What you need to know

2020 was not anticipated to be a record year for the outdoor cooking industry. Prior to the pandemic, demand for grills and outdoor cooking equipment was modest at best. But as the pandemic led to widespread lockdowns, Americans began investing more in their homes, enhancing their outdoor spaces and buying new outdoor cooking equipment. The unexpected surge in demand has created opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and retailers. While previous category struggles remain, like long purchase cycles, another element that players will need to contend with will be maintaining engagement as economies reopen and Americans return to activities put on the back burner for the past year, shifting their attention away from outdoor cooking.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • The impact of COVID-19 on the outdoor cooking market.

  • Outdoor cooking equipment experiences high penetration, allowing brands to focus on consumer experience.

  • Outdoor cooking equipment shopping needs to evolve to merge physical with digital.

  • New and existing hurdles can be overcome by focusing on themes that resonate best with outdoor cooking participants: convenience, flavor and enjoyment.

Definition

This Report takes a broad look at a range of outdoor cooking methods that can be used at or away from home. While we will ask about outdoor cooking away from home (eg tailgating, camping), the focus of the Report will primarily be outdoor cooking at home.

Market context

The research for this Report was conducted in May 2021, and the Report was written in June 2021.

Economic and other assumptions

Mintel’s economic assumptions are based on CBO estimates released on February 1, 2021. The CBO’s previous forecast for US GDP to fall by 5.8% in 2020 was revised after a stronger second half of the year and the updated estimate indicates negative 3.5% GDP for the year. The CBO forecasts for GDP to grow by 4.6% in 2021 and unemployment to continue to fall to average 5.7% for the year do not take into consideration the impact of the $1.9 trillion economic relief package, which is expected to further boost growth.

COVID-19: US context

The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. It was declared a global health pandemic and national emergency in early March 2020. Across the US, various stay-at-home orders were put in place in spring 2020, and non-essential businesses and school districts closed or shifted to remote operations. The remainder of 2020 saw rolling orders, as states and local governments relaxed and reinforced guidelines according to the spread of the virus in each region.

Vaccine rollout began in December 2020. Mintel anticipates business operations in the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021 as vaccines are widely administered and social distancing restrictions and capacity limitations gradually relaxed.

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