Market Basket Reveals Tactics

HTT Staff Report -- Home Textiles Today, 3/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Some things change, some stay the same. That's why HTT editors each year check the first-hand, spring bed and bath merchandising evidence, on the store shelves and gondolas, and provide HTT's Market Basket Report.

One thing that's the same: China is the source of more than half of all the home textiles products in the survey, at roughly the same ratio as 2008, which was the first year that country surpassed the 50% mark.

One thing that has changed since last year: there is no more Linens 'n Things. With that big, 589-store national specialty chain out of the picture, HTT has altered the roster of retailers in the survey. For 2009, the survey has introduced research on Big Lots and Family Dollar, two very distinct retail formats but each operating on the lower end of the price point spectrum.

Big Lots joins the survey at the top of the list of penetration by “Made in the U.S.A.” products, at 17% of the goods sampled. The proportion of home textiles products sourced from the United States found in Wal-Mart fell to 13% this year from 19% last year, but that 13% is still high enough for second place.

The proportion of USA-made soft home goods in the JCPenney sampling jumped to 10% this year from 3% in the 2008 Market Basket. U.S. sourcing provided 8% of the home goods sampled at Marshalls, up from 3% last year. At Kmart, just 6% of the goods we saw were from the United States, down from 10% last year.

Macy's got into the game at 3% of the surveyed goods sourced from the United States, up from 0% in 2008. Bed Bath & Beyond also climbed from 0% U.S. goods in our 2008 report to 5% this year. Family Dollar entered the list this year at 0%. Target was steady year-to-year at 7%; Kohl's held steady at 3%.

Testing higher ranges

Several retail chains seemed to press higher pricing in both the low and high ends of the merchandising game.

Macy's was one of these, with its Opening Price total basket of $1,165.96 — up a stunning 66.8% from last year's $698.96. Similarly, the Macy's Top Price total basket of $2,628.21 represents a 23.0% bump up from $2,135.96 in 2008.

Target also showed prices surging at both the opening and top ends. The Target 2009 Opening Price total basket of $260.51 was up a substantial 20.0% from $217.03 in 2008. Meanwhile, its Top Price total basket of $553.35 this year climbed 5.7% from $523.35 last year.

Kmart held the line in its low-end offerings, with a 2009 Opening Price total basket of $245.84, just 2.3% above its 2008 Opening Price total basket of $240.22. On the upside of the equation, however, Kmart pushed its Top Price total basket to $557.85 — a sizeable increase of 16.7% from $478.35 last year.

Pushing and pulling

Other retailers pushed in two directions at once. That is, in the case of JCPenney, for example, the Opening Price total basket of $523.89 this year was down 21.2% from $664.90 last year — while the JCP Top Price 2009 total basket of $1,383.97 was up 13.0% from the $1,224.92 total in 2008. That combination of changes made a 34.2-percentage-point swing differential.

Bed Bath & Beyond showed a similar pattern. Its Opening Price total basket of $349.83 was down 12.3% from $398.84 in 2008 — but its 2009 Top Price total basket of $1,317.83 was up 7.3% over the $1,227.84 total in 2008.

Likewise, at Kohl's this year's Opening Price total basket of $510.85 was steeply down 27.1% from last year's $700.84 — but the Kohl's Top Price 2009 total basket of $1,288.93 marked a modest increase of 1.7% over last year's $1,267.84 Top Price total basket. That made for a swing differential of 28.8 percentage points, second only to JCPenney.

Resistant to change

Amidst this general vacillations, some merchants were markedly steady. Wal-Mart, with a 2009 Opening Price total basket of $191.42 down just 2.3% from $196.58 in 2008, also posted a 2009 Top Price total basket of $391.12, which was 5.4% up from $371.00.

Off-price chain Marshalls was somewhat consistent. Its 2009 Opening Price total basket of $188.86 was reduced 14.1% from $219.84 in 2008, but its Top Price total basket of $300.86 was down just 2.6% from $308.84 last year.

The limits and the outlook

On single items, Macy's took top honors with the most pricey item, a queen size quilt at $440. While JCPenney and Kohl's each had substantially increased their year-ago highest-price items in the survey, to this year's $420 and $359.99 for a bed-in-a-bag set, respectively, the Macy's quilt was $105 steeper in price than the dust ruffle Macy's was offering at $335 in HTT's 2008 Market Basket.

Marshalls this year displayed a $99.99 sheet set — from Italy, no less — miles above its highest-priced item last year, a $59.99 bed-in-a-bag.

The offering sampled at Bed Bath & Beyond showed a tumble from last year's high mark of $249.99 for bed-in-a-bag, to this year's highest: two different products each selling at $199.99, a sheet set and a bed-in-a-bag.

The remaining retailers were more consistent year-to-year in their highest-priced offerings. There were also few surprises in the pricing ranges this year for lowest-priced items.

With a $433 difference between its lowest-priced and highest-priced home textiles product, Macy's won the honor of the greatest high-low spread in the 2009 Market Basket. Last year, the Macy's high-low was $331.

JCPenney, which posted the top-of-class $353.01 high-low spread last year, increased its range to $415.01 in this year's survey, just behind Macy's.

The third-greatest high-low spread this year was $356 by Kohl's, up from its third-place $276 spread in 2008.

That much was constant. The three higher-end retailers of our group maintained the three greatest price ranges in their merchandise mix. Bed Bath & Beyond was right behind, up from $247 in a fourth-place tie with LNT last year, to this year's $196 high-low spread. But that 2009 figure showed a major contraction of the BBB price spread — the opposite direction taken by its three peers. This raises the obvious question: which of these four retailers' business performed best overall in 2008?

The answer to that question says something about any predictions that will be made about the 2009 retail year in home textiles.

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Two individually packaged shams at $29.99 each. **Two individually packaged shams at $49.99 each.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$29.99	Ericyan Industries	Cotton	India
Queen bed-in-a-bag	59.99	Springs Global	Poly/Cotton	China
Pair of standard shams*	29.98	Levinsohn Textile	Poly/Cotton	China
Dust ruffle	29.99	Levinsohn Textile	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen quilt	69.99	Keeco	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	29.99	Berkshire Blankets	Polyester	China
Throw	19.99	Berkshire Blankets	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$269.92	-18.2% from $329.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	$14.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	Pakistan
Bath towel	5.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	Pakistan
Hand towel	4.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	Pakistan
Wash cloth	3.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	Pakistan
Shower curtain	9.99	Springs Global	Poly/Nylon	China
Bath rug	9.99	Trade Am	Cotton	India
Soap dish	3.99	Umbra	Plastic	China
Lotion pump	10.99	Umbra	Plastic	China
Tissue box	14.99	Umbra	Plastic	China
Total Retail	$79.91	+16.0% from $68.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$349.83	-12.3% from $398.84 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	$199.99	Springs Global	Cotton	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag	199.99	Revman	Poly/Cotton	China
Pair of standard shams**	99.98	Revman	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt	69.99	Revman	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen quilt	149.99	Ellery Homestyles	Cotton/Poly	China
Queen blanket	179.99	Sunbeam	Polyester	USA
Throw	39.99	Berkshire Blankets	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$939.92	+10.6% from $849.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	$79.99	Terrisol	Cotton	India
Bath towel	39.99	Terrisol	Cotton	India
Hand towel	19.99	Terrisol	Cotton	India
Wash cloth	12.99	Terrisol	Cotton	India
Shower curtain	59.99	Croscill Home	Rayon/Poly	China
Bath rug	79.99	Mohawk Home	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	19.99	Croscill Home	Resin	China
Lotion pump	24.99	Croscill Home	Resin	China
Tissue box	39.99	Croscill Home	Resin	China
Total Retail	$377.91	0% from $377.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$1,317.83	+7.3% from $1,227.84 in 2008

Big Lots

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Only one price point in this category **3 washcloths for $3. *** 3-piece set including soap dish, cup and toothbrush holder
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$17.00	Nadia Textiles Intl.	Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	50.00	Pem America	Polyester	China
Pair of standard shams	NA
Dust ruffle	NA
Queen quilt*	60.00	Hedaya Home	Cotton	NA
Queen blanket	NA
Throw	8.00	Oceans United Inc.	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$135.00
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	3.00	Sajid Textile	Cotton	Pakistan
Hand towel	3.00	Sajid Textile	Cotton	Pakistan
Wash cloth**	3.00	Sajid Textile	Cotton	Pakistan
Shower curtain	NA
Bath rug	5.00	Maples	Nylon	USA
Soap dish***	5.00	Big Lots	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	NA
Tissue box	NA
Total Retail	$19.00
Total Market Basket	$154.00
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	$30.00	Texcellence Overseas	Cotton	India
Queen bed-in-a-bag	60.00	Blue Ridge Home	Cotton	USA
Pair of standard shams	NA
Dust ruffle / bedskirt	NA
Queen quilt*	60.00	Hedaya Home	Cotton	NA
Queen blanket	NA
Throw	20.00	Nontong Flexitex	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$170.00
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	6.00	Hilasal USA	Cotton	Mexico
Hand towel	4.00	Big Lots	Cotton	India
Wash cloth	1.50	A & B Supply	Cotton	Pakistan
Shower curtain	NA
Bath rug	10.00	Maples Ind.	Nylon	USA
Soap dish***	5.00	Big Lots	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	NA
Tissue box	NA
Total Retail	$26.50
Total Market Basket	$196.50

Family Dollar

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
* Soap dish, cup and trash bin came in packaged set. ** Soap dish was packaged with cup and trash bin ***Only one price point available in this category.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set***	$20.00	Elite Home Products	Poly/Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	36.00	Amrapur Overseas	Polyester	China
Pair of standard shams***	3.00	Dolly Madison Inc.	Poly/Cotton	China
Dust ruffle	NA
Queen quilt***	38.00	Pem America	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen blanket***	9.00	Springs	Polyester	no label
Throw	NA
Total Retail	$106.00
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel***	$4.00	Baltic Linen Co.	Cotton	Pakistan
Hand towel***	2.50	Baltic Linen Co	Cotton	Pakistan
Wash cloth	0.50	Vision International	Cotton	Pakistan
Shower curtain	NA
Bath rug	5.00	YMF Carpet	Olefin	China
Soap dish*	5.00	Better Home	Resin	unknown
Lotion pump	NA
Tissue box	NA
Total Retail	$17.00
Total Market Basket	$123.00
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set***	$20.00	Elite Home	Poly/Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	46.00	Amrapur Overseas	Polyester	China
Pair of standard shams***	3.00	Dolly Madison Inc.	Poly/Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt	NA
Queen quilt***	38.00	Pem America	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen blanket***	9.00	Springs	Polyester	Unknown
Throw	NA
Total Retail	$116.00
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel***	$4.00	Baltic Linen Co.	Cotton	Pakistan
Hand towel***	2.50	Baltic Linen Co.	Cotton	Pakistan
Wash cloth	1.00	Baltic Linen Co.	Cotton	Pakistan
Shower curtain	NA
Bath rug	10.00	JF Distributors	Nylon	China
Soap dish**	5.00	Better Home	Resin	Unknown
Lotion pump	NA
Total Retail	$22.50
Total Market Basket	$138.50

