many stories to tell.
The Luxe Scoop: What role does customer education play in your business model, and how do you ensure that customers understand the importance of a good sleep environment?
Thijs Veyfeyken: Education, like I said, is key. A big part of our marketing efforts is just focused on the education of sleep and mattresses. That’s why we opted to renovate a space in a warehouse area in Al Quoz, where we can regularly host talks, events, and industry events.
We have done so in the other countries Heveya is present at. Think about a Sleep Meditation event in Bali, a singing bowl event in Singapore, or a Chiropractor’s talk in Hong Kong. We like to bring together like-minded people (Interior Designers, etc.) to mingle and connect, which is perfect if our showroom allows.
All in all, I find that there are a lot of articles written about SLEEP and WELLNESS, but it’s surprising how little is researched about the mattress. A lot of people still buy their mattresses in a department store, don’t enjoy dealing with the salesperson there, and make a risky decision at that as well: mattresses are expensive and never have a refund policy.
Heveya® is a bit different from that: our sleep consultants are trained to offer a sleep consultation: with a few simple questions, we guide customers around our models. We look at the spinal alignment of the customer to see if this mattress suits them. We also always pair on our pillows (we have 6 different heights and firmness levels) and make sure there is a perfect spinal alignment, which is the key to having no backaches and a comfortable sleep.
We do this separately for husband and wife, as it truly doesn’t make sense that two people with very different weights and sleeping positions sleep on one and the same mattress. Within a King size, we can have two different cores inside: e.g., a softer one for the wife and a firmer one for the husband, this all invisible to the eye as it’s within one big outer cover.
When consumers are educated and understand everything about Organic Latex and the many benefits, the 100 days free trial kicks in. Within the first 100 days, if customers still feel pressure on shoulders or hips, we could change the feel to a softer feel. If they feel unsupported, we can change it to a firmer feel. We always say that the real mattress test is at home. In the comfort of your own bedroom and on your own time. After 100 days, customers know they’re set up for the next 15 years (latex mattresses last longer than other types of mattresses), and the investment is more than worth it. This is how we became the most reviewed mattress store in Singapore, and we’re planning to repeat it in Dubai. We only want Happy Sleepers; if not, we will refund.
The Luxe Scoop: Looking ahead, what are your future goals for Heveya® and the sustainable bedding industry? Are there any new projects or innovations on the horizon?
Thijs Veyfeyken: The long-term vision for Heveya® is to become a world leader in sustainable bedding products. Currently, we are the leader in Asia, with the opening of a branch and flagship store in Dubai as a hub for the Middle East in the making by the end of September.
We are on a mission to help ‘the world’ sleep peacefully and sustainably. When your bedroom transforms into a sanctuary of peace, furnished with sustainable products crafted with genuine care for your health, comfort, and the environment, not only are you more likely to experience a peaceful sleep, but it also contributes to our world as in mother earth, being less stressed.
One of our next key projects and main focus points for our recertification for B Corp would be the circularity of our mattresses. Our goal is to create an ecosystem with our staff, suppliers, customers, partners, and competitors, where mattresses and bedding products can enter the circular economy. We achieve this by offering luxurious products made primarily from natural, sustainable materials and by ensuring eco-friendly production, packaging, and transportation. All our mattresses are circular. We can take them back at the end of their lifetime and make isolation materials, bed bases, or yoga mats with them.
For more updates on their path towards sustainable luxury in the bedding industry visit https://heveya.ae/
