The bedding industry posted modest gains in June, with units increasing 2.3% and the wholesale dollar volume of bedding shipments rising by 3.5%.

But the June Bedding Barometer report, issued by the International Sleep Products Assn., shows the industry essentially flat at the year's mid-point, with both units and dollars up just 0.5% through June.

The report brings some bad news for producers of specialty mattresses, traditionally the fastest-growing category in the industry. Specialty mattress units dropped 4.5% in June and are down 5.6% for the first six months of the year. The dollar value of specialty mattresses grew 1.2% in June, but is still down 4.8% for the first six months of the year.

While specialty mattresses are on the downswing, innerspring mattresses are on the upswing. Innerspring mattress units grew 2.1% in June and are up 1.4% for the first six months of the year. The dollar volume of innerspring mattresses grew 7.9% in June and is up 6.1% for the first six months of the year.

The average unit price for innerspring mattresses was up 5.7% in June, to $270.35, while the average unit price for specialty mattresses was up 6.0% in June, to $795.10.

For the first six months of the year, the average unit price for innerspring mattresses is up 4.7%, to $262.40, while it is up just 0.8% for specialty mattresses, to $746.32.

The monthly Bedding Barometer reports reflect the performance of 15 bedding producers who last year accounted for 70% of total units and 78.5% of the wholesale revenue of the entire market, ISPA reported. It says the performance of the companies in the sample does not necessarily reflect the performance of the entire industry because of market share and distribution shifts.

The specialty sleep segment has shown progress each month in the second-quarter breakouts released by ISPA. Specialty mattress units dropped 17% in April, 6.3% in May and 4.5% in June, while the dollar value of specialty mattresses dropped 14.3% in April, 2.7% in May and posted a 1.2% increase in June.

In contrast, the innerspring segment has shown slower growth rates as the quarter progressed. Innerspring mattress units jumped 15% in April, 3.4% in May and 2.1% in June, while the dollar value of innerspring mattress shipments grew 22.3% in April, 8.3% in May and 7.9% in June, ISPA reported.