The U.S. Upholstery Market Takes Off
With U.S. housing starts at record levels, the market for upholstery fabrics is a bright spot for growth in the home fabrics market. From 1995 to 1999, total sales of home fabric items increased 16% on a unit basis and 22% on a dollar basis. Also, with aging of the population, consumer tastes and preferences in home decorating have changed, creating an expanded and diversified market for upholstery fabrics. This article examines important trends in upholstery fabrics from the perspectives of manufacturing, fashion, and consumer demand.
 Top
Unlike towels, sheets, and bedding, most upholstery fabrics are sold through various institutional channels, such as furniture manufacturers and retailers, upholsterers, and interior designers, rather than directly to consumers. Two measures useful for tracking upholstery fabric sales volume are the square yardage of fabric produced and the number of manufacturers.
In 1992, 991 million square yards of fabric were produced for draperies, upholstery, and slipcovers; by 1998, production had increased to 1.4 billion square yards. At least 51% of the upholstery fabric produced in 1998 was cotton, up from 48% in 1992. At the mill level, the amount of cotton used for upholstery production increased over the six-year period from just over 700,000 bales to 1.12 million bales. In 1992, the average cotton usage per upholstery mill was 3,352 bales; by 1998, it was 4,425 bales, an increase of 32%. This increase in the amount of cotton used per mill reflects the strong growth in demand in the upholstery market over this period.
The growth in the upholstery market has been satisfied largely by growth in manufacturing in the United States. In 1992, according to Davison's Textile Blue Book, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico had a total of 210 mills producing upholstery. By 1998, the number had grown to 254, an increase of over 20%.
The number of mills producing fabric for sheets, towels, and bedding continues to be much larger. In 1992, 358 mills in the three NAFTA countries produced these types of home fabrics; by 1998, the number had jumped to 435, an increase of over 20%. Accounting for the majority of this growth were mills in the U.S. and Canada. Although Mexico's involvement in supplying apparel to the U.S. has increased dramatically since implementation of NAFTA, its home fabrics exports have not experienced the same growth.
Number of Mills Manufacturing
Home Fabric and Upholstery Items |
Type of Item |
1992 |
1998 |
| Home Fabrics |
358 |
379 |
| U.S. & Canada |
307 |
379 |
| Mexico |
51 |
56 |
| |
Upholstery |
210 |
254 |
| U.S. & Canada |
200 |
235 |
| Mexico |
10 |
19 |
Top
Spurring the increase in cotton upholstery fabric production has been a resurgence in the popularity of velvet and chenille upholstery fabrics, which often are made of cotton.
Clearly, chenille fabrics have played a large role in the growth of cotton usage at the mill level. From 1992 to 2000, the number of U.S. and Canadian mills manufacturing chenille fabrics nearly tripled. In 1992, chenille yarn was not recognized as a separate category in Davison's Textile Blue Book, but by 2000, it was easily identifiable, with 56 mills listed as producers of chenille yarns.
Though they have a smaller share of the upholstery market than chenille, cotton velvet fabrics also are enjoying increased popularity. From 1992 to 1998, the number of U.S. and Canadian mills producing cotton upholstery yarns increased 32%; during the same period, the number of mills producing cotton velvet fabrics increased 35%.
The number of new mills entering the markets for chenille and velvet upholstery fabric over the past eight years indicates the impact of cotton chenille and velvet in the upholstery market. Consumers want soft, comfortable furnishings, and cotton chenille and velvet fabrics fulfill that desire.
Another trend emerging in recent years is the use of traditional apparel-type fabrics or heavy bottomweights for upholstery. Starting with denim several years ago, the trend towards apparel-type upholstery fabrics has spread to include heavy twills, corduroy, and heavy plain-weave fabrics. As apparel manufacturing in the U.S. has diminished because of competition from imports, mills have looked to diversify their business through involvement in other, more profitable markets, including upholstery.
Research conducted by Cotton Incorporated in 1997 identified a significant correlation between consumers' fiber preferences in apparel and their preferences in home-furnishing fabrics. The softness, comfort, and ease of care that consumers associate with cotton apparel have transcended that category and emerged as key factors in consumers' preferences in home fabrics.
A major factor influencing this crossover of preferences is the trend towards a more casual lifestyle. Many companies now let employees participate in at least one casual day during the work week. According to Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor™, the proportion of consumers participating in at least one weekly casual day at the office has grown from 57% in 1994 to nearly 70% in 1999. Bringing this trend into the home, 90% of consumers have decorated their homes with color-coordinated or mixed casual collections of furnishings.
In addition, with nearly a third of the U.S. population in their prime shopping years (ages 35 to 55) and many Baby Boomers becoming empty nesters, a new-found interest in home decorating has emerged.
Top
|
