Mattresses, Mergers & Vertical Power: AI Wraps Up Season 1

The season finale tackles the FTC’s challenge to Tempur Sealy’s vertical merger with Mattress Firm. Was the merger a smart efficiency play in retail and manufacturing, or did it risk anticompetitive foreclosure?In this episode, AI critiques the expert economic analysis, focusing on vertical merger guidelines, concentration risks, and real-world retail dynamics. We compare the AI take to the court’s perspective and close season 1 with big-picture lessons on how antitrust should handle innovation, efficiency, and evidence in fast-changing markets.Read the full article and the graphic analysis:https://blog.econworks.com/p/ai-v-judge-episode-5-ftc-vs-tempur?r=562wriExplore more visual economics content:https://econworks.comYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3eSubstack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe