ALEXANDRIA, Va. — U.S. bedding sales posted a strong 8.5% increase in unit sales in November, with dollars up 6%.

And that latest positive report, from a sample of leading producers reporting to the International Sleep Products Assn., keeps the industry in positive territory for the year. ISPA said that its sample reported a 7.6% gain in bedding units through November, compared with the same period of 2009, with the dollar value of those shipments posting a 6.9% gain in the first 11 months of the year.

There are a couple of negative trends in the latest ISPA report, however. The average unit price dropped 2.3% in November, to $199.82, and is down 0.7% for the year, to $195.57. Those declines reflect a strong push in the industry toward more promotional selling prices, bedding observers said.

The figures are from a sample of 20 bedding producers that account for about 64% of units and about 73% of the dollar value of bedding shipments.

ISPA cautions that the performance of the companies participating in the survey "may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full mattress industry."