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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- The market
- Market regains momentum, but sales still below their 2008 level
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- Figure 1: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of vacuum cleaners, at current prices, 2008-18
- Consumer confidence creeps up, bolsters market
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- Figure 2: Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, 2007-13
- The consumer
- Uprights by far the most commonly owned floor cleaning appliances
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- Figure 3: Vacuum cleaner ownership, July 2013
- Handling issues prominent on list of vacuum cleaner complaints
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- Figure 4: Problems with vacuum cleaners, July 2013
- Purchases are mostly straightforward, but younger shoppers spend more time
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- Figure 5: Vacuum cleaner shopping behaviors, July 2013
- Pet owners and allergy sufferers a key market for added features
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- Figure 6: Willing to pay more for added features and services, by pet ownership and presence of allergy/asthma sufferers in household, July 2013
- Younger vacuum owners less skeptical of robotics, but also more curious
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- Figure 7: Beliefs concerning robotics, by gender and age, July 2013
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Improving the vacuuming experience
- Issues
- Insights
- Opportunities for robotics
- Issues
- Insights
- Health, wellness, and vacuuming
- Issues
- Insights
Trend Applications
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- Trend: Who Needs Humans?
- Trend: Mood to Order
- Mintel Futures: Old Gold
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Market regains momentum, but sales still below their 2008 level
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- Figure 8: Total U.S. sales and forecast of vacuum cleaners, at current prices, 2008-18
- Figure 9: Total U.S. sales and forecast of vacuum cleaners, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2008-18
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 10: Total U.S. sales and fan chart forecast of vacuum cleaners, at current prices, 2008-18
Market Drivers
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- Consumer confidence creeps up, bolsters market
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- Figure 11: Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, 2007-13
- Housing market recovery boosts category sales
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- Figure 12: Existing home sales, seasonally adjusted annual rate, 2009-13
- Figure 13: New home sales, seasonally adjusted annual rate, 2008-13
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- Figure 14: Last 12-month floor cleaning appliance purchase, February 2007 -March 2013
- Declining homeownership rate limits market potential
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- Figure 15: Seasonally adjusted homeownership rate, 2006-13
- Market potential in going small may be getting bigger
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- Figure 16: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by residence ownership status, July 2013
- Figure 17: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by primary residence type, July 2013
- Flooring preferences point to need for multisurface machines
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- Figure 18: Types of flooring currently owned or planned to buy in next year, December 2012
Leading Companies
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- TTI (Dirt Devil and Hoover) expands with Oreck acquisition
- Electrolux
- Bissell
- Dyson
Innovations and Innovators
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- Improved battery life helps to push cordless vacuum boundaries
- Rowenta Delta Force features triangular head to get into corners
- Gtech AirRam offers cordless operation and USB connectivity
- Dyson Hard combines vacuuming and wiping in a single appliance
- Enhanced maneuverability becoming an expectation
- Hoover Air Steerable offers easy steering
- Electrolux Nimble emphasizes swivel steering
- Multifunction models gain steam
- Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub combines multiple functions for hard surfaces
- Oreck VersaVac combines vacuuming and steam
- Bissell promises performance and specialization
- One-pass vacuuming
- Focus on spot cleaning
- Neato advances robotics
- Miele makes play for dog and cat owners
- Electrolux goes quiet
- Metro goes retro
Marketing Strategies
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- Hoover targets moms nearly exclusively
- Bissell keeps the focus on pets and family
- Electrolux brings a unique product benefit to life
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- Figure 19: Electrolux “Clean Your Mind” Video, 2013
- Dyson bolsters image based on product design and innovation
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- Figure 20: Dyson “Mind” Video, 2013
Social Media
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- Key points
- Key social media metrics
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- Figure 21: Key brand metrics, vacuum cleaner brands, August 2013
- Market overview
- Brand usage and awareness
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- Figure 22: Usage and awareness of selected vacuum cleaner brands, July 2013
- Interaction with brands
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- Figure 23: Interaction with selected vacuum cleaner brands, July 2013
- Online conversations
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- Figure 24: Online mentions, selected vacuum cleaner brands, by week, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Where are people talking about vacuum cleaner brands?
