Table of Contents
Introduction and Abbreviations
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- Introduction
- Definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Shipments and prices increase
- Increasing numbers of homeowners
- Growth in high-income households
- Product development meets demand for enhanced features
- “Whirltag” major force in supply structure
- Half of all respondents want to buy American
- Advertising focuses on brand
- Sears maintains retail lead
- Opportunity for private label appliances from retailers
- Home moves trigger purchase
- Machine failure most common reason to purchase
- Majority won’t pay a premium for design
- High-end features to trickle down to low-end product
- Housing market to cool
- Lessening of strong growth ahead
Market Drivers
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- Increase in the number of households and homeowners
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- Figure 1: Number of households, home ownership, and installed base of washers/dryers, 2001-05
- Buying a home
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- Figure 2: Existing and new home sales (single-unit, privately owned homes), 1999-2006
- Figure 3: Existing and new home sales (single-unit, privately owned homes), 1999-2006
- Figure 4: 30-year conventional mortgage rates, 1971-2005
- Household income
- Reasons for purchase and factors in purchase decision
- Distribution of households by income
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- Figure 5: Distribution of households, by income, 1999 and 2004
- Figure 6: Change in # of households per income bracket, 1999-2004
- Features
- Energy-efficiency
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- Figure 7: Annual operating costs ($), 1994-2004
- Consumers look for better design
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- Figure 8: Willingness to pay more for design-led product, June 2006
- Quiet operation
- Age of the U.S. population
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- Figure 9: Age composition of the U.S. population, 1990-2020
Market Size and Trends
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- Introduction
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- Figure 10: Total U.S. manufacturer sales of washers and dryers, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 11: Graph: Total U.S. manufacturer sales of washers and dryers, at current prices, 2001-06
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- Figure 12: Total U.S. shipments of washers and dryers, 2001-06
- “Hour-glass” sales as average prices rise
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- Figure 13: Average U.S. sales price for washers and dryers, at current prices, 2001-06
Market Segmentation
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- Introduction
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- Figure 14: Total U.S. sales of laundry appliances, segmented by product type, 2004 and 2006
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- Figure 15: Graph: Total estimated U.S. sales of laundry appliances, segmented by product type, 2006
- Figure 16: Total U.S. volume shipments of laundry appliances, segmented by product type, 2004 and 2006
- Washing machines
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- Figure 17: Supplier sales of washing machines, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 18: Average supplier sales price for washing machines, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
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- Figure 19: Unit sales of washing machines, 2001-06
- Dryers
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- Figure 20: Supplier sales of dryers, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 21: Average supplier sales price for washing machines, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
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- Figure 22: Unit sales of dryers, 2001-06
Supply Structure
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- Introduction
- Brand ownership
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- Figure 23: Brand of washer/dryer owned by respondents, June 2006
- Figure 24: Graph: Brand of washer/dryer owned, June 2006
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- Figure 25: Purchased same brand when replacing washer/dryer, by age, June 2006
- Company profiles
- Whirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool, Maytag, Roper)
- Sears Holdings Corp (Kenmore)
- GE Consumer & Industrial
- Electrolux Home Products North America (Frigidaire)
- LG Electronics USA Inc
- Samsung Electronics Co
- Haier America
Advertising and Promotion
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- Introduction
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- Figure 26: Adspend and sales, 2005
- Figure 27: Graph: Adspend, 2005
- Whirlpool
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- Figure 28: Maytag TV Spot, Neptune/Pacific sales, 2006
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- Figure 29: Whirlpool TV Spot, Penguins, 2006
- Sears/Kenmore
- GE
- Electrolux/Frigidaire
- LG Electronics USA
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- Figure 30: LG TV Spot, SteamWash, 2006
Retail Distribution
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- Introduction
- Choice of retailer
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- Figure 31: Where washer/dryer was purchased in the last 24 months, June 2006
- Figure 32: Graph: Where washer/dryer was purchased in the last 24 months, June 2006
- Attitudes towards brands available through major retailers
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- Figure 33: Any brand offered by a major retailer will offer the same quality and reliability, June 2006
- After-sale services
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- Figure 34: Purchase of after-sale services, June 2006
- Mintel’s retail store audits
- Impressions of the laundry appliance department
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- Figure 35: Retail auditor’s comments on what made washer/dryer display unique, July 2006
- Merchandise sold with/next to washers and dryers
- Brands, pricing and product selection
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- Figure 36: Washer/dryer brands carried by select retailers, July 2006
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- Figure 37: Range of prices for washers/dryers, by retailer, July 2006
- Promotions
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- Figure 38: Promotional activity by retailers, July 2006
The Consumer
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- Introduction
- Summary
- Reason for purchase
- Factors in purchase
- Home ownership, purchase and remodeling
- Age
- Household income
- Household size and marital status
- Race/Hispanic origin
- Ownership of appliances
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- Figure 39: Ownership of laundry appliances, by age, January-September 2005
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- Figure 40: Ownership of laundry appliances, by household income, January-September 2005
