Ben Thorud

Ashley Furniture Industries plans to open about 50 bedding stores under the Zzz's By Ashley banner, according to Furniture Today. The sleep shops will average about 4,500 square feet each, and will offer a wide selection of mattresses and sleep accessories. “I think we can open several thousand in the next 10 years,” Ben Thorud, the Ashley executive who is heading the new initiative, told Furniture Today.