David Perry
HIGH POINT — Once again, some of the bedding industry’s leading luxury brands experienced a tough year.

One of the industry’s best-known luxury brands, Stearns & Foster, saw its

sales flatten last year, according to Furniture|Today estimates in the exclusive report Top 15 U.S. bedding producers. The newspaper puts S&F shipments in 2012 at $218 million, unchanged from the previous year.

That is an improvement for the brand, which suffered sales declines in 2003 and 2004, but it is a far cry from the last big growth year for S&F, which was in 2002. In that year, Stearns & Foster peaked at $258 million, on the heels of a remarkable 20% sales jump.

But the going for S&F has been tough ever since. Sales of that brand declined 8.5% in 2003 and 7.6% in 2004, according to Furniture|Today’s market share estimates.

Another well-known luxury brand, Chattam & Wells, had a down year in 2012. It suffered an 18.5% sales decline last year, compared to a 20.6% decline the previous year. Shipments for Chattam & Wells, which had been $34 million in 2003, were $22 million last year, Furniture|Today estimates. Chattam & Wells is Spring Air’s luxury brand.

*For the complete story, see the June 19 print issue of Furniture|Today.  To order an electronic copy, click here.