ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The bedding industry grew 3.6% in units last year and posted a 6.2% gain in the wholesale value of bedding shipments, according to preliminary results.

It was a strong year for the innerspring segment, with innerspring mattress units increasing 5.6%, compared to 0.6% growth for specialty (non-innerspring) mattress units.

The dollar value of innerspring mattress shipments rose 13.4%, while the dollar value of specialty mattresses dropped 7.1%, preliminary results indicate.

The December Bedding Barometer report issued by the International Sleep Products Assn. provides the first full-year look at bedding’s performance in 2015. The report presents the results recorded by 13 U.S. bedding producers who together account for a majority of the industry’s business.

The report notes that the bedding industry lost ground in December, with units dropping 0.5% and the wholesale value of bedding shipments declining 1.2%. The average unit price dipped 0.7% in December to $239.58.

In December, innerspring mattress units rose 2.2%, while specialty mattress units dropped 2.4%. The wholesale value of innerspring mattress shipments rose 8.9%, while it dropped 18.7% for specialty mattress shipments, ISPA said.

For the full year, foundation units rose 2%, while the wholesale value of foundation shipments rose 1.5%, the report said. But it does not include figures for adjustable bases, one of the fastest-growing segments in the bedding industry.

The average price for the full year rose 2.5%, to $232.01. The average unit price for innerspring mattresses rose 7.5%, while it dropped 7.7% for specialty mattresses. The average unit price for foundations dropped 0.5% in 2015, ISPA said.

ISPA also released a fourth-quarter breakdown that included figures on innerspring and specialty mattress performance.

In the fourth quarter, units were up 0.3%, with innerspring mattress units up 2.0%, while specialty mattress units were down 2.9%. Foundation units dropped 0.9%.

The dollar value of bedding shipments rose 1.8% in the fourth quarter, with innerspring mattress dollars jumping 11.3%, while specialty mattress dollars dropped 17.7%. The wholesale value of foundation shipments dropped 0.9% in the quarter.

The average unit price rose 1.4% in the fourth quarter, to $233.51. The average unit price for innerspring mattresses jumped 9.1%, while it plunged 15.3% for specialty mattresses. The average unit price for foundations was unchanged in the fourth quarter.

ISPA’s Bedding Barometer reports reflect the performance of 13 bedding producers who accounted for about 70% of total units and about 78% of the wholesale revenue of the full market in 2014.

ISPA cautions that the monthly figures are not necessarily representative of the full industry because of market share and distribution shifts.

The bedding industry’s trade association announced last year that it is discontinuing its monthly reports in favor of quarterly reports, and said it will no longer provide innerspring and specialty breakouts.

Final figures on 2015 performance will not be available until ISPA completes a broader analysis of the market.