Rising sales for wool bedding as consumers seek to keep mattresses out of landfill
Woolroom, which launched a system allowing customers to trace its products back as far as the flock to improve desirability for local materials and prices for farmers, said sales of its premium products had increased by 20% over the last year alone.
Woolroom has likened the Wool ID programme, launched in conjunction with British Wool, to the labelling on fresh supermarket fruit and vegetables such as berries and asparagus which gives shoppers details on the country of origin, farm and even the producer's name.
Increased demand, particularly in the US, for bedding products made from natural materials, is believed to be a driving force behind the growth.
It follows years of difficulties for the global wool industry as retailers and customers alike opted for products made from man-made alternatives.
The firm earlier launched a bedding collection made with fully traceable wool, including fleece from the Scott family farm in Rutland, with customers able to scan a QR code on every product to trace products back to the exact flock on the estate.
It follows fully traceable wool in its bedding and mattresses from 'Farm Assured' UK farmers, who are independently audited to ensure they are adhering to animal welfare standards.
Woolroom pay a premium over and above the British Wool auction price for the wool they buy, which is returned to the relevant farmers.
Its latest 'Artisan' range includes mattresses that are made over a two-day period, using traditional techniques 'honed over centuries' and costing from £1,599.
Most of the wool comes from three farms in Wales, which farm mountain breeds Radnor and Badger Face sheep.
The mattress springs are free from glue and easy to deconstruct at the end of their life.
The King instigated The Campaign for Wool in 2010 over concern about the impact of declining demand for wool on both British farmers and the environment.
The campaign has led a series of events and initiatives to help promote the wool industry over the last decade, including the Dumfries House Declaration, a 10-point standard for the wool industry, which launched in 2016.
Woolroom's annual turnover increased from £5.7 million to £8.5 million between August 2020 and August 2021 and is estimated to reach £16 million this financial year.
Woolroom managing director Chris Tattersall said: 'Your sleep environment should be as natural, healthy, sustainable and comfortable as possible.
'Along with avoiding harsh chemicals, glues and synthetics, wool's naturally flame-resistant properties also mean, unlike the majority of brands and products on the market, we don't use flame retardant chemicals, and even use soft merino wool in our outer fabric, known as ticking, to meet all fire regulations.
'Our commitment to only using the most natural materials and methods not only ensures a healthier sleep environment but also means that once your mattress does come to the end of its life, it is fully recyclable, from the biodegradable wool filling, right down to the finest steel springs that can be used time and time again.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Do big gigs alter economies? What the Oasis tour reveals about how we spend
When Oasis returned to British stadiums this summer, hotel prices around venues jumped and flights filled fast. Commentators predicted that economic figures could show an 'Oasis bump' – and indeed, air fares were the biggest driver of July's inflation rise to 3.8% from 3.6% in June. The idea is simple: a sudden wave of visitors meets fixed capacity, so prices rise. But, in truth, the more useful story is what this says about how people choose to spend, and how we should read one noisy month in the data. Start with the mechanics. The UK consumer prices index is a weighted basket. Most of this 'shopping basket' of things we all spend our money on – which includes things such as food, clothing and housing – moves slowly. A few small categories, such as accommodation and air travel, move a lot from month to month because they are priced in the month people travel. Schedule a stadium show on a weekend during the school holidays and you get a tidy, temporary lift in those sub-indices. That can nudge the national figure for a month before easing back when the calendar quietens. What did people actually spend? Industry and banking estimates suggest the Oasis tour drove very large ancillary outlays. Barclays anticipated total spend across the 17 UK dates would be roughly £1 billion, with an average around £766 per fan once tickets, travel, accommodation, food and drink, and merchandise are included. In other words, most of the economic footprint sits in event tourism and hospitality rather than in the ticket itself. That is exactly where we see price spikes around concert weekends. Do