Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- After a pause during the recession, market returns to growth
- Broader economic factors tell a mixed story for outdoor furniture
- Patio prioritized over other home furniture expenditures during recession
- Segments based on materials used; metal dominant
- Most marketing focuses on the trade
- A majority of adults own outdoor furniture
- Replacement the primary purchase motivator for current owners
- Dining pieces most commonly owned, more room for growth in relaxation
- Gen-Xers, Boomers combine outdoor improvements and furniture
- Just like another room in the house
- Big boxes dominate the patio furniture retail landscape
- Seeing (and sitting) is believing
Insights and Opportunities
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- Picking up the pace
- Humanity
- Fun and games
- Skins
- Creativity
- Trade-ins
- Leasing
- Getting more social
Inspire Insight
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- Trend: Home of the Senses
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Market set for post-recession growth
- Other takes on the market
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales of outdoor furniture, at current prices, 2005-15
- Figure 2: Total U.S. sales of outdoor furniture, at inflation-adjusted 2010 prices, 2005-15
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Consumer sentiment makes halting gains
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- Figure 3: ICS, January 2006–February 2011
- Housing market continues to slide
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- Figure 4: Sales of existing and new single-family homes, 2001-10
- Home ownership slips
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- Figure 5: Grill ownership, past-year outdoor furniture purchase, and past-year home improvements, by home ownership, July 2009– Sept. 2010
- Figure 6: U.S. home ownership rate, 1960-2010
- Homeowners in smaller houses may place greater emphasis on outdoor space
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Furniture becoming less of a priority among other household expenses
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- Figure 7: Distribution of household expenditures, by consumer unit, 2006-09
- Spending on furniture not a top-of-mind priority
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- Figure 8: Where consumers spend extra money, July 2008–July 2010
- Patio prioritized over other home furniture expenditures during recession
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- Figure 9: U.S. sales of select home furnishings categories, 2008-10
- Patio furniture performing better than barbecue grills
Segments
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- Segments based on materials used
- Import trends suggest that metal matters
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- Figure 10: Imports of outdoor furniture, by major material as a percent of world total, 2009
- Metal market continues the move to cast aluminum
- Plastic goes green
- Wicker as popular a choice as ever
- Wood maintains high-end niche
- Umbrellas
Leading Companies
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- Suppliers of outdoor furniture in mixed material
- Agio (Shianco)
- Brown Jordan
- Furniture Brands International
- Suppliers of outdoor furniture in resin
- Keter Group
- Grosfillex
- Suppliers of outdoor furniture in metal
- Hanamint
- Tropitone
Innovations and Innovators
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- Eco-friendly options expand
- Firing up the patio
- Sunbrella pushes innovation in fabric durability and design
- Kmart and Sears help online shoppers “plan the perfect patio”
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview
- Focus on the retail and design trade
- Show time
- Co-branding
- Big box home centers rely on web to promote outdoor furniture
- Home Depot promotes patio furniture alongside lawn and garden care
- Walmart offers savings and expanded selection
- Sunbrella and other suppliers use social media to connect with the trade
Outdoor Furniture Ownership
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- Key points
- Boomers most likely to own outdoor furniture
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- Figure 11: Outdoor furniture ownership, by age, November 2010
- Ownership levels peak among higher-income households
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- Figure 12: Outdoor furniture ownership, by household income, November 2010
- Suburbanites most likely to own outdoor furniture
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- Figure 13: Outdoor furniture ownership, by region and type of location, November 2010
Why Do People Buy New Outdoor Furniture?
