Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Modest growth returns after sharp recession-driven decline
- Forecast calls for continued modest growth
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- Figure 1: Fan chart: Total U.S. sales and expected forecast of bed and bath linens with best and worst cases, 2006-16
- Segments follow similar patterns
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- Figure 2: Total U.S. sales and forecast of bed and bath linens at current prices, by segment, 2006-16
- Market factors
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- Figure 3: University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment, January 2006-December 2011
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- Figure 4: Cotton futures prices, January 2008-November 2011
- Retail channels
- The consumer
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- Figure 5: Incidence of buying bed and bath linens, 2006-11
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- Figure 6: Average amount spent on bed and bath linens, 2006-11
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- Figure 7: Main reason for bedding purchase, October 2011
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- Figure 8: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, October 2011
- What we think
Insights and Opportunities
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- Playing into an increasingly item-specific approach to the category
- Motivate to buy just one more item
- Sell one segment at a time
- Offer bite-size benefits
- Down for the (thread) count
- Can kids’ bedding get functional?
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Hungry Planet
- Trend: Prove It
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Modest growth returns after sharp recession-driven decline
- Forecast calls for continued modest growth
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- Figure 9: Total U.S. sales and forecast of bed and bath linens at current prices, 2006-16
- Figure 10: Total U.S. sales and forecast of bed and bath linens at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-16
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 11: Fan chart: Total U.S. sales and expected forecast of bed and bath linens with best and worst cases, 2006-16
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Consumer confidence wavers
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- Figure 12: University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment, January 2006-December 2011
- Household income slips
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- Figure 13: Median household income in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2000-10
- Housing market remains weak…
- …but a few positive signs have emerged in 2011
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- Figure 14: New and existing homes sold in the U.S, 2006-10
- Sales of mattresses and sleep sofas rebound
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- Figure 15: U.S. sales and forecast of mattresses and sleep sofas, at current prices, 2006-2016
- Commodity price spikes ripple through market
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- Figure 16: Cotton futures prices, January 2008-November 2011
Segment Performance
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- Overview
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- Figure 17: Total U.S. sales and forecast of bed and bath linens at current prices, by segment, 2006-16
- Bath linens
- Key points
- Utility of bath towels bolsters segment sales
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- Figure 18: Total U.S. sales and forecast of bath linens at current prices, 2006-16
- Top-of-bed
- Key points
- Design helps to reverse negative trend
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- Figure 19: Total U.S. sales and forecast of top-of-bed items at current prices, 2006-16
- Utility bedding
- Key points
- Performance and personalization drive utility bedding sales
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- Figure 20: Total U.S. sales and forecast of utility bedding items at current prices, 2006-16
- Sheets and pillowcases
- Key points
- Release of pent-up demand pushes segment forward
- Cotton commodity price spike impacts segment
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- Figure 21: Total U.S. sales and forecast of sheets and pillowcases at current prices, 2006-16
Leading Suppliers
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- Overview
- Springs Global
- Welspun
- WestPoint Home
- Alok Industries
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- Figure 22: U.S. bed and bath linens sales of selected companies, 2009 and 2010
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Mass merchants most frequently cited channel for all types of purchases
- Online sales small but growing
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- Figure 23: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by type of product, October 2011
- Income and occasion determine choice of retailer
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- Figure 24: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by household income, October 2011
- Mass merchants top sales figures
- Target offers private labels and exclusives, shifts to category-specific merchandising
- Walmart refocuses on basics
- Bed Bath & Beyond sets the pace for specialty stores
- Midpriced Kohl’s outpaces department store competition
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- Figure 25: U.S. sales of bed and bath linens at current prices, by retail channel, 2006-11
Innovation and Innovators
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- Bed bug infestations inspire innovations in protection
- Mattress and pillow protectors seal bed bugs out (or in)
- Treated bed linens claim to kill bed bugs
- Products emphasize protection through CPG co-branding
- Bed bug scare prompts advertising push
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- Figure 26: Bed Bath & Beyond Allergy Luxe with Arm & Hammer TV ad, 2011
- Functional bedding focuses on sleep comfort
- Performance bed sheets borrow technology from athletic wear
- Bed sheets apply NASA technology to regulate temperature
- Pillows combine gel and memory foam
- Mattress pads provide custom temperature zones
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview
- Sheex sports marketing for performance product
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- Figure 27: Sheex Video with testimonials, 2011
- Tempur-Pedic features satisfied owners to create halo for product line
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- Figure 28: Tempur-Pedic TV ad, “ask me,” 2011
- Bed Bath & Beyond merchandising based on sense of touch
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- Source: Mintel
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- Figure 30: Carpenter “2 Girls, 2 Guys–5.6 Million Microbes” video, 2010
- Cause marketing effort by the Company Store reinforces comfort positioning
Purchase Incidence
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- Key points
- Household purchase incidence has declined only slightly in recent years
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- Figure 31: Purchase of bed and bath linens, 2006-11
- Linens far more likely to purchased for self than as a gift
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- Figure 32: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self or as a gift, October 2011
- Younger adults more likely to purchase linens
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- Figure 33: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by age, October 2011
- Household income has modest impact on purchase for self
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- Figure 34: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by household income, October 2011
Amount Spent on Bed and Bath Linens
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- Key points
- Average amount spent on linens has fallen between 2008 and 2011
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- Figure 35: Average amount spent on bed and bath linens, 2006-11
