Mareep store their electricity in their wool, and this has long made Mareep wool a prized possession, especially in colder areas such as Sinnoh. Not only can it be made into electric blankets, but Mareep wool also produces warm clothing, if ones which mildly shock the wearer when getting dressed through static electricity. Although with the growth of global trade, clothing made from Cottonee and Whimsicott has also become available, Mareep wool still dominates the fabric market outside of Unova.
Mareep wool expands when they absorb excess amounts of electricity, and farmers have long taken advantage of this fact by using other electric-type pokemon such as Jolteon to shock mareep before shearing – a long-accepted practice. In recent years, Mareep are increasingly not shocked by other pokemon, but hooked up to generators. Although this practice allows for far greater amounts of wool to be produced, many customers find it less comfortable than wool created from a simple thundershock.
Worse, tragedy has recently struck the fabric industry, and called into question the safety of Mareep wool produced in this new manner. A young boy in Violet City was electrocuted putting on a sweatshirt made of generator-produced wool, and a devastating explosion struck an Olivine farm when too much electricity was pumped into a Mareep and it blew up like an Electrode. Public outcry has enforced new limits on the amount of wool which can be produced at one time per Mareep, but critics have argued that they are set too low to ensure the safety of farmers, Mareep, and customers alike.