Ken and Helen Mullinax, who own Mattress Outlet Inc., of Spokane, have converted two Simmons Comfort World stores they owned, in Spokane Valley and Kennewick, Wash., to Mattress Outlet stores.

The Valley store, located in leased space at 15607 E. Broadway, marks the fifth Mattress Outlet store in the Spokane-Coeur d' Alene area, says Scott Sloan, who represents the company through his own Spokane concern, Market Vision Inc.

The Mullinaxs also own 11 other Mattress Outlet stores in Eastern Washington and North Idaho and five Comfort World outlets in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, plus five America's Mattress stores in Western Washington, Sloan says.

The Mullinaxs converted the 8,000-square-foot Valley store and the 6,500-square-foot Kennewick store to the Mattress Outlet brand last month, and each store will employ up to five people, he says. The Mullinaxs bought those stores and the five other Comfort World stores in late 2007 and decided to convert the Valley and Kennewick locations to Mattress Outlet stores because it has a "stronger brand name," says Sloan.

In addition to mattresses, Mattress Outlet stores sell some beds, bed frames, and adjustable beds, Sloan says.

The four other Mattress Outlet stores in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area are located at 1233 N. Division, 4446 N. Division, and 6228 N. Division, in Spokane, and at 202 Ironwood Drive, in Coeur d'Alene. A Mattress Outlet store at 615 N. Sullivan closed.

The three Comfort World outlets in the Spokane-Coeur d' Alene area are located at 1001 N. Division, and 8701 N. Division, in Spokane, and 350 W. Bosanko, in Coeur d' Alene.