The litany of economic problems-fuel and material costs, a weak dollar, a housing crisis-continue to plague home textiles suppliers overall, but interestingly they may also account for the increase in sales for utility bedding.rnConsumers who may have spent less in 2007 on fashion, seemed to have made up for it by choosing function. Suchrngained $94 million in revenues year-to-year, ending 2007 with $2,362 billion in sales, up 4.1% from volume of $2,268 billion in 2006.rnBlankets saw an uptick, although not as robust as the gains in sleep pillows. The increase in blankets mirrored a downturn in comforters and duvets as consumers chose warmth over fashion as a way to dress their beds (as noted in our recent report on top of bed, HTT, March 10, 2008, pagernegory, the general economy looms large as a problem for suppliers.
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