Description

There have been a number of significant developments in home textiles over recent years. The global market offers consumers a broader range of fibre combinations, fabrics, designs, textures and colours than it did in the 1990s. Manufacturers have successfully adapted performance apparel technologies for use in home textile products. For example, bed sheets are being made from Coolmax and Thermolite fabrics. Coolmax fabric incorporates a moisture management technology and has traditionally been used in active performance wear. Thermolite is a lightweight insulation material which was originally designed for outdoor performance apparel. Home textiles are also being made from various functional materials, including Lycra stretch fabric, thermally adaptive bedding, environmentally-friendly textiles, anti-microbial fabrics, stain protective treatments, flame retardant materials and fragrance encapsulating technologies. The market for home textiles has weathered competition from lower cost countries. Although traditional manufacturers have been forced to cut their prices, the value of the EU25 market remained at around Euro26 bn between 1998 and 2003. Demand in developed economies has been driven by three market factors. First, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001 may have encouraged people to spend more of their free time in their homes. Second, dedicated interior design programmes being shown on prime-time television are stimulating home owners to invest in their homes. Third, greater awareness of the triggers of asthma and allergies is fuelling demand for new anti-microbial home textiles.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION PRODUCT CATEGORIES PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS DEMAND FOR HOME TEXTILES DEMOGRAPHICS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HOUSING MARKET SUPPLY OF HOME TEXTILES EU IMPORTS MARKET SIZE CONSUMER PURCHASING CRITERIA VALUE FOR MONEY DESIGN UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT RANGES DEVELOPMENT OF HOME TEXTILES FIBRES AND FABRICS USED IN HOME TEXTILES TRADITIONAL FIBRES AND FABRICS PERFORMANCE FIBRES AND FABRICS ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY FIBRES AND FABRICS FABRIC TREATMENTS EASY-CARE STAIN PROTECTION FLAME RETARDANCY ANTI-MICROBIAL PROTECTION X-Static FRAGRANCE ENCAPSULATION TRENDS IN HOME DECORATION CONVERGING TASTES TREND TOWARDS SIMPLICITY FROM FUNCTIONALITY TO FASHION INNOVATIONS IN BEDDING SOFT-FILLED PRODUCTS THERMALLY ADAPTIVE BEDDING MARKETING INNOVATIONS FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS List of tables Table 1: EU: leading suppliers of home and furnishing textiles by product, 2003 Table 2: EU: production of home and furnishing textiles by product, 2000-03 Table 3: EU25: consumer expenditure on home and furnishing textiles, 1988-2003 Table 4: UK: the market for home textiles by sector and by value, 2005-09 Table 5: Segmentation of the home textile market Table 6: Fabric types and applications of fibres used in home textiles Table 7: Advantages and disadvantages of fibres used in home textiles Table 8: Outlast Technologies: adaptive comfort ratings of bedding products List of figures Figure 1: Breakdown of EU textile production by major sector, 2003 Figure 2: Cotton's share of sheet sets, 1997-200