Sleep.com is an online wellness resource and community that operates as an arm of Mattress Firm, a subsidiary of furniture giant Steinhoff international holdings, and a USA-based mattress chain store.
Sleep.com Domain
The domain sleep.com was registered in 1995 and will expire in 2032 unless renewed before then. The Sleep.com trademark was registered in 2020.
Company History
Sleep.com is owned by Mattress Firm, which Steinhoff holdings have owned since 2016. Before this, Mattress Firm was independently owned. Mattress firm acquired a competitor, Mattress Pro, in 2007 and absorbed it into its business.
Sleep Train Inc, a Californian competitor launched in 1985, was also acquired by Mattress firm for $425 million in 2014. The stores bought in this deal would later become Mattress Firm outlets. Mattress Barn was also acquired, and by 2016 all of the Mattress Barn stores had been converted to Mattress firm stores.
In 2015, Mattress Firm purchased another competitor – sleepy’s, for $780 million. This deal gave them the exclusive rights to use the Sleepy trademark, which they have continued to use for their brand of mattresses. In that same year, Sleep America (An Arizona-based bedding retailer founded in 1997) was acquired by Mattress firm for 12.5 million dollars. All Sleep America stores were converted into clearance outlets.
Mattress firm declared bankruptcy in October of 2018 under Chapter 11. The company intended to break 700 lease contracts and close 200 unprofitable stores as soon as possible and considered closing the other 500 out of the more than 3,300 it operated at the time. In November 2018, Mattress firm emerged from bankruptcy. In 2019, John Eck became CEO.
In March 2020, Mattress Firm was one of several retailers to announce they would not pay some or all of their rent in April.
Mattress firm boasts the title of the largest specialty mattress store, perhaps in part due to the large number of acquisitions that they’ve taken part in. Mattress Firm has developed a stellar reputation for good customer service, high quality, good functionality, and excellent value for money.
Mattress Firm is part of the Steinhoff family, founded in the 1960s by Bruno Steinhoff in Germany. Bruno Steinhoff sourced furniture from communist Europe and sold it in Western Europe. In 1997, Steinhoff acquired 35% of South-Africa Based Gommagomma, preparing for a merger the following year.
The company moved its HQ to South Africa in 1998 thanks to its beneficial exchange rate. The company went public on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange the same year. In 2005 Steinhoff rapidly expanded their overseas operations by investing $86 million in acquiring the UK’s homestyle group.
As of August 2016, Steinhoff has retailing activities in 30 countries, counting 6,500 retail outlets across 40 brands and employing almost 100,000 employees. 60% of the companies revenue is European. Brands include
- Ackermans
- Flash
- HiFi Corp
- Pep&Co
- Poundland
- Sleep Master
- Hertz Car Rental.
Steinhoff is a multi-million dollar corporate giant that continues to acquire new companies and expand every year.
Other Trademarks and Domains
We’ll be looking at other trademark registrations under Mattress Firm, Inc, and related to Sleep.com that have an ”active” current status.
Read more on domain names and trademarks.
MattressFirm.com
As we’ve already covered, Mattress Firm is the owner of Sleep.com and a major mattress supplier in the USA.
The mattressfirm.com domain name registered in 1999 will expire in 2026 unless it’s renewed before then.
MattressFirmFosterKids.org
The domain for Mattress Firm Foster Kids was registered in 2015, and the trademark was registered the same year.
In December 2015, the Ticket to Dream Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit, launched its Mattress Firm Foster Kids program across the country to improve the lives of as many foster children as possible.
“Mattress Firm believes not everyone can be a foster parent by anyone can help a foster child. With the community’s help, we’ve provided hundreds of thousands of foster children with essentials and services they need to succeed in school, thrive, and prepare for their future.” – Mattress Firm Foster Kids.
Mattress Firm Clearance Centers
Mattress firm clearance centers are a great place to get a good deal on a mattress, with discounts of up to 75% off the retail price offered. Most clearance centers are stores that were acquired from competitor companies.
Mattress Firm Clearance Center was trademarked in 2007.
Mattress Firm Logo
The standard typed “Mattress Firm” red logo was trademarked in 2007.
Worlds First Air Conditioned Mattress
Mattress Firm has designed and sold many innovative products, including climate-controlled mattresses. These products have several different trademark applications, including ‘The Worlds First Air Conditioned Mattress” in 2010.
Money-back guarantee Logo
Though they offer lots of warranties, not all of them are subject to trademark drawings. The black mark drawing with “Guaranteed happy or your money back, 100 days, no hidden fees” embossed on it is trademarked by Mattress Firm.
Sleep Expert
Sleep.com and Mattress Firm both promise to “match” you with a mattress that’s perfect for your body and needs. This is done in part by a team of sleep experts.
“The Mattress Firm Sleep Experts™ is a team of passionate content creators bringing you the latest in sleep tips, tricks, and trends. No question is too tired for the Sleep Experts™ at Mattress Firm, who live and breathe mattresses, sleep, and everything in between. So whether you’re wondering what size mattress you need or are curious about the benefits of an adjustable base, the Sleep Experts™ at Mattress Firm has your back.” – Mattress Firm.
The trademark filing for “Sleep Expert” by Mattress Firm took place in 2019. There are several related trademarks, such as “Certified Sleep Expert” that are also registered with the United States patent and trademark office (USPTO).
The Mattress Experts
Perhaps one of the oldest trademarks owned by Mattress Firm Inc, “The Mattress Experts,” is a tagline used in much of their advertising and branding material.
The first use anywhere was in 1972, and the trademark registration with the USPTO took place in 1982.
Wrapping Up
Intellectual property is an often overlooked part of brand value, but trademarks and trade secrets can be worth a fortune in their own right. Unauthorized use of intellectual property can amount to copyright infringement. In cases of copyright infringement, the damages can be eye-watering.
It’s not unheard of for them to exceed $1 million dollars, however, if you don’t register your intellectual property, you don’t have any legal recourse in this instance, and the possibility of such damages being paid to you disappears.
Both sleep.com and Mattress Firm Inc are part of a huge corporate family – Steinhoff holdings. Mattress Firm Inc and Steinhoff holdings are both significant trademark owners, with several hundred trademark registrations between them, with the approved applications granting them exclusive commercial use of an extensive library of service marks and other intellectual property.
