GOOD NEWS FOR THE MATTRESS INDUSTRY

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Bedding units took a positive turn in November, rising 4.9%, while the wholesale dollar value of bedding shipments rose 6.5%, an industry report said.

The results were a big improvement over October, when units declined 2.9% and the wholesale dollar value of bedding shipments posted a meager 0.7% gain. But bedding analysts note that there is some volatility in the monthly reports.

The November Bedding Barometer report issued by the International Sleep Products Assn., which presents a snapshot of industry performance, said the average unit price rose 1.6% that month, to $228.84. Mattress units were up 4.9% in November, while the wholesale value of mattress shipments rose 7% that month.

For the first 11 months of the year, bedding units were up 3.9%, with mattress units up 5.2% and foundation units up 2.4%. In that same time period, overall dollars were up 6.9%, with mattress dollars up 7.8% and foundation dollars up 1.9%. And the average unit price was up 2.8% to $231.36, ISPA said.

The bedding industry’s trade association also released a three-month rolling total that shows units were up 3.6% in the September-November time period, with mattress units up 4.3% and foundation units up 2.7%. Dollars were up 7.3% in the same time period, with mattress dollars up 8.1% and foundation dollars up 2.9%.

The average unit price was up 3.6% in that three-month period to $241.52. The average unit price for mattresses was up 3.6% to $374.68, while it was up just 0.2% for foundations to $79.96.

The ISPA figures do not include adjustable bases, one of the fastest-growing segments in the bedding industry.

The Bedding Barometer reports reflect the performance of 13 bedding producers who last year accounted for about 70% of total bedding units and about 78% of the wholesale revenue of the full market.

But ISPA cautions that the Bedding Barometer reports may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full industry because of market share and distribution shifts, among other factors.

ISPA recently announced it will discontinue its monthly Bedding Barometer reports in the New Year and replace them with new quarterly reports.