JCPenney

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Two individually packaged shams at $25 each. **Two individually packaged shams at $50 each.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	50.00	Keeco LLC	Poly	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag	130.00	Keeco LLC	Poly/Cotton	China
Pair of standard shams*	50.00	Keeco LLC	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle	35.00	Keeco LLC	Cotton	China
Queen quilt	79.99	Sunham Bedding	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen blanket	39.99	Charles D. Owen	Woven Acrylic	USA
Throw	19.99	JCPenney	Poly	China
Total Retail	$404.97	-21.4% from $514.97 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	7.99	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Hand towel	5.99	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Wash cloth	4.99	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Shower curtain	14.99	Maxan Curtain	Peva	China
Bath rug	25.99	Mohawk	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	8.99	JCPenney	Composite	China
Lotion pump	9.99	JCPenney	Composite	China
Tissue box	39.99	Saturday Knight Ltd.	Composite	China
Total Retail	$118.92	- 20.7% from $149.93 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$523.89	- 21.2% from $664.90 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	180	American Living Home	Supima Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	420	American Living Home	Poly/Cotton	Pakistan
Pair of standard shams**	100	American Living Home	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle	50	Keeco LLC	Cotton	China
Queen quilt	170	American Living Home	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	90	American Living Home	Supima Cotton	China
Throw	80	American Living Home	Cotton	China
Total Retail	$1,090.00	+18% from $924 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	25	JCPenney	Cotton	China
Hand towel	18	JCPenney	Cotton	China
Wash cloth	14	JCPenney	Cotton	China
Shower curtain	59.99	Croscill	Poly	China
Bath rug	62	Maples Industries	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	25	JCPenney (Chris Madden)	Composite	China
Lotion pump	29.99	Croscill Home	Composite	China
Tissue box	59.99	Bacova Guild Ltd.	Composite	China
Total Retail	$293.97	-2.3% from 300.92 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$1,383.97	+13.0% from $1,224.92 in 2008

Kmart

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
**Only one price point available in this category.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$25.99	Kmart	Poly/Cotton	Brazil
Queen bed-in-a-bag	34.99	Springs Global	Poly/Cotton	Mexico
Pair of standard shams	7.99	Kmart	Cotton	Pakistan
Dust ruffle**	22.99	Westpoint Home	Cotton/Poly	Pakistan
Queen quilt**	57.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	22.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Throw	9.99	Kmart	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$182.93	- 0.79% from $ 184.39 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	9.99	Kmart	Cotton	India
Bath towel	2.99	Springs	Cotton	Brazil
Hand towel	2.99	Springs	Cotton	Brazil
Wash cloth	1.99	Springs	Cotton	Brazil
Shower curtain	9.99	Kmart	Vinyl	China
Bath rug	7.99	Kmart	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	3.49	Kmart	Resin	n/a
Lotion pump	3.49	Kmart	Resin	n/a
Tissue box	19.99	Kmart	Metal	China
Total Retail	$62.91	+12.7 % from $ 55.83 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$245.84	+2.3% from $240.22 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	$99.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag	114.00	Springs Global	Cotton/Poly	China
Pair of standard shams	34.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt**	22.99	Westpoint Home	Cotton/Poly	Pakistan
Queen quilt**	57.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	45.99	Kmart	Polyester	China
Throw	24.99	Kmart	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$400.94	+ 12.65 % from $ 355.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	$17.99	Kmart	Cotton	Brazil
Bath towel	14.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Hand towel	9.49	Kmart	Cotton	China
Wash cloth	6.99	Kmart	Cotton	China
Shower curtain	28.99	Kmart	Polyester	China
Bath rug	28.99	Maples Ind.	Cotton	USA
Soap dish	11.49	Kmart	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	14.99	Kmart	Ceramic	China
Tissue box	22.99	Kmart	Wood	China
Total Retail	$156.91	+28.2% from $122.42 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$557.85	+16.6% from $478.39 in 2008

Kohl's

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	44.99	Pem-America	Micro-polyester	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag	139.99	Alice Manufacturing, Inc.	Cotton/Poly	China
Pair of standard shams	9.99	Kohl's	Cotton/Poly	China
Dust ruffle	NA
Queen quilt	129.99	Pem-America	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	39.99	Kohl's	Poly fleece	China
Throw	39.99	Kohl's	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$404.94	+-33.6 % from $609.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	15.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Bath towel	7.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Hand towel	5.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Wash cloth	3.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Shower curtain	21.99	Kohl's	PEVA	China
Bath rug	14.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Soap dish	4.99	Linde Products Mfg. Co.	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	7.99	Linde Products Mfg. Co.	Ceramic	China
Tissue box	21.99	Allure Home Creation	Metal	China
Total Retail	$105.91	+16.5% from $90.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$510.85	-27.1% from $700.84 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	199.99	Kohl's	Pima Cotton	India
Queen bed-in-a-bag	359.99	Chenab	Cotton	Pakistan
Pair of standard shams	69.99	Kohl's	Pima Cotton	India
Dust ruffle	NA
Queen quilt	159.99	Nostalgia Home Fashions	Cotton	China
Queen blanket	149.99	Kohl's	Cotton	India
Throw	49.99	Kohl's	Acrylic	China
Total Retail	$989.94	+1.50% from $974.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	35.99	Kohl's	Cotton/Viscose(Bamboo)	India
Bath towel	24.99	Saturday Knight Ltd.	Cotton/Poly	El Salvador
Hand towel	18.99	Bacova Guild	Cotton	Turkey
Wash cloth	11.99	Chaps Home	Cotton	Turkey
Shower curtain	69.99	Chapel Hill Home Fash.	Cotton or Poly	China
Bath rug	44.99	Chaps Home	Comforel Nylon	USA
Soap dish	19.99	Saturday Knight Ltd.	Resin	China
Lotion pump	21.99	Saturday Knight Ltd.	Ceramic	China
Tissue box	49.99	Saturday Knight Ltd.	Ceramic	China
Total Retail	$298.91	+2.0% from $292.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$1,288.85	+1.6% from $1,267.84 in 2008