fans simply pay whatever it costs? Not quite. People do 'pay up' for the event and associated expenses on the day, but most do not treat this as an impulse purchase. The pattern described in recent spending surveys and analyses is one of ring-fencing. Plan months ahead, set a budget, book early to manage risk and trim lower-priority items before and after the trip. Think of it less as a night out and more as a short break. Three ideas help explain why this pattern holds. First, the economics of a rare event: stadium capacity is fixed and for dedicated fans a reunion is not easily substituted. So demand is less sensitive to price in the short term. That encourages dynamic pricing and a lively resale market, which can push some seat prices well above face value. Second, the 'experience economy': many consumers now prioritise shared, memorable experiences over goods, and say they are willing to spend more for them. Third, nostalgia: reviews framed these shows as a return to a formative time for many of the band's fans from the first time around. Research on nostalgia and consumer choice suggests that nostalgia can lower how sensitive consumers are to prices because the purchase is tied to identity and memory, not just entertainment. Demographics matter too. Oasis's core audience is now mostly middle-aged: generation X and older millennials. They are in peak earning years, value convenience, and tend to bundle spend on travel, accommodation and eating out around a big night. That mix increases certainty for venues and host cities, and it flattens the demand curve around the event itself. The result is a bigger, more predictable local footprint during the tour window, followed by a return to normal once the tour moves on. Keep perspective There are tensions though. Dynamic pricing can help artists capture value that would otherwise leak to resellers, yet it risks alienating fans if it feels opaque or unfair. For host cities, the main effect is indirect. When shows sell out, pricing mostly changes who attends and when they book. Higher face values tilt audiences toward out-of-town, higher-spending fans, which pushes up hotel demand and average room rates, as well as lifting food and drink takings near venues. Earlier ticket sales also let hotels set higher prices further in advance. Only if pricing deters enough buyers to shift the mix toward day-trippers – or leaves seats unsold – do you tend to see a smaller spike in accommodation and travel prices. And we should be careful with 'impact' headlines. Economic development researchers have long warned that some event-impact studies overstate benefits by ignoring substitution – money that would have been spent locally anyway – or by using multipliers that are too generous. Even so, two features strengthen the case that large tours leave a visible mark. Many attendees travel from outside the host city, bringing in genuinely new money. And the price spikes in accommodation and air travel during event weekends are real enough to show up in the monthly statistics, even if only briefly. So how should we read these statistics? Keep perspective. One month of higher services inflation such as air fares can reflect the calendar more than a change in underlying momentum. The data often show a partial 'payback' in the following month as prices normalise. For cities and businesses, the lesson is practical. Tours are scheduled long in advance. Planning for transport, staffing and clear pricing helps visitors spend well without overwhelming residents. And for consumers, the advice is simple. If a special event matters to you, treat it like any other big purchase. Set a budget early, book with a plan and decide in advance what you will trim before or after. The evidence suggests most fans already do just that. Will a reunion tour change the path of inflation? No. Will it show up as a blip for a month? Quite possibly. The deeper lesson is about how culture and money meet in 2025. Shared experiences carry a premium because people judge them to be 'worth it' and plan around them. That is not reckless spending. It is the experience economy at work. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Marcel Lukas is a fellow of the ONS Economic Expert Working Group. He received funding from the British Academy, UKRI and Interface in the past. Marcel Lukas is Vice-Dean of Executive Education at the University of St Andrews. All opinions expressed are solely his own and do not express the views or opinions of his employers or the ONS. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNBC
6 hours ago
- CNBC
Sticky UK inflation dents likelihood of further interest rate cuts in 2025, economist says
James Sproule, chief U.K. economist at Handelsbanken, discusses the latest British inflation data and its impact on the Bank of England's rate cut trajectory.
