Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
-
- The market
-
- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of major household appliances, at current prices, 2012-22
- The issues
- Retailers competing for consumer spend, online gaining ground
-
- Figure 2: Purchase location, November 2017
- Privacy and security concerns challenge smart appliances
-
- Figure 3: Select attitudes toward smart appliances, November 2017
- The opportunities
- Improving housing market suggests future category growth
-
- Figure 4: Appliance ownership, by homeownership, November 2017
- Beyond price matching, offering services could elevate retailers
-
- Figure 5: Select reasons for choosing retailer, November 2017
- Young adults, parents’ willing to pay for practical innovations
-
- Figure 6: Interest in select washer and dryer features, by those aged 18-44, parents, November 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Major household appliance market maintains steady growth
- Shifts in kitchen, laundry room distribution in new builds
- Natural disasters, improving housing market lift sales
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Solid category gains aligns with improvement in economy, innovation
-
- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of major household appliances, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of major household appliances, at current prices, 2012-22
Market Breakdown
-
- Market maintains growth amid improving economy, innovations
-
- Figure 9: Total US retail sales of major household appliances, by segment, at current prices, 2012-17
Market Perspective
-
- Distribution of kitchen and laundry rooms in new builds shifting
-
- Figure 10: Perceptions of the kitchen, April 2009-May 2017
Market Factors
-
- Rising consumer confidence, income could lift market further
-
- Figure 11: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2005-15
- Natural disasters could boost appliance sales
- US housing starts steady, homeownership rates rebound
-
- Figure 12: Annual rate for housing units started, seasonally adjusted total units, 2000-17*
- Figure 13: Homeownership rate, by age of householder, 2006-16
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- Social media spotlight on retailers
- Greater capacity and flexibility in appliances, tools help shoppers
- Sears adjusts strategy to stay afloat
- Lifestyle-themed campaigns, smaller options for space-conscious adults
Retailer and Brand Social Media Spotlight
-
- Social media spotlight on retailers
-
- Figure 14: Social audience, December 1, 2016-17
-
- Figure 15: Posts by platform excluding Pinterest, December 1, 2016-17
-
- Figure 16: Total number of engagements by platform, December 1, 2016-17
- Sentiment toward major appliance brands on social media
-
- Figure 17: Average positive sentiment toward select major appliance brands, December 2016-17
- Figure 18: Top positive topics of select major appliance brands, December 2016-17
What’s We’re Seeing
-
- Voice communication and built-in assistants
- Capacity remains a key focus in product development
- Flexibility to simplify life
- Design elevates brands
- Virtual and augmented reality technology set to disrupt retailing
What’s Struggling?
-
- Sears partners with Amazon, ends relationship with Whirlpool
-
- Figure 19: Mentions of Sears, within mentions of select home appliances, December 2016-17
- Challenges for smart appliances: cost and security
What’s Next?
-
- Campaigns focus on lifestyle- and lifestage-motivators
-
- Figure 20: KitchenAid #FortheMaking campaign
- Faster results for time-strapped adults
- Internal fridge features give an insider’s view, reduce waste
- The size of future appliances
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Lifestage influences appliance ownership
- Appliance usage frequency higher among young adults, parents
- Home improvement stores, Sears most popular purchase locations
- Store selection based on more than merely price
- High-efficiency offers cost-savings, privacy a concern for smart appliances
- For washers and dryers, water- and energy-efficient draws most interest
Appliance Ownership
-
- Ownership of household essentials high, opportunities for add-ons
-
- Figure 21: Appliance ownership, November 2017
-
- Figure 22: Number of major appliances purchased in the past 12 months, July 2016-August 2017
- Ownership increases with age, parental status
-
- Figure 23: Appliance ownership, by age, parental status, November 2017
- Homeowners, higher-income households own wider range of appliances
-
- Figure 24: Appliance ownership, by homeownership, November 2017
-
- Figure 25: Appliance ownership, by household income, November 2017
Frequency of Major Appliance Use
-
- Kitchen appliances experience heaviest usage
-
- Figure 26: Frequency of major appliance usage, November 2017
- Adults aged 18-44, parents use appliances daily
-
- Figure 27: Frequency of major appliance usage, once a day or more, by age, parental status, November 2017
- Lower-income households use appliances more often
-
- Figure 28: Frequency of major appliance usage, once a day or more, by household income, November 2017
Purchase Location
-
- Majority of appliance purchases occur in-store
-
- Figure 29: In-store or online purchases, November 2017
-
- Figure 30: In-store or online purchases, by gender, age, November 2017
- Home improvement stores, Sears most shopped retailers
-
- Figure 31: Purchase location, November 2017
- Purchase location varies by age
-
- Figure 32: Select purchase location, by age, November 2017
Reasons for Choosing Appliance Retailer
-
- Beyond price: service is key for retailers
-
- Figure 33: Reasons for choosing retailer, November 2017
- Price matching, free delivery reaches the widest audience
-
- Figure 34: TURF analysis – Reasons for choosing appliance retailer, November 2017
- Methodology
- Retailers can differentiate on financial offers, interactive tools
-
- Figure 35: Select reasons for choosing retailer, by age, parental status, November 2017
Attitudes and Behaviors toward Appliances
-
- High-efficiency associated with cost-savings
- Value and privacy concerns for smart appliances
-
- Figure 36: General attitudes and behaviors toward appliances, November 2017
- Smart appliances appeal to younger adults, parents
-
- Figure 37: Attitudes toward appliances, by age, parental status, November 2017
Interest in Washer and Dryer Features
-
- Highest energy- and water-efficiency ratings draw strongest interest
-
- Figure 38: Interest in washer and dryer features, November 2017
- Younger adults, parents willing to spend on variety of features
-
- Figure 39: Interest in select washer and dryer features, by age, parental status, November 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
-
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
-
-
- Figure 40: Total US retail sales and forecast of major household appliances, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
- Figure 41: Total US retail sales and forecast of major household appliances, by segment, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 42: Total US retail sales and forecast of major household appliances, by segment, at current prices, 2015 and 2017
-
Appendix – The Consumer
-
- Rival IQ methodology and supporting tables
-
- Figure 43: Total social audience by platform, by listed retailers, December 1, 2016-17
-
- Figure 44: Total posts by platform, by listed retailers, December 1, 2016-17
-
- Figure 45: Posts by platform, December 1, 2016-17
- Simmons consumer data
-
- Figure 46: Summary of bases for Attitudes toward the kitchen, major appliance ownership, major appliances purchased in last 12 months, April 2009-May 2017
- Figure 47: Major appliance ownership, April 2009-May 2017
-
- Figure 48: Major appliances purchased in the last 12 months, April 2009-May 2017
-
- Figure 49: Number of kitchen appliances purchased in the past 12 months, by gender and by age, July 2016-August 2017
-
- Figure 50: Number of laundry appliances purchased in the past 12 months, by gender and by age, July 2016-August 2017
Back to top