Macy's

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Only one price point available in this category. **Two individually packaged shams at $80 each; $40 each.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$50.00	Sander Sales Enterprises	Cotton/Polyester	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag*	400.00	Macy's	Cotton/Polyester	Pakistan
Pair of standard shams**	80.00	Macy's	Pima Cotton	Pakistan
Dust ruffle/bedskirt	55.00	Macy's	Pima Cotton	Pakistan
Queen quilt	250.00	Macy's	Polyester/Cotton	India
Queen blanket	125.00	DWI Holdings Inc.	Cotton Percale	USA
Throw	40.00	Macy's	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$1,000.00	+44% from $560.00 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	26.00	Macy's	Cotton	India
Bath towel	14.00	Macy's	Cotton	India
Hand towel	12.00	Macy's	Cotton	India
Wash cloth	7.00	Macy's	Cotton	India
Shower curtain	19.99	Macy's	Vinyl	Taiwan
Bath rug	29.00	Macy's	Cotton	India
Soap dish	12.99	Croscill	Resin	China
Lotion pump	14.99	Croscill	Resin	China
Tissue box	29.99	Croscill	Resin	China
Total Retail	$165.96	+17.8% from $138.96 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$1,165.96	+66.8% from $698.96 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	$260.00	Macy's	Cotton Percale	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag*	400.00	Macy's	Cotton/Polyester	Pakistan
Pair of standard shams	175.00	E & E Company Ltd.	Silk/Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt	225.00	DWI Holdings Inc.	Cotton Sateen	India
Queen quilt	440.00	W-C Designs	Silk	China
Queen blanket	310.00	WestPoint Home	Wool	China
Throw	400.00	E & E Company Ltd.	Viscose from Bamboo	China
Total Retail	$2,210.00	+23.75% from $1,685.00 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	87.50	DWI Holdings Inc.	Organic Cotton
Bath towel	43.75	DWI Holdings Inc.	Organic Cotton
Hand towel	31.25	DWI Holdings Inc.	Organic Cotton
Wash cloth	18.75	DWI Holdings Inc.	Organic Cotton
Shower curtain	69.99	Macy's	Rayon/Polyester	China
Bath rug	70.00	Macy's	Egyptian Cotton	India
Soap dish	19.99	Springs Global	Glass	N/A
Lotion pump	26.99	Springs Global	Glass	N/A
Tissue box	49.99	Springs Global	Glass	N/A
Total Retail	$418.21	-7.8% from $450.96 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$2,628.21	+23.0% from $2,135.96 in 2008

