Bedding rings up July jump with 16.3% sales gain

Unit volume up 15.6% from a year ago, says ISPA

David Perry -- Furniture Today, August 28, 2012

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The bedding industry shook off a sluggish June and posted 15.6% unit growth in July, with the dollar value of bedding shipments jumping 16.3%.

The July Bedding Barometer report from the International Sleep Products Assn., which reflects the performance of 18 bedding producers, showed growth in almost every category and indicated the industry isn't headed for a slowdown, as the weak June figures had suggested.

For the first seven months of the year, bedding units are up 9.3% and the dollar value of those bedding shipments is up 16%. The average unit price in the first seven months rose 6.1%, to $214.62.

The figures reflect the performance of bedding producers that last year accounted for 66% of total industry unit sales and about 76% of the dollar value of bedding shipments, ISPA said.

The July figures for units and dollars were all up by double digits. Mattress units rose 15.1% in July while foundation units jumped 16.2%. The dollar value of mattress shipments jumped 17.5% and the dollar value of foundation units was up 11.4%.

The average unit price for mattresses in July was up 2%, to $312.07. But the average unit price for foundations dropped 4.1%, to $88.41. Overall, the average unit price in July was up 0.6%, to $211.35.

ISPA cautions that the performance of the companies participating in the sample may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full mattress industry.