- Amount spent on linens increases with household income
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- Figure 36: Average amount spent on bed and bath linens, by household income, April 2010-June 2011
Main Reason for Purchase of Different Types of Bedding
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- Key points
- Shoppers cite a wide variety of reasons for purchasing new bedding items
- New reasons to buy
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- Figure 37: Main reason for bedding purchase, October 2011
Main Reason for Purchase of Bath Towels
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- Key points
- Bath towel purchasers likely to wait until current towels wear out
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- Figure 38: Main reason for bath towel purchase, by age, October 2011
Purchase Criteria for Sheets and Pillowcases
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- Key points
- Product features and price far more important than brand or store
- Thread count rises in importance
- Women more attentive to product features
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- Figure 39: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, by gender, October 2011
- Higher income consumers focus on product attributes, price too
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- Figure 40: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, by household income, October 2011
Purchase Criteria for Blankets
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- Key points
- Softness, quality, and warmth most important to blanket purchasers
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- Figure 41: Criteria for selecting blankets, by gender, October 2011
- Older blanket purchasers place even greater emphasis on quality and warmth
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- Figure 42: Criteria for selecting blankets, by age, October 2011
Attitudes toward Bed and Bath Linens
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- Key points
- Registries and gift cards a choice for many bed and bath linens gift givers
- Bed and bath retailers among the most popular wedding registries
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward bed and bath linens, by gender, October 2011
- Young adults a key target for registries
- Young consumers more intent on matching bed linens to bedroom décor
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- Figure 44: Attitudes toward bed and bath linens, by age, October 2011
- Higher-income consumers more likely to give registry items
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward bed and bath linens, by household income, October 2011
Impact of Race/Hispanic Origin
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- Hispanics more likely to purchase most types of bed linens
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- Figure 46: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by race/Hispanic origin, October 2011
- Asians and Hispanics likely to give bed and bath linens as gifts
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- Figure 47: Purchases of bed and bath linens as gifts, by race/Hispanic origin, October 2011
- Product attributes and price are key for all groups
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- Figure 48: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, by race/Hispanic origin, October 2011
- Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics shop a wider variety of stores
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- Figure 49: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by race/Hispanic origin, October 2011
Cluster Analysis
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- Unengageds
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Price Drivens
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Brand Fans
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Value Seekers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Quality Firsts
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristic tables
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- Figure 50: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self or as a gift, by consumer clusters, October 2011
- Figure 51: Criteria for selecting blankets, by consumer clusters, October 2011
- Figure 52: Criteria for selecting blankets, by consumer clusters, October 2011
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- Figure 53: Main reason for bath towel purchase, by consumer clusters, October 2011
- Figure 54: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by consumer clusters, October 2011
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward bed and bath linens, by consumer clusters, October 2011
- Cluster demographic tables
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- Figure 56: Consumer clusters, by gender, October 2011
- Figure 57: Consumer clusters, by age, October 2011
- Figure 58: Consumer clusters, by household income, October 2011
- Figure 59: Consumer clusters by race, October 2011
- Figure 60: Consumer clusters, by Hispanic origin, October 2011
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Gender and age
- Younger men and women more likely to purchase all types
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- Figure 61: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by gender and age, October 2011
- Gift-purchase incidence peaks among young men and middle-aged women
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- Figure 62: Purchases of bed and bath linens as a gift, by gender and age, October 2011
- Younger men more likely to rely on brand name and store
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- Figure 63: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, by gender and age, October 2011
- Young men shop more stores
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- Figure 64: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by gender and age, October 2011
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Purchase incidence
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- Figure 65: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by gender, October 2011
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- Figure 66: Purchases of bed and bath linens for self, by marital/relationship status, October 2011
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- Figure 67: Purchases of bed and bath linens as a gift, by gender, October 2011
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- Figure 68: Purchases of bed and bath linens as a gift, by age, October 2011
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- Figure 69: Purchases of bed and bath linens as a gift, by household income, October 2011
- Average amount spent on bed and bath linens
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- Figure 70: Average amount spent on bed and bath linens, by age, April 2010-June 2011
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- Figure 71: Average amount spent on bed and bath linens, by household size, April 2010-June 2011
- Main reason for purchase of bath towels
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- Figure 72: Main reason for bath towel purchase, by gender, October 2011
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- Figure 73: Main reason for bath towel purchase, by age, October 2011
- Purchase criteria for sheets and pillowcases
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- Figure 74: Criteria for selecting sheets and pillowcases, by age, October 2011
- Purchase locations for bed and bath linens
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- Figure 75: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by gender, October 2011
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- Figure 76: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by age, October 2011
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- Figure 77: Purchase locations for bed and bath linens, by marital/relationship status, October 2011
Appendix: Trade Associations
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