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- Figure 41: Ownership of laundry appliances, by home ownership, recent remodeling and purchase of new home, January-September 2005
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- Figure 42: Ownership of laundry appliances, by marital status, January-September 2005
- Recent purchase of appliances
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- Figure 43: Purchase of laundry appliances in the last 12 months, by home ownership, recent remodeling and purchase of new home, January-September 2005
- Home remodeling
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- Figure 44: Home remodeling in the last 12 months, by household income, January-September 2005
- Price paid for washers and dryers
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- Figure 45: Price paid for laundry appliances purchased in the last 24 months, washers and dryers, June 2006
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- Figure 46: Price paid for washing machine purchased in the last 24 months, by select demographics, June 2006
- Reason for purchase
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- Figure 47: Reason for purchase of washing machine in the last 24 months, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 48: Reason for purchase of washing machine in the last 24 months, by household income, June 2006
- Factors influencing washer purchase
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- Figure 49: Factors affecting decision to purchase washer, by household income, June 2006
- Attitudes towards laundry appliance appearance
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- Figure 50: Attitudes towards appearance of laundry appliances, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 51: Attitudes towards appearance of laundry appliances, by number of people in household, June 2006
- Attitudes toward appliance noise
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- Figure 52: Attitudes towards quiet-operating laundry appliances, by household income, June 2006
- Attitudes toward features
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- Figure 53: Attitudes towards front-loading/complex washing machines, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 54: Attitudes towards front-loading/complex laundry appliances, by household income, June 2006
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- Figure 55: Attitudes towards front-loading/complex laundry appliances, by number of people in household, June 2006
- Willingness to pay more for energy-efficiency
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- Figure 56: Not worth paying extra for energy-efficient laundry appliances, by age, June 2006
- Checking length of warranties
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- Figure 57: Check length of manufacturer’s warranty/extended warranty is valuable, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 58: Check length of manufacturer’s warranty/extended warranty is valuable, by household income, June 2006
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- Figure 59: Check length of manufacturer’s warranty/extended warranty is valuable, by number of people in household, June 2006
- Attitudes towards replacing laundry appliances
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- Figure 60: Have replaced washer/dryer at least once/would replace if I had more money, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 61: Have replaced washer/dryer at least once/would replace if I had more money, by presence of children under 18, June 2006
- Buying pairs of appliances
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- Figure 62: Have replaced washer and dryer when one machine broke, by age, June 2006
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- Figure 63: Have replaced washer and dryer when one machine broke, by household income, June 2006
- Who plans to replace their washer/dryer in the next year, and why?
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- Figure 64: Planning to replace washer or dryer in the next year, by age, household income, and presence of children, June 2006
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- Figure 65: Reason for planning to replace washer or dryer in the next year, by age and household income, June 2006
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- Figure 66: Reason for planning to replace washer or dryer in the next year, by presence of children, June 2006
- The impact of race/ethnicity
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- Figure 67: Ownership of laundry appliances, by race/Hispanic origin, January-September 2005
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- Figure 68: Attitudes towards appearance of laundry appliances, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2006
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- Figure 69: Attitudes towards front-loading/complex washing machines, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2006
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- Figure 70: Check length of manufacturer’s warranty/extended warranty is valuable, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2006
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- Figure 71: Planning to replace washer or dryer in the next year, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2006
Future and Forecast
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- Future trends
- Continued growth in the number of households and new homes
- Housing market cools
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- Figure 72: Forecast of total U.S. sales of new and existing homes, 2005-10
- Home ownership rates will continue to increase
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- Figure 73: Home ownership rates, by race/ethnicity (percentage), 2000 and 2010
- Smaller appliances for smaller households
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- Figure 74: Households, by size, 1995-2005
- Figure 75: Graph: Households, by size, change from 1995-2005
- Continued focus on design
- Front-loading future
- Quiet-operating washers/dryers soar
- Energy-efficient machines become the norm
- Simpler interfaces to emerge
- Steam cleaners to gain popularity
- Market forecast
- Washers and dryers
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- Figure 76: Forecast of total U.S. manufacturer sales of washers and dryers, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Figure 77: Forecast of total U.S. manufacturer sales of washers and dryers, at current prices, 2006-11
- Washers
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- Figure 78: Forecast of U.S. manufacturer sales of washers, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Dryers
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- Figure 79: Forecast of U.S. manufacturer sales of dryers, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Forecast factors
Appendix: Trade Associations
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