The bedding industry took a dismal turn in February, with units declining 7.4% and the dollar value of wholesale shipments dropping 6.7%.
For the first two months of the year, units are down 3.9% while dollars are down 3.2%, according to the February Bedding Barometer report issued by the International Sleep Products Assn. The report presents the results of 16 U.S. bedding producers who account for a majority of bedding shipments.
The report confirms informal reports by bedding producers of poor business in February.
In a new feature of its monthly reports, ISPA is now releasing a three-month moving average. And the first installment of that feature delivered more bad news: Units were down 4.5% from December through February and dollars were off 4.2% in that same period. The average unit price rose 0.3% in that period, however, to $214.53.
That three-month report reveals that the industry has been mired in a sales slump of late.
The average unit price rose 0.7% in February, to $205.90. For the first two months of the year, it is also up 0.7%, to $213.36.
The monthly Bedding Barometer reports reflect the performance of many of the industry's largest bedding producers, who accounted for 66% of total units in 2011, the last year for which figures are available, and about 76% of the wholesale value of bedding shipments, ISPA said.
But ISPA cautions that the monthly figures "may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full mattress industry" because of market share or distribution shifts.
