Mattress Industry ESG Thematic Report, 2023

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in the Mattress Industry

Considering ESG into decision making and business strategies contributes to an effective due diligence and a better investment decision for the company as well as relevant stakeholders. Companies which are focused on Mattress industry have been disclosing ESG data and strategies.

The industry has been growing due to rapid urbanization and increasing number of populations. Companies have been focusing on innovationlike using eco-friendly products, fire blocker beds, antimicrobial resistance and many other spaces. Mattress has significant impact on health as consumers concerned about their sleep cycle which is one of the majority parts of their day. Companies have also focused on bringing up recyclable or degradable long-lasting mattresses and reduced packaging for a sustainable future. Product quality and safety have also been a crucial element for mattress industry, companies have adhered with various quality and safety regulations.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) is a comprehensive framework that helps companies in this market obtain a perspective on the impact of their products and operations on ESG parameters.

ESG Trends

The companies falling under this market have both environmental and social impact, starting off with positive health impact (promoting SDG 3- Health and Wellbeing) mattresses have significant progress in providing perfect sleep. Memory foam mattresses are used more often due to its comfortability and quality, provides better sleep and refreshing wake. Companies have been creating mattresses from a natural or synthetic latex blend that is naturally anti-microbial and allergen resistant.  The company has focused on innovative (promoting SDG 9-Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) like eco-friendly products which use springs made from 95 % postindustrial recycled steel. Companies have also focused on certain aspects as National Bed Federation have introduced 10 eco-design principles to reduce environmental impact, along with introducing Sustainability and circular economy committee headed by Tom Williams. The main intention of this team is to divert 75% of mattresses from landfill by 2028.  They are working closely with mattress recyclers and textile recyclers association on Register of Approved Mattress Recyclers (RAMR) Fire blockers systems are also one of the leading innovations supported by US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is a blend of natural and synthetic fibers that help isolate the impact of a fire and limit its spread. 

ESG Challenges

One of the main challenges for the mattress industry has been with supply chain and transportation issues because of the size of the product. Loss of transportation time as well as transaction time at ports, land borders negatively affect the competitiveness of exporters. Another hurdle in standardizing shipping is a lack of prescribed size of mattresses as in western markets. This lack of uniformity in Indian markets puts an unnecessary burden on delivery logistics downstream. The E-commerce market is putting pressure on companies for upscaling production. For example, the Amazon prime model requires a dispatch within 1 or 2 days. On an international scale, Chinese companies have flooded the American market with cheaper and less sustainable mattresses as low as $18. In 2018 around 5 million mattresses will be shipped back to China as these companies have been accused of having built their businesses on aggressive price cuts, according to the results of a United States International Trade Commission (USITC) investigation.

Growth of the Mattress Market

To put it in a nutshell, the mattress market has a stability with the introduction of environmentally and socially responsible and sustainable products. There have been a lot of challenges posing for the mattress market as mentioned due to delivery and ecommerce market growth and demand. The companies have been monitored by various governing bodies or organizations like National Bed Federation which have strong coherence for sustainability and circularity as mentioned. The global market revenue shares for this segment have been 41.5 billion USD and it is expected to have a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.2%.

Key Companies in this theme

    • Tempur Sealy International, Inc.

    • Serta Simmons Bedding LLC

    • Spring Air International

    • Sleep Number Corp.

    • Kingsdown, Inc.

    • Southerland Sleep

    • Boll & Branch

    • Casper Sleep Inc.

Scope of the Mattress Industry ESG Thematic Report:

    • Macro-economic and ESG-variable analysis of the industry, including regulatory, policy, and innovation landscape

    • Key insights on infrastructure developments and ESG issues affecting the theme

    • Identify key initiatives and challenges within the industry

    • Identify ESG leaders within the industry

    • Understand key initiatives and the impact of companies within the sector to fuel an informed decision-making process

    • Analysis of industry activities based on multi-media sources, including significant controversies and market sentiment

Key Benefits of the Mattress Industry ESG Thematic Report

    • Developing a comprehensive understanding of macro-economic, Policies & Regulations and innovations affecting the Mattress space, globally

    • Key insights into environmental developments and ESG issues affecting the theme

    • Identifying ESG risks and opportunities to business among leading players in the mattress industry

    • Obtaining a clear and relevant understanding of company actions, progress, and impact and find opportunities for investment into the sector