SIC 2391 Curtains and Draperies

Contenidos

• NAICS CODE(S).
• FURTHER READING.

SIC 2391

The establishments covered in this category are primarily engaged in manufacturing curtains and draperies from purchased materials. Those establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing lace curtains on lace machines are classified in SIC 2258: Lace and Warp Knit Fabric Mills, and those manufacturing shower curtains are classified in SIC 2392: House Furnishings, Except Curtains and Draperies.

NAICS CODE(S)

314121

Curtain and Drapery Mills

In 2004 there were 1,725 U.S. companies operating curtain and drapery mills, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These companies shipped $1.2 billion worth of goods in 2005 (down from almost $1.5 billion dollars in 2002). The industry's expenditures on materials totaled $695 million in 2004. States with high concentrations of establishments in this industry included California, Florida, Texas, and New York.

Most curtains are manufactured in standard, ready-made sizes. Draperies include ready-made items, as well as custom-made versions. These made-to-measure draperies are ordered from a showroom or a catalog and are then produced by the manufacturer. Cost conscious consumers tended to prefer the less expensive ready-made curtains and draperies in the early 2000s.

Curtains and draperies were once considered the only options for dressing windows, especially in the home. Attitudes shifted over time, however, and by the 1980s consumers wanted their homes to feel more comfortable and less formal. Spending on home furnishings grew throughout the 1980s. At that time imports did not have much effect on this segment of the market. The market for lined, pinched, and pleated draperies declined as one-inch mini-blinds became popular. By the early 1990s, many companies that manufactured traditional window treatments expanded into alternative products. Many analysts said that the manufacture of formal draperies was on a downward spiral, but by 1996 products such as sheer curtains and pinch-pleat draperies were regaining their popularity.

During the late 1990s, this industry began selling more merchandise via home improvement centers that offered items of interest to both men and women. Mass merchants sold about 50 percent of the category's goods in 1996, department stores sold nearly 33 percent, and the remainder was sold through specialty stores and catalogs. The market for soft window treatments was particularly robust in the late 1990s as consumers chose...