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- Key points
- Replacement the primary purchase motivator for current owners
- Purchases guided by blend of emotional and rational factors
- Younger adults more open to sales, or something new and different
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- Figure 14: Primary reason for purchasing new outdoor furniture, by age, November 2010
- Higher-income owners no more likely to buy on a whim
- Creative ideas for outdoor space may spur new purchases
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- Figure 15: Primary reason for purchasing new outdoor furniture, by household income, November 2010
Type of Outdoor Furniture Owned
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- Key points
- Dining the most common theme in outdoor furniture
- Relaxation also a factor
- Beyond the basics: Creating an environment
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- Figure 16: Type of outdoor furniture owned, by age, November 2010
- Higher-income households own a broader array of outdoor living items
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- Figure 17: Type of outdoor furniture owned, by household income, November 2010
- Regional preferences and tastes
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- Figure 18: Type of outdoor furniture owned, by region and type of location, November 2010
Life Event Triggers
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- Purchase of new home can trigger outdoor improvements and furniture purchases
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- Figure 19: Purchase of outdoor furniture, home improvements, or outdoor grill, by life events, in last 12 months, July 2009–Sept. 2010
Outdoor Furniture Spending
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- Key points
- Boomers more likely to combine outdoor improvements and furniture purchases
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- Figure 20: Household purchased outdoor furniture, did outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by age, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Likelihood to spend on outdoor space increases with income
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- Figure 21: Household purchased outdoor furniture, did outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by household income, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Average expenditure about $250; Boomers are heaviest spenders
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- Figure 22: Amount spent on lawn/porch/patio furniture in the last 12 months, by age, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Higher-income households spend more
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- Figure 23: Amount spent on lawn/porch/patio furniture in the last 12 months, by household income, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Indoor still the furniture spending priority
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- Figure 24: Outdoor furniture spending habits, by age, July 2009–Sept. 2010
Uses of Outdoor Areas
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- Key points
- Just like another room in the house…unless it’s raining
- Changing the weather
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- Figure 25: Uses of outdoor areas, by age, November 2010
- Midwesterners’ use of outdoor space most constrained by weather
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- Figure 26: Uses of outdoor areas, by region and type of location, November 2010
Where Consumers Buy Outdoor Furniture
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- Key points
- Big boxes dominate the patio furniture retail landscape
- Big boxes compete through (online) selection and branding
- Indoor furniture stores and department stores attracted to the category
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- Figure 27: Furniture purchase locations, by age, November 2010
- Mass merchants appeal to all but highest-income groups
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- Figure 28: Furniture purchase locations, by household income, November 2010
Where Outdoor Furniture Should be Promoted
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- Key points
- Seeing (and sitting) is believing
- Online more important for younger shoppers
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- Figure 29: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by age, November 2010
Impact of Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Blacks, Asians significantly less likely to own patio furniture
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- Figure 30: Outdoor furniture ownership, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2010
- Blacks, Hispanics less likely to have purchased or renovated
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- Figure 31: Household purchased outdoor furniture, did outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Different types of furniture owned point to different preferences
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- Figure 32: Type of outdoor furniture owned, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2010
- Only a few differences in attitudes toward outdoor space usage across groups
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- Figure 33: Uses of outdoor areas, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2010
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Big spenders: amount spent on outdoor furniture in the last three years
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- Figure 34: Demographic profile of adults who have spent $2,000+ on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
- Heavy spenders actively engaged in outdoor space
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- Figure 35: Primary reason for purchasing new outdoor furniture, by amount spent on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
- Heavy spenders go for all the extras
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- Figure 36: Type of outdoor furniture owned, by amount spent on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
- Heavy spenders more likely to call outdoor space their favorite area
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- Figure 37: Uses of outdoor areas, by amount spent on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
- Heavy spenders don’t limit patio furniture shopping to specialty stores
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- Figure 38: Furniture purchase locations, by amount spent on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
- Patio furniture is everywhere they look
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- Figure 39: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by amount spent on patio furniture in last three years, November 2010
Cluster Analysis
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- Regulars
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Irregulars
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Exposers
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 40: Patio furniture clusters, December 2010
- Figure 41: Primary reason for purchasing new outdoor furniture, by patio furniture clusters, December 2010
- Figure 42: Uses of outdoor areas, by patio furniture clusters, December 2010
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- Figure 43: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by patio furniture clusters, December 2010
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 44: Patio furniture clusters, by gender, December 2010
- Figure 45: Patio furniture clusters, by age group, December 2010
- Figure 46: Patio furniture clusters, by household income, December 2010
- Figure 47: Patio furniture clusters, by race, December 2010
- Figure 48: Patio furniture clusters, by Hispanic origin, December 2010
- Cluster methodology
Appendix: Other Useful Tables
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- Figure 49: Spending on outdoor furniture in past three years, by gender, November 2010
- Figure 50: Spending on outdoor furniture in past three years, by age, November 2010
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- Figure 51: Spending on outdoor furniture in past three years, by household income, November 2010
- Figure 52: Spending on outdoor furniture in past three years, by region and type of location, November 2010
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- Figure 53: Amount spent on lawn/porch/patio furniture in the last 12 months, by region, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Figure 54: Amount spent on outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by age, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Figure 55: Amount spent on outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by household income, July 2009–Sept. 2010
- Figure 56: Amount spent on outdoor home improvements in the last 12 months, by region, July 2009–Sept. 2010
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- Figure 57: Uses of outdoor areas, by household income, November 2010
- Figure 58: Furniture purchase locations, by region and type of location, November 2010
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- Figure 59: Furniture purchase locations, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2010
- Figure 60: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by gender, November 2010
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- Figure 61: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by household income, November 2010
- Figure 62: Influential outdoor furniture advertising venues, by head of household age, November 2010
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Appendix: Trade Associations
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