Marshalls

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Two individually packaged shams at $5.99 each; $11.98 for two. **Only one price point available in this category. ***Two individually packaged shams at $12.99 each; $25.98 for two.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$39.99	Niki International	Egyptian Cotton	Egypt
Queen bed-in-a-bag	NA
Pair of standard shams*	11.98	Fashion Pillows Inc.	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle	NA
Queen quilt**	39.99	Summa International Inc.	Cotton	China
Queen blanket**	24.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	USA
Throw	24.99	Berkshire Blanket Inc.	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$141.94	-15.49% from $163.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	$4.99	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Hand towel	3.99	Marshalls	Cotton	China
Wash cloth	2.99	Marshalls	Cotton	China
Shower curtain	5.99	Popular Bath Products	Polyester	China
Bath rug	9.99	Trade Lines Inc.	Cotton	India
Soap dish	3.99	NA	Marble	NA
Lotion pump	6.99	Popular Bath Products	Resin	China
Tissue box	7.99	Croscill	Rattan/Resin	China
Total Retail	$46.92	-19.2% from $55.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$188.86	-14.1% from $219.84 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	$99.99	Marshalls	Egyptian Cotton	Italy
Queen bed-in-a-bag	NA
Pair of standard shams***	25.98	Marshalls	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt	NA
Queen quilt**	39.99	Summa International Inc.	Cotton	China
Queen blanket**	24.99	WestPoint Home	Cotton	USA
Throw	24.99	Sun-Yin USA Inc.	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$215.94	+2.57% from $210.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	$9.99	Sunham Home	Cotton	China
Hand towel	5.99	CHF Industries	Cotton	China
Wash cloth	3.99	Genis Inc.	Cotton	China
Shower curtain	14.99	Revman International	Cotton	China
Bath rug	16.99	Carpet-Art-Deco	Polyester/Olefin	Canada
Soap dish	6.99	NA	Brushed Steel	China
Lotion pump	12.99	NA	Marble/Metal	NA
Tissue box	12.99	Popular Bath Products	Resin	China
Total Retail	$84.92	-15.3% from $97.91 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$300.86	-2.6% from $308.84 in 2008

Target

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
*Two individually packaged shams at $5.49 each. **Two individually packaged shams at $31.99 each.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	19.99	Target Home	Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	44.99	Target Room Essentials	Cotton/Polyester	Brazil, Mex.
Pair of standard shams*	10.98	Target Room Essentials	Cotton/Polyester	Bahrain
Dust ruffle	17.99	Target Room Essentials	Cotton/Polyester	Bahrain
Queen quilt	99.99	Target Fieldcrest	Polyester	China
Queen blanket	16.99	Target Home	Polyester	China
Throw	NA
Total Retail	$210.93	+32.70% from $158.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	1.79	Target Room Essentials	Cotton	Vietnam
Hand towel	1.79	Target Room Essentials	Cotton	Vietnam
Wash cloth	0.45	Target Room Essentials	Cotton	Vietnam
Shower curtain	16.99	Target	Cotton	Pakistan
Bath rug	16.99	Target	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	1.79	Target Room Essentials	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	1.79	Target Room Essentials	Ceramic	China
Tissue box	7.99	iDesign	Plastic	China
Total Retail	$49.58	-14.7% from $58.10 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$260.51	+20.0% from $217.03 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	64.99	Target Thomas O'Brien	Cotton	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	99.99	Target Fieldcrest	Supima Cotton	China
Pair of standard shams**	63.98	Target Fieldcrest	Supima Cotton	Pakistan
Dust ruffle	49.99	Target Fieldcrest	Supima Cotton	China
Queen quilt	99.99	Target Fieldcrest	Polyester	China
Queen blanket	39.99	Target Home	Polyester Microfiber	China
Throw	NA
Total Retail	$418.93	+13.60% from $368.93 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet	NA
Bath towel	9.99	Target Thomas O'Brien	Cotton	China
Hand towel	7.99	Target Thomas O'Brien	Cotton	China
Wash cloth	6.99	Target Thomas O'Brien	Cotton	China
Shower curtain	33.99	Target Fieldcrest	Polyester	Turkey
Bath rug	21.99	Target Thomas O'Brien	Cotton	USA
Soap dish	13.49	Target	Bronze	China
Lotion pump	19.99	Target Fieldcrest	Glass/Metal/Plastic	China
Tissue box	19.99	Target Fieldcrest	Brass	China
Total Retail	$134.42	-13.0% from $154.42 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$553.35	+5.7% from $532.35 in 2008