CNBC
8 hours ago
- CNBC
How tourists are weathering geopolitical uncertainty, currency moves and extreme heat
Geopolitics, currency moves and extreme weather are increasingly playing into tourists' considerations for their next vacation and affecting classic holiday destinations. Staple European spots France, Spain and Croatia, for example, have been facing record-breaking heat in recent weeks, which triggered wildfires in some locations. Conflict in the Middle East has meanwhile meant that tourists in nearby Cyprus were able to see missiles and smoke in the sky from the beach. Sluggish economic growth and inflationary fears, largely linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies, appear to be making consumers more cautious with their spending. A weaker U.S. dollar has also diminished the currency's purchasing power abroad, with a June report from the European Travel Commission showing that high travel costs, alongside the current global perception of the U.S., have been weighing on voyage plans. "For American travellers, a weaker dollar has fuelled demand for countries where their purchasing power goes further, from parts of Latin America to Southeast Asia. Many are opting for package deals that lock in rates upfront, effectively turning travel planning into a smart financial strategy," Nicholas Smith, holidays digital director at Thomas Cook and the eSky Group online travel agency, told CNBC by email. Travelers also appear to be thinking twice before picking the U.S. as a destination amid political tensions and an increase in reports of tourists being detained or interrogated as they enter or leave the country. Linda Jonczyk, a spokesperson for Europe's largest tour operator TUI, said that there has been "some decline" in bookings for travel to the U.S. Earlier this month, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel reportedly attributed the pullback to factors including reports of tourists facing border control issues. Elsewhere, Europe remains a key destination, despite challenges. Smith said the British pound to euro conversion rate has remained relatively stable, and the familiarity many tourists have with mainland Europe works in the region's favor. "Greece and Turkey also remain firm favourites, even with seasonal wildfire headlines, thanks to their compelling mix of history, hospitality, and value for money," he said. But, Smith also noted that "Turkey has found itself in a slightly tricky predicament. Inflation has pushed up prices, however as most people book all inclusive, it is somewhat mitigated." Still, there has been a growing trend of consumers swapping heat for cooler destinations as part of so-called "coolcations," Smith said. This includes travelers now turning to countries such as Iceland, Norway and Poland. TUI's Jonczyk meanwhile noted that the company's business is becoming less seasonally focused as it responds to "more of our customers preferring to travel outside the peak summer season as weather patterns especially around the Mediterranean change." According to Thomas Cook's Smith, "holidaymakers in 2025 are factoring in more elements than ever when choosing where to go - from currency movements and visa rules to climate patterns and unique cultural draws." "Travellers are becoming more intentional," he added, noting that tourists are seeking out spots that suit them and their priorities, rather than simply avoiding certain locations. Europe's wildfires are an especially big concern among travelers right now, travel experts said, after heatwaves triggered outbreaks in tourist hotspots including Spain, Portugal and Greece. Flames are still spreading in some locations. Over the weekend, Spanish infrastructure such as roads and train services was impacted, as Madrid deployed military emergency troops to try and constrain the fires, Reuters reported. Fires are also continuing to rage in neighboring Portugal, which last week requested assistance from the European Union and was forced to evacuate residents in some regions. In emailed comments, Portugal's tourism office meanwhile told CNBC that the country "remains a safe, welcoming, and fully operational destination for travelers," and that visitors were being hosted "as planned." Local tourism infrastructure was prepared for challenges like wildfires, they added. Rhys Jones, a travel insurance specialist at GoCompare, told CNBC that the price comparison website has increasingly been receiving inquiries about what how to handle traveling in an area were wildfires raged at one point, or if there's a risk of blazes. "The first thing we recommend doing is checking whether the Foreign Office has deemed your destination safe to travel to," Jones told CNBC by email. "If the Foreign Office says it isn't safe, then it's important you take this advice seriously. If you decide to travel regardless of the warnings and need to claim for something that happens during the trip, your travel insurer could refuse your claim," Jones said. On the flipside, insurers might not pay out if you choose to stay at home despite the Foreign Office saying it is safe to travel and there are no reported issues with flights or accommodation, he added. Jo Rhodes, a travel specialist at U.K. consumer group Which?, echoed this advice. "Holidaymakers should wait until closer to the departure date to see if the holiday can go ahead or what flexible booking options are offered from the tour operator or airline. Travel companies will be prioritising anyone due to depart in the next couple of days," Rhodes told CNBC by email.
