Mattress Firm to Acquire Five-Store Birmingham Franchise Operation

Furniture World Magazine

Mattress Firm, one of the nation’s leading mattress retailers, announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire its five franchise stores in Birmingham, Ala. from the current franchise owner, Blue Ocean Waters, LLC. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The planned acquisition will bring Mattress Firm’s corporate-owned store count to 530 in 44 markets across 21 states. Blue Ocean Waters entered the Birmingham market in July 2007 with the opening of its first location, the first Mattress Firm store in the state of Alabama. The initial market entry was followed by the opening of four additional stores in the great Birmingham region. “Blue Ocean has been a valuable partner and strong advocate for Mattress Firm in Birmingham while quickly building a strong presence there, making it an attractive market for us to enter from a corporate owned perspective,” said Gary Fazio, CEO of Mattress Firm. “We are pleased to have arrived at agreeable terms with our franchise partner and look forward to continuing to serve customers with the same high level of customer service and broad product selection that Mattress Firm is known for.” Upon completion of the acquisition, Mattress Firm will assume ownership and operations of the five stores which already feature Mattress Firm’s signage, branding, expanded product selection and signature store format. About Mattress Firm: Houston-based Mattress Firm (www.mattressfirm.com) is the nation’s premier specialty bedding retailer, offering a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses from leading manufacturers including Simmons, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic and Select Comfort. Founded in 1986, Mattress Firm’s purpose is to transform lives by leading the way to personalized solutions for better sleep. With more than 500 stores in 44 markets, Mattress Firm offers consumers the benefit of highly-trained, knowledgeable sales professionals, a broad product offering and competitive prices in an attractive and comfortable store environment.