Sleepy's
Encyclopedia
Sleepy’s LLC is an American retailing
company and mattress
store chain
founded in 1931 in Brooklyn
, New York
, United States
. As of 2009, Sleepy's had over 700 stores and five distribution centers in 11 states in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic, with over 2,900 employees.
Sleepy's salespersons attend “Sleepy's University” for four weeks upon initial employment. As of 2009, the chain operates stores primarily in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic states, including Connecticut
, Delaware
, Massachusetts
, Maryland
, New Hampshire
, New Jersey
, New York
, North Carolina
, Pennsylvania
, Rhode Island
, Virginia
, Vermont
, West Virginia
.
Sleepy's brand mix includes Miralux mattresses, made by International Bedding Corporation, a low cost “luxury brand” exclusive to the chain, as well as other exclusive lines of products.
In 2009, Sleepy's was labeled as the fastest growing furniture retailer in the US. In the summer of 2009, the company moved its headquarters and New York distribution facility to a newly constructed 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) building in Hicksville, New York
.
In 2007, Sleepy’s was named one of Best Companies to Work for in New York by The New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group. In 2008, Sleepy’s, in conjunction with RKL Productions, was awarded six Telly
advertising awards for the ‘Inner Child’, ‘Newlywed’, ‘Tango’, and ‘Love Your Mattress’ television commercials. ‘Tango’ was also awarded the highest Communicator advertising award, the Award of Excellence.
Sleepy's partnered with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
during the Thanksgiving 2009 season to provide a convenient drop-off location for new sleepwear for children and teens. Sleepy's also participated in Tempur-Pedic
Hugs Back campaign by purchasing $100,000 worth of their charity bears. All net proceeds went to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. In August 2010, Sleepy’s was the host of the first ever Corporate American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in the Eastern Division and raised nearly $110,000 for the organizations mission.
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
company and mattress
Mattress
A mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....
store chain
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
founded in 1931 in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2009, Sleepy's had over 700 stores and five distribution centers in 11 states in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic, with over 2,900 employees.
Business operations
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Sleepy's brand mix includes Miralux mattresses, made by International Bedding Corporation, a low cost “luxury brand” exclusive to the chain, as well as other exclusive lines of products.
In 2009, Sleepy's was labeled as the fastest growing furniture retailer in the US. In the summer of 2009, the company moved its headquarters and New York distribution facility to a newly constructed 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) building in Hicksville, New York
Hicksville, New York
Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
.
In 2007, Sleepy’s was named one of Best Companies to Work for in New York by The New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group. In 2008, Sleepy’s, in conjunction with RKL Productions, was awarded six Telly
Telly Awards
The Telly Award is an award presented by the namesake, New York City-based organization. The stated purpose of the award is to "honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web." The...
advertising awards for the ‘Inner Child’, ‘Newlywed’, ‘Tango’, and ‘Love Your Mattress’ television commercials. ‘Tango’ was also awarded the highest Communicator advertising award, the Award of Excellence.
Sleepy's partnered with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
Child Welfare League of America
The Child Welfare League of America or CWLA is the oldest child welfare organization in the United States. The organization's primary objective is to "Make Children a National Priority...
during the Thanksgiving 2009 season to provide a convenient drop-off location for new sleepwear for children and teens. Sleepy's also participated in Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic International, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of mattresses and pillows made from viscoelastic memory foam. The company's headquarters is located in Lexington, Kentucky.- History :...
Hugs Back campaign by purchasing $100,000 worth of their charity bears. All net proceeds went to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. In August 2010, Sleepy’s was the host of the first ever Corporate American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in the Eastern Division and raised nearly $110,000 for the organizations mission.
History
The business was first incorporated in 1957. The name of the business was changed to Sleepy’s in 1975 and the chain is now the largest specialty mattress retailer and largest bedding retailer in the United States.Timeline
- 1931 - Louis Acker opens his first mattress store and employs his son, Harry Acker.
- 1955 - Louis Acker dies of heart attack.
- 1957 - Harry Acker opens his first store, Bedding Discount Centers.
- 1975 - Business name changed to Sleepy's
- 1976 - First use of logo with man in nightshirt and cap, Sleepysman.
- 1977 - Sleepy's opens its eighth store and moves to a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) space in New Hyde Park.
- 1978 - First televised Sleepy's commercial starring president Harry Acker airs.
- 1983 - Sleepy's trademarks itself as Sleepy's, The Mattress Professionals.
- 1986 - Harry moves headquarters and distribution center to a 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building in Port Washington, NYPort Washington, New YorkPort Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the community population was 15,846....
. - 1993 - Sleepy's acquires Kleinsleep.
- 1994 - 75th store opened. Headquarters and distribution center moved to current home in Bethpage, NYBethpage, New YorkBethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...
in a 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) corporate office. - 1995 - Bethpage, NY headquarters expanded 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²).
- 1996 - Sleepy's acquires Mattress Discounters in New York and New Jersey.
- 1998 - Established 1-800-SLEEPYS, a toll-free service where people can consult with a Mattress Professional.
- 1998 - Second distribution center opens in Carteret, NJCarteret, New JerseyCarteret is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 22,844.Carteret was created as the borough of Roosevelt on 11 April 1906, incorporating Woodbridge Township, and was a result of a referendum on 22 May 1906...
. - 1999 - Website launches: www.sleepys.com and 169th store opens.
- 1999 - Sleepy's jingle is written and produced by Rich Lehman of RKL Productions and Jerry Plotkin of Headroom Digital Audio.
- 2001 - David Acker named president.
- 2002 - Built a new 211000 square feet (19,602.5 m²) warehouse in Robbinsville, NJ.
- 2003 - Sleepy's acquires Mattress Firm sleep chain locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
- 2007 - Sleepy's acquires Rockaway Bedding chain and adds 200 stores to the franchise.
- 2009 - Sleepy's launches an ecommerce website.
- 2009 - Sleepy's acquires the assets of 1800mattress.com.
- 2009 - In the summer of 2009, the company moved its headquarters and New York distribution facility to a newly constructed 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m2) building in Hicksville, New York.
- 2010 - Sleepy’s acquires Better Bedding, a Connecticut mattress specialty chain.