In a recent article written by David Perry of Furniture Today, he shares the good news that the latest forecast (as of June 2011) indicates that there will be growth in the bedding industry this year.   The bedding industry includes products such as pillows, linen, bedding, mattresses, bedsheets, blankets, and comforters. He believes that the mattress industry will actually see positive growth in the dollar value of bedding shipments in 2011; however, unit growth is expected to be modest.  The following year though, the bedding business is not expected to be as robust.  However, for this year, this is positive news at least.  In a time of economic uncertainty, we’ll take any positive news.

A few days ago, the latest mattress forecast from the International Sleep Products Association (or commonly known as ISPA) was issued for the latter part of the year.  The ISPA issues bedding forecasts two times every year –  in the spring and fall.  So these forecasts are typically deemed to be relatively accurate.  How are these forecasts determined?  ISPA has what they call a ‘Forecast Panel’, which includes leading mattress producers and component suppliers to do the needed research and forecasts.

So for the second part of the year, ISPA’s Forecast Panel predicts and envisions the value of bedding shipments to rise by a strong 7.5% this year, with units increasing by 4%. Earlier in the year, ISPA had forecasted a mere 5.7% dollar gain and a 3.5% unit gain for 2011.  So this is an 30& and 15% increase relatively.

For the following year, the International Sleep Products Association predicts that bedding dollars will increase by 6%, with units increasing by 3.5% similar to the first part of this year.  Now, if these forecasts prove to be accurate, what’s referred to the “bedding comeback”, will extend it’s streak to a 3-year run,  a streak that started in 2010.

The reality is though that even with both the unit and dollar gains forecasted through 2012, the bedding industry has a way to go to regain lost ground, according to ISPA.  Many believe that the housing recovery will continue to make a very slow recovery, as a record number of foreclosures and constant declining prices of homes plague much of the nation. “The housing market, however, has recovered from the lowest of lows, and 30-year conventional mortgage rates, which have a major influence on homes sales, are expected to remain low,” ISPA said.