Bedding shipment trends turned positive in March, with units increasing 3.6% and the dollar value of wholesale bedding shipments jumping a robust 12.7%, an industry report said.

The March Bedding Barometer report, issued by the International Sleep Products Assn., showed major gains for the specialty sleep segment in March, with specialty mattress units jumping 21.3%, and the dollar value of specialty mattresses soaring 29.5%.

But, in its first breakdown of specialty and innerspring performance this year, the ISPA report revealed that the specialty mattress segment suffered major declines in February, when units were down 18% and the dollar value of specialty mattress shipments slumped 13.5%. Specialty mattress units and dollars also declined in January, but the declines were not as steep as those recorded in February.

Despite specialty’s strong March showing, the segment remains down 1.1% in mattress units for the first quarter, while specialty mattress dollars are up just 1.2%.

The innerspring segment stands in better shape. Innerspring mattress units were up 2.5% in March and are up 0.8% through the first quarter, ISPA’s report said. The dollar value of innerspring mattresses jumped 9.4% in March and rose 7.2% through the first quarter. The dollar value of innerspring mattress shipments was up 6.2% in January and 5.9% in February. For the first three months, innerspring mattress dollars are up 7.2%.

Overall, the industry returned to positive territory in March. Units are up 0.4% in the first quarter, while the dollar value of wholesale bedding shipments is up 3.8%. The average unit price is up 3.4%, to $219.07.

In the first quarter, the average unit price for an innerspring mattress increased 6.4%, to $271.35, while the average unit price of a specialty mattress increased 2.4%, to $755.87.

The monthly Bedding Barometer reports reflect the performance of 14 U.S. bedding producers that accounted for 70% of total units shipped in 2012 and about 79% of the wholesale revenues of the full bedding market, ISPA said.

It cautions, however, that the monthly reports may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full industry due to market share or distribution shifts, or other factors.

The latest report reflects a strong showing for the industry in March, with overall units up 3.6% and the dollar value of bedding shipments up 12.7%. That growth erased the industry’s backward momentum in February, when units were down 3.4% and the dollar value of bedding shipments was off 0.9%.

Industry observers said mattress sales were adversely affected by severe weather in many key markets in January and February, but that business had picked up in March. The March ISPA report confirmed the accuracy of those views.