SIC 2371 Fur Goods

Contenidos

• NAICS CODE(S).
• FURTHER READING.

SIC 2371

This category covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing fur coats and other clothing, accessories, and trimmings made of fur. Those establishments that are primarily engaged in manufacturing sheep-lined clothing are classified in SIC 2386: Leather and Sheep-Lined Clothing, and those that are engaged in dyeing and dressing of furs are classified in SIC 3999: Manufacturing Industries, Not Elsewhere Classified.

NAICS CODE(S)

315292

Fur and Leather Apparel Manufacturing

Furs were once considered a luxury that only a few could afford. The huge influx of women entering the workforce in the 1970s, though, changed that perception. Their increased disposable income enabled many women to buy for themselves an item that historically had been purchased by men as gifts to their wives. After 1970 the U.S. fur market grew steadily and, by the 1980s, furs had surged in popularity.

A surplus of pelts on the international market, a slow U.S. economy, warm winters, and price battles among retailers contributed to lower profits in the late 1980s. Overproduction saw retail prices fall 40 percent below their peak. Animal rights groups—which had won much publicity in the 1980s with their advertising and public relations campaign against the fur industry—attempted to reduce the demand for fur by pointing to the declining numbers and claiming their campaign had been successful. Other analysts saw other factors (a series of mild winters, the slowdown of the economy, and a glut of pelts on the market) as much more important. In the early 1990s lower prices helped to increase the unit sales of furs, but dollar sales remained constant. Some experts contended that in order for fur manufacturers to succeed, they needed to develop cross-promotional campaigns with other clothing manufacturers; in addition to the fur salons found in larger metropolitan areas, manufacturers needed to work closely with larger department stores such as Nordstrom's to raise awareness about fur goods among consumers.

By 1991 U.S. fur sales had declined 44 percent, from a high of $1.8 billion in 1987. However, the late 1990s saw renewed in interest in fur goods. Thanks to a strong U.S. economy, the fur industry appeared to be in the midst of a renaissance, with interest in furs increasing worldwide. Fur goods caught the eye of several top clothing designers, many of whom started to incorporate fur goods into their runway designs...