Why Do Mattress Companies Have So Many Conspiracies?

The Reddit conspiracy theory about the existence of so many Mattress Firm stores has gained attention, with a total of 9,200 stores across every chain. The theory suggests that the company is laundering money through its brick-and-mortar stores, and that the mattresses are full of money. The question has been lingering since July 2021 when Snopes reported on Mattress Firm’s expansion amid a persistent conspiracy theory that claims the mattress retailer is a mob.

The most puzzling example of this business is Mattress Firm, which became the largest specialty mattress retailer in the US. A comment on Reddit suggesting that Mattress Firm was laundering money went viral. The question remains: how can the company afford real estate and stay in business?

In one Austin neighborhood, there are six Mattress Firms within a square mile of one another. In the company’s hometown of Houston, there are six Mattress Firms within a square mile of one another. According to USA Today, there are bed-in-a-box services available in the company’s hometown.

The main conspiracy theory about the existence of so many Mattress Firm stores seems to have come from a 2018 Reddit post. The question remains: why are there so many Mattress Firm stores? How do they end up next door and across the street from each other?