Abstract
This all-new SBI report, The U.S. Market for Organic and Eco-friendly Home
Textiles, employs quantitative and qualitative methodologies to analyze the
current state of this market, pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, and identify
opportunities.
While about 85% of retail sales of organic fiber products are credited to
apparel, according to the Organic Trade Association and Organic Exchange,
dollar volume in the home textiles segment have shown year-to-year
double-digit increases, and trade groups foresee continuing strong growth at
least through 2010. An increasingly diverse product mix in eco-friendly home
textiles should serve to heighten awareness and distribution. The entry into
the market by well-known brands such as Ralph Lauren Home, Bed Bath & Beyond,
and Target will also have a positive impact.
Scope and Methodology
In this report, SBI provides comprehensive data and analysis on the U.S.
market for organic and other environmentally friendly home textiles. Report
data were obtained from government sources (United States Department of
Agriculture' s Foreign Agricultural Service and its Economic Research Service;
United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
Office of Textiles and Apparel; Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,
Annual Survey of Manufactures), trade associations (Organic Trade Association
and Organic Exchange), trade journals, business periodicals, and the popular
press; company literature and websites and research services such as Simmons
Market Research Bureau. All household linens are within the scope of this
report for the purposes of discussion, analysis, and exploration. However,
shipment data are based on official U.S. definitions.
What You' ll Get in this Report
SBI utilizes government and industry data to present the global and domestic
markets for organic cotton and home textiles during the most recent five-year
periods available, complete with specific import, export, and shipment values
for each type of product. Global competition is discussed, including the
United States' trade deficit in both organics and home textiles. Market
factors hindering and contributing to the growth of eco-friendly home textiles
of all kinds are analyzed in detail, and SBI' s discussion of product trends
reveals the measures industry participants are taking to produce
environmentally friendly linens even as demand for organic materials outweighs
supply. Marketing and promotional initiatives (and lack thereof) are examined
and recommendations are made to maximize the effectiveness of marketing
strategies. Industry pioneers are profiled, and detailed consumer information
is provided, with an exploration of consumer purchasing behavior in three
distinct categories.
How You Will Benefit from this Report
Any company-including suppliers, marketers, and retailers-that is engaged in
the organic/eco-friendly segment of home textiles, or seeking to enter it,
will find invaluable insights into this burgeoning market that, despite its
promise, has been rarely been analyzed and quantified in a single source prior
to this SBI report. Included in this study are recommendations for marketers
seeking to grow their own sales as well as the market as a whole. Factors
favoring growth, including rising environmental awareness, more attractive
pricing, and the availability of products in mainstream retail channels, are
examined. Obstacles to growth, including resistance and misconceptions among
producers, retailers, and consumers, are also explored, along with how these
hindrances can be remedied. Surprising findings about which consumers are most
inclined to buy environmentally friendly household linens are revealed. The
report as a whole delivers insights into prospects for mainstreaming the
market.
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