Abstract
This report provides a detailed analysis of the lawn and garden power tool market, including Mintel' s unique consumer data. Mintel also features a close look at what the future holds for the market, including the effect of “green” living, increasing fuel emission standards, population growth impact, and rising disposable personal income in the U.S. Specifically, this report features in-depth analysis of:
- The many factors that affect the state of the market, including home sales, as well as population, media, and outdoor living trends
- Innovations and design trends taking place among manufacturers
- The ever-fluctuating level of unit shipments of outdoor power tools, as reported by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
- Supply chain activity, including mergers, acquisitions, and company spin-offs that continue to consolidate the supply side of the market
- Advertising and promotional trends taking place in the marketing of these machines
- The leading retailers of lawn and garden power equipment and their activities relative to the market
- Ownership of these tools among respondents to Mintel' s exclusive, unique consumer survey, as well as the attitudes and preferences of these respondents, including specific cohorts called Casual Gardeners, Lawn and Garden Care Enthusiasts, and Eco-Gardeners, as well as analysis of ethnic responses to Mintel' s survey
The $8.9 billion lawn and garden power tools market has been declining since 2004. The primary reason for the loss is the sinking housing market. However, the housing market continues to be the driving force behind sales of these machines. Market and consumer analysis is necessary to adapt to the changing profiles and preferences of U.S. homeowners.
Bolstering the market during this period of decline are several factors, including the growing male population, who happen to be the primary users of this equipment; increasing disposable personal income in the U.S., particularly among ethnicities; the ongoing trend toward outdoor living and entertaining; and media influence in the form of myriad gardening and home improvement cable programming and magazines. Other factors, such as the shift away from do-it-yourself and towards professional services, as well as regional and weather considerations, tend to be less impacting but nonetheless help shape a dynamic market.
The lawn and garden power tool market is also known OPE (outdoor power equipment). Included in the scope of this report are:
- Walk-behind mowers
- Riding mowers
- Lawn/garden tractors
- Snow throwers
- Trimmers
- Chain saws
- Leaf blowers
This equipment may be powered by gasoline engines or by electricity, for which both corded and cordless models are available.
Excluded are all other gardening products, such as growing stock (plants, bulbs, etc.), garden chemicals and growing media (such as compost, fertilizer, etc.), and non-powered hand tools and irrigation equipment. For more information about these segments of the lawn and garden market, see Mintel' s Lawn & Garden Products and Services-U.S., July 2007 report.
Table of Contents
- Scope and ThemesWhat you need to know
- Definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Executive Summary
- Positive factors cannot outