Tempur Sealy's $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm challenged by FTC

Tempur Sealy's proposed $4 billion acquisition of Mattress Firm is getting challenged by the Federal Trade Commission, the antitrust agency announced on Tuesday.

The FTC unanimously voted to go to federal court to stop the country's biggest mattress maker from merging with the largest bedding retailer, saying the combined company would have "the ability and incentive to suppress competition and raise prices for mattresses for millions of consumers." 

Tempur Sealy has shown it plans to curtail competitors' access to Mattress Firm's nationwide network of stores, significantly impairing their ability to compete, the FTC said. Those predominantly American manufacturers employ thousands and would likely have to close factories and lay off workers if the deal announced were to go through, the FTC stated.