FTC unanimously moves to block Tempur Sealy's purchase of Mattress Firm

The Federal Trade Commission has unanimously voted to bring a lawsuit against mattress maker Tempur Sealy to block its $4 billion acquisition of Mattress Firm, saying the deal would allow the world’s largest mattress supplier to suppress competition that would result in higher prices for shoppers. Mattress Firm operates more than 2,300 brick-and-mortar retail locations and an e-commerce platform. The combined companies would have a total of some 3,000 retail stores, 30 e-commerce platforms, 71 manufacturing facilities and four research and development facilities worldwide. But the FTC said in its release Tuesday that the acquisition would create “enormous power” at multiple parts of the mattress supply chain.