Why Mattresses Are Expensive

In the past decade, the mattress industry in the U.S. has undergone significant change with the emergence of popular direct-to-consumer brands like Casper, Purple and Saatva. As many as 225 e-commerce companies started during this time, challenging both the brick-and-mortar business model and legacy names Tempur-Sealy and Serta Simmons. The DTC upstarts eliminated the overhead costs associated with middlemen and expensive storefronts, allowing them to offer lower prices. However, inflation and higher commodity prices took a toll on more than 100 of the newcomers, forcing them to shut down. Meanwhile, Tempur-Sealy and Serta Simmons, which hold about 60% of market share, had a tough year in 2022. Change may have come to the industry, but revenues haven’t climbed to the record heights of $10.2 billion in 2013. Chapters: 00:00 — Intro 01:15 — How beds are made 04:13 — Retailers 07:45 — Rise of DTC Producer: Darren Geeter Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi Animation: Jason Reginato, Christina Locopo, Alexander Wood Additional Footage: Casper, Tempur Sealy