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- Figure 25: Mentions, by page type, selected vacuum cleaner brands, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- What are people talking about?
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- Figure 26: Mentions, by type of conversation among selected vacuum cleaner brands, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
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- Figure 27: Major areas of discussion surrounding vacuum cleaner brands, by week, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Figure 28: Major areas of discussion surrounding vacuum cleaner brands, by page type, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Brand analysis
- Dyson
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- Figure 29: Dyson key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- iRobot Roomba
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- Figure 30: iRobot Roomba key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Hoover
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- Figure 31: Hoover key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Eureka
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- Figure 32: Eureka key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Bissell
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- Figure 33: Bissell key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
- Dirt Devil
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- Figure 34: Dirt Devil key social media indicators, August 2013
- Key online campaigns
- What we think
Floor Cleaning Appliance Ownership and Purchase
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- Key points
- Ownership of floor cleaning appliances slips between 2008 and 2013
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- Figure 35: Floor cleaning appliance ownership, February 2007-March 2013
- Purchase rates stabilize, tick up
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- Figure 36: Last 12-month floor cleaning appliance purchase, February 2007-March 2013
- Older adults more likely to own light-duty floor cleaning appliances
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- Figure 37: Floor cleaning appliance ownership, by age, January 2012-March 2013
- Higher-income households have more floor cleaning appliances
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- Figure 38: Floor cleaning appliance ownership, by household income, January 2012-March 2013
- Young owners more likely to be recent purchasers
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- Figure 39: Last 12-month floor cleaning appliance purchase, by age, January 2012-March 2013
Types Owned and Considered for Purchase
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- Key points
- Uprights by far the most commonly owned floor cleaning appliances
- Most own more than one type
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- Figure 40: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by repertoire of vacuum cleaner ownership, July 2013
- Owners of most types would buy that type again
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- Figure 41: Vacuum cleaner ownership and purchase interest, July 2013
- Older adults own greater variety of floor cleaning appliances
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- Figure 42: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by gender and age, July 2013
- Ownership rates higher among households with income of $75K+
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- Figure 43: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by household income, July 2013
Vacuum Cleaner Complaints
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- Key points
- Handling issues prominent on list of vacuum cleaner complaints
- Loss of suction a problem for some
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- Figure 44: Problems with vacuum cleaners, July 2013
- Women, more likely to vacuum, are more likely to cite handling issues
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- Figure 45: Problems with vacuum cleaners, by gender and age, July 2013
Shopping for Vacuum Cleaners
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- Key points
- Younger adults more likely to spend time researching purchases
- Recommendations of friends or family count more than other sources
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- Figure 46: Vacuum cleaner shopping behaviors, by gender and age, July 2013
- Higher-income consumers more likely to research vacuum purchases
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- Figure 47: Vacuum cleaner shopping behaviors, by household income, July 2013
- Allergy/asthma sufferers research purchases, look for extra features
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- Figure 48: Vacuum cleaner shopping behaviors, by allergy and asthma suffering, July 2013
Interest in Added Features and Services
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- Key points
- Stronger, more thorough cleaning offers potential for upsell
- Room to improve the vacuuming experience
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- Figure 49: Interest in added features and services, July 2013
- Young adults attuned to added features
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- Figure 50: Interested and willing to pay more for added features and services, by gender and age, July 2013
- Pet owners willing to pay more for most added features
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- Figure 51: Interested and willing to pay more for added features and services, by pet ownership, July 2013
- Deeper cleaning worth more to asthma/allergy sufferers
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- Figure 52: Interested and willing to pay more for added features and services, by allergy and asthma suffering, July 2013
Vacuum Cleaner Behaviors and Beliefs
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- Key points
- As-needed vacuuming wins over planned, but once started it’s hard to stop