Wal-Mart

Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
**Only one price point available in this category.
Opening Price Point
Queen sheet set	$17.00	Wal-Mart	Cotton/Poly	Pakistan
Queen bed-in-a-bag	44.86	Wal-Mart	Cotton/Poly	Pakistan
Pair of standard shams	7.00	Wal-Mart	Cotton	Pakistan
Dust ruffle**	12.00	Wal-Mart	Cotton	Brazil
Queen quilt	37.88	Wal-Mart	Cotton/Poly	Pakistan
Queen blanket	NA
Throw	7.00	Wal-Mart	Polyester	China
Total Retail	$125.74	-10.82% from $141.00 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet**	14.50	Springs Global	Cotton	USA
Bath towel	3.50	Wal-Mart	Cotton	Pakistan
Hand towel	2.50	Wal-Mart	Cotton	Bangladesh
Wash cloth	2.00	Wal-Mart	Cotton	India
Shower curtain	9.96	Wal-Mart	Vinyl	China
Bath rug	12.50	Better Homes & Gardens	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	1.88	Wal-Mart	Ceramic	China
Lotion pump	1.88	Wal-Mart	Ceramic	China
Tissue box	16.96	Springs Global	Ceramic	China
Total Retail	$65.68	+17.5% from $55.88 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$191.42	-2.6% from $196.58 in 2008
Top Price Point
Bedding	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Queen sheet set	55.80	Springs Global	Cotton	China
Queen bed-in-a-bag	99.96	Springs	Poly/Cotton	China
Pair of standard shams	19.88	Springs Global	Cotton	China
Dust ruffle / bedskirt**	12.00	Wal-Mart	Cotton	Brazil
Queen quilt	74.76	Peking Handicraft	Poly/Cotton	China
Queen blanket	NA
Throw	15.00	Northwest Co.	Poly	China
Total Retail	$277.40	+10.4% from $251.17 in 2008
Bath	Price	Manufacturer	Construction	Country
Bath sheet**	14.50	Springs Global	Cotton	USA
Bath towel	9.96	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Hand towel	7.96	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Wash cloth	6.96	Springs Global	Cotton	Brazil
Shower curtain	19.96	Wal-Mart	Poly	China
Bath rug	19.50	Springs Global	Nylon	USA
Soap dish	8.96	Springs Global	Plastic	China
Lotion pump	8.96	Springs Global	Plastic	China
Tissue box	16.96	Springs Global	Metal	China
Total Retail	$113.72	-5.1% from $119.83 in 2008
Total Market Basket	$391.12	+5.4% from $371.00 in 2008

High Fliers ...
Highest priced item in top-tier basket (all sizes queen)

Macy's silk quilt was far above its $335 highest ticket last year; Kohl's jumped $80 above its 2008 high.
Macy's	quilt	$440.00
JCPenney	bed-in-a-bag	$420.00
Kohl's	bed-in-a-bag	$359.99
Bed Bath & Beyond	bed-in-a-bag; sheet set	$199.99
Kmart	bed-in-a-bag	$114.00
Target	bed-in-a-bag; quilt	$99.99
Wal-Mart	bed-in-a-bag	$99.96
Marshalls	sheet set	$99.99
Big Lots	bed-in-a-bag; quilt	$60.00
Family Dollar	bed-in-a-bag	$46.00

... and Low Riders
Least expensive item – the wash cloth

*Bed Bath & Beyond also had a soap dish at this price.
Target	$0.45
Family Dollar	$0.50
Big Lots	$1.50
Kmart	$1.99
Wal-Mart	$2.00
Marshalls	$2.99
Bed Bath & Beyond	$3.99*
Kohl's	$3.99
JCPenney	$4.99
Macy's	$7.00

The High/Low
$ difference between the highest and the lowest priced items in the baskets

Macy's widened the spread by $102, Kohl's by $80, and JCP by $62 – while BBB tightened by $51.
Macy's	$433.00
JCPenney	$415.01
Kohl's	$356.00
Bed Bath & Beyond	$196.00
Kmart	$112.01
Target	$99.54
Wal-Mart	$97.96
Marshalls	$97.00
Big Lots	$55.50
Family Dollar	$45.50