By Ari Williams — Deptford, N.J.
A familiar fixture at Deptford Landing on Clements Bridge Road is closing its doors. Mattress Factory — a family-run chain that for roughly 26 years has sold name-brand mattresses at discounted prices across the Delaware Valley — has posted closing signage at its Deptford store as the owners head into retirement.
The Deptford location sits at the main entrance to Deptford Landing, the busy strip of retail that feeds shoppers onto Clements Bridge Road and into the larger Route 42 / I‑295 corridor. A quick look on Google Maps shows the store’s storefront facing the shopping center’s primary parking area — a high-visibility spot that helped bring weekday and weekend shoppers off the nearby highways. The sign on the window points toward a closing sale and the end of a long local run.
Why this matters to Deptford, nearby exits, and the region
– Visibility and traffic: Deptford Landing is one of several retail clusters that serve drivers coming off I‑295 and Route 42. When a tenant at a main entrance leaves, it can change traffic patterns and the handful of quick stops people make on the way to bigger destinations like Deptford Mall. For shoppers who time errands by which exit they take off I‑295, that kind of turnover is notable.
– Local jobs and services: Mattress stores may not be huge employers, but the loss affects full- and part-time staff, delivery crews, and local mattress recycling/haul-away services that worked with the store. Neighbors and small logistics operators who relied on steady pickup and drop‑off business may feel the gap.
– Commercial real estate and redevelopment: A storefront vacancy in a high-traffic center presents both short-term challenges and longer-term opportunities. Commercial landlords often chase replacement tenants in categories that draw repeat traffic — think discount furniture, fitness, medical offices, or even fitness/entertainment concepts. Given Deptford’s highway-adjacent location, the site will be attractive to buyers or franchises seeking easy access from I‑295.
– Broader retail trends: Independently owned mattress retailers have been squeezed by online mattress brands and national chains offering home delivery and big advertising budgets. Local stories about store closures tie into larger shifts in retail and consumer habits that municipal planners and economic development officers are tracking.
What the community is saying
Yelp reviews and community comments over the years suggest the Deptford Mattress Factory had a steady local following: shoppers often praised helpful staff and bargain prices; others noted limited product selection compared with larger specialty retailers. On neighborhood feeds and in local comment threads, people usually framed the store as a practical, value-focused option — the kind of place you pop into off Clements Bridge Road rather than travel hours for.
Local outlets including NJ.com and Patch have covered similar regional retail changes and the pressures independent stores face. Those stories point to the mixed picture for South Jersey: stable consumer demand for convenience and in-person service, but also disruption from e‑commerce and changing development patterns along major corridors such as Route 42 and I‑295.
What’s next for the site and shoppers
– Short term: Expect a closing sale for inventory and an empty bay once the lease ends. That visible vacancy could last a few months while the landlord markets the space.
– Mid term: The site’s highway adjacency makes it prime for a replacement tenant who wants I‑295 visibility — especially service-oriented retailers or small medical/healthcare providers now expanding into suburban retail centers.
– For shoppers: Those who prefer to test mattresses in person will have a handful of other options in the area — from regional chains to department stores at nearby malls. Online mattress brands continue to capture market share, but many local shoppers still want the “try before you buy” experience, keeping demand alive for some brick-and-mortar retailers.
A closing that’s local, not isolated
Closures like this are sometimes framed as one-off retirements, and in truth the owner’s decision to retire appears to be the proximate cause. Still, the loss matters locally because Deptford Landing functions as more than individual stores — it’s a waypoint for shoppers using I‑295 and Route 42 to access the township’s commercial core. A vacancy at the shopping center entrance changes how people flow through the site, and that ripple can affect nearby retailers, service providers, and traffic patterns.
If you’ve shopped at the Deptford Mattress Factory, worked there, or run a business nearby, we want to hear what this change means to you. Send a note to community@295times.com or leave a comment below — especially if you know of plans for a new tenant at the Deptford Landing spot off Clements Bridge Road. We’ll follow up on any redevelopment news and how it shapes traffic and commerce around the Exit 20–24 area of I‑295 and through Deptford Township.