- Younger vacuum owners less skeptical of robotics, more curious
- Women, especially those 35+, are more likely to be primary vacuumers
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- Figure 53: Vacuum cleaner beliefs and behaviors, by gender and age, July 2013
- Pets and allergy sufferers trigger more thorough approach to vacuuming
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- Figure 54: Vacuum cleaner beliefs and behaviors, by allergy and asthma suffering, July 2013
- Figure 55: Attitudes toward vacuum cleaners, by pet ownership, July 2013
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Whites own a wider variety of vacuums than other groups
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- Figure 56: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2013
- Asian owners more likely to have problems with operation
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- Figure 57: Problems with vacuum cleaners, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2013
- Hispanics take active approach to shopping for vacuums
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- Figure 58: Vacuum cleaner shopping behaviors, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2013
- Hispanics more likely to pay more for most added benefits
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- Figure 59: Interest in added features and services – I would be willing to pay more for this feature, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2013
Consumer Segmentation
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- Type of residence
- House dwellers own greater variety of floor cleaning devices
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- Figure 60: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by primary residence, July 2013
- House dwellers more likely to own pets
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- Figure 61: Beliefs concerning vacuum cleaners and air quality, by primary residence, July 2013
- Type of carpeting
- Wall-to-wall carpeting owners more likely to own traditional uprights
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- Figure 62: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by predominant flooring type in home, July 2013
- Those with hard flooring and rugs more interested in health benefits
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- Figure 63: Interest in added features and services – I would be willing to pay more for this feature, by predominant flooring type in home, July 2013
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- Figure 64: Attitudes toward vacuum cleaners, by predominant flooring type in home, July 2013
Appendix – Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Beliefs concerning vacuum cleaners and air quality
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- Figure 65: Beliefs concerning vacuum cleaners and air quality, by gender and age, July 2013
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- Figure 66: Beliefs concerning vacuum cleaners and air quality, by household income, July 2013
- Last 12-month floor cleaning appliance purchase
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- Figure 67: Last 12-month floor cleaning appliance purchase, by household income, January 2012 -March 2013
- Vacuum cleaner ownership and purchase interest
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- Figure 68: Vacuum cleaner ownership, by household size, July 2013
- Problems with vacuum cleaners
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- Figure 69: Problems with vacuum cleaners, by household income, July 2013
- Interest in added features and services
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- Figure 70: Interest in added features and services – I would be willing to pay more for this feature, by household income, July 2013
- Vacuum cleaner behaviors and beliefs
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- Figure 71: Vacuum cleaner beliefs and behaviors, by household income, July 2013
Appendix – Social Media
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- Brand usage or awareness
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- Figure 72: Brand usage or awareness, July 2013
- Figure 73: Eureka usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 74: Dirt Devil usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 75: Bissell usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 76: Hoover usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
- Figure 77: Dyson usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 78: iRobot Roomba usage or awareness, by demographics, July 2013
- Activities done
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- Figure 79: Activities done, July 2013
- Figure 80: Eureka – Activities done, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 81: Dirt Devil – Activities done, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 82: Bissell – Activities done, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 83: Hoover – Activities done, by demographics, July 2013
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- Figure 84: Dyson – Activities done, by demographics, July 2013
- Online conversations
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- Figure 85: Online mentions, selected vacuum cleaner brands, by week, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Figure 86: Mentions, by page type, selected vacuum cleaner brands, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Figure 87: Mentions, by type of conversation, selected vacuum cleaner brands, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
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- Figure 88: Major areas of discussion surrounding vacuum cleaner brands, by week, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
- Figure 89: Major areas of discussion surrounding vacuum cleaner brands, by page type, Aug. 12, 2012-Aug. 11, 2013
Appendix – Trade Associations
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