Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170 Million and Plans I.P.O.<br />Mr. Krim said that the growing competition had not dented sales,<br />but instead reflected the growing power of e-commerce in what analysts at IBISWorld have reckoned is a $14 billion a year industry.<br />And newer brands like Casper or the men’s razor maker Harry’s — born online<br />and reliant in large part on word of mouth and social media marketing — have prospered by forgoing the expensive task of building out real-world stores, instead striking partnerships with traditional sellers when the time is right.<br />Mr. Krim and his co-founders argued that the traditional way of buying mattresses — going to<br />a retailer like Sleep Train, for example — was hugely uncomfortable and very expensive.<br />Instead, Target is now leading a new investment in Casper — as the mattress maker aims for an initial public offering down the road.
