Sleepy's

Sleepy's, LLC

Former type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: MFRM
Industry	Retailer
Fate	Acquired by Mattress Firm, stores rebranded under Mattress Firm name
Founded	1931 (1931) (as Bedding Discount Center)
Founders	Louis Acker Harry Acker
Defunct	January 1, 2017 (retail stores only)
Headquarters	Hicksville, New York, U.S.
Products	Mattresses, bedding
Brands	Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, Beautyrest, Spring Air, King Koil, Ortho-Posture
Parent	Steinhoff International (Mattress Firm Inc.)
Website	www.sleepys.com

Sleepy's was a retail mattress chain with over 1,000 stores, primarily situated in the northeastern United States. The company was founded in New York City in 1931.^[1] Sleepy's was acquired by Mattress Firm in December 2015^[2] and all stores were rebranded under the Mattress Firm name in 2016 and 2017. As of January 1, 2017, Sleepy’s no longer exists as a store, but the website is still functional as an online retailer.

Business history

A Sleepy's store in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

In 1931, Louis Acker opened his first mattress store with his son, Harry.^[2] The business was incorporated in 1957 as Bedding Discount Center; in 1975 the name was changed to Sleepy’s. In 1977, Sleepy's opened its eighth store and relocated its corporate offices and warehouse to a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) space in New Hyde Park. In 1986, it relocated its headquarters and distribution center to a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) building in Port Washington, NY. In 1993 Sleepy’s acquired Kleinsleep and in 1996 Mattress Discounters in New York and New Jersey. In 1994, the 75th store opened and the corporate headquarters and distribution center moved to Bethpage, NY in a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m²) building that was expanded in 1995 to 80,000 square feet (7,400 m²).

David Acker, Harry’s son, became the president of Sleepy’s in 2001. In 2002, Sleepy’s built a new 211,000-square-foot (19,600 m²) warehouse in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Mattress Firm sleep chains locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts were acquired in 2003, and in 2007 Sleepy’s acquired the Rockaway Bedding chain adding 200 stores. In the summer of 2009 Sleepy’s moved its headquarters and New York distribution facility to a newly constructed 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m2) building in Hicksville, New York.^[3] In 2009, Sleepy’s acquired the assets of Dial-A-Mattress International and 1-800-Mattress Corp.,^[4] including its two domain names, and a year later the Connecticut mattress specialty chain Better Bedding.^[5] In 2013, Sleepy’s expanded into the Chicago market.^[6] In October 2014 Sleepy's opened its 1,000th store.^[7]

The first use of the logo with the Sleepy's man in a red and white night shirt and cap was in 1976. In 1978 the first televised Sleepy's commercial starring President Harry Acker aired. In 1998 the firm began offering sales consultation via phone. A year later, in 1999, the Sleepy's jingle was written and produced by Rich Lehman of RKL Productions and Jerry Plotkin of Headroom Digital Audio which was retired in 2016 following the buyout from Mattress Firm. In 2009, the company launched their e-commerce website.^[8]

Business operations

A Sleepy's store in Brooklyn, New York, opened in 1975

Sleepy's carried mattress brands including Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Beautyrest, Posturepedic, Tempur-Pedic, King Koil, and Stearns & Foster. Like other major retailers, Sleepy's carried mattress lines that were unique to the seller, so there was no way to compare prices with their competitors.^[9][10]

Sleepy's stores were located primarily in the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, including Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. Nationwide delivery was available through their official website.

In 2009, a trade publication labeled Sleepy's as the fastest-growing furniture retailer in the US^[11] and in 2014 ranked them 11th in growth.^[12]

Acquisition by Mattress Firm; rebranding

In December 2015, Sleepy's announced that it was being acquired by competitor Mattress Firm (MFRM) for $780 million.^[13] All Sleepy's stores were rebranded as Mattress Firm in 2016 and 2017.^[14] As of February 2016, Sleepy's still exists as an online retailer.

Complaints

In 2004, Sleepy's resolved a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey division of consumer affairs. The lawsuit alleged that Sleepy's misled consumers regarding their exchange policy, customer refunds, and advertisements. There were also questions about delivery of faulty merchandise and failure of delivery. Sleepy's agreed to pay $750,000 in costs and restitution to reach settlement. In addition to the payment the company agreed to clearer advertising, issuing refunds more willingly and improving customer service.^[15]

In 2007, Sleepy's agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve complaints and settle deceptive sales charges in New York. As part of the settlement, Sleepy's agreed to pay a total of $200,000, which includes restitution to consumers and penalties, as well as a commitment to new policies and procedures to achieve full compliance with local and state laws. The settlement marked a conclusion to the agency's extensive investigation into approximately 300 consumer complaints filed over the previous three years through DCA or referred to the Department by other agencies including the New York State Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau.^[16]

In April 2011 Sleepy's was cleared by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen of charges regarding complaints of bed bug infestations and accusations of reselling used mattresses.^[17]

In 2014, Sleepy's was ranked last of 15 major mattress retailers listed in a poll of Consumer Reports readers, the same result it had reported in its 2012 rankings. The 2014 ranking was based on 6,105 shopping experiences.^[18][19][20]

References