ISPA: 2011 U.S. bedding shipments rose 2.1% in units, 10% in dollars

David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 27, 2012

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The bedding industry recorded a year of modest unit gains but much stronger dollar growth in 2011, according to preliminary figures. The data also showed another booming year for the specialty sleep segment.

The International Sleep Products Assn. said in its December Bedding Barometer report that bedding units were up 2.1% for the year, while the dollar value of bedding shipments increased 10%.

Those figures represent the performance of 18 bedding producers who report their figures to ISPA for the monthly reports. That group represents about 65% of total units and about 74% of the total industry dollar value of shipments, ISPA said. Final figures will not be available for several months.

The report revealed a strong performance in December, when units were up 7.6% and the dollar value of shipments jumped 20.2%. Sizzling specialty sleep gains in December - units were up 38.9% and dollars were up 51.3% - paced that growth.

For the year, the specialty sleep segment recorded another stellar performance.

Innerspring mattress units were up just 0.3% for the year, according to the preliminary ISPA figures, while specialty mattress units were up 29.8% for the year. The dollar value of innerspring mattress shipments was up 3.7% for the year, while the dollar value of specialty mattress shipments was up 35.2% in that same period.

The average unit price for both innerspring and specialty mattresses increased for the year. It jumped 3.3% for innerspring mattresses, to $238.79, and grew 4.2% for specialty mattresses, to $793.72. Overall, the average unit price for the industry grew 7.8% in 2011, to $207.88, according to the preliminary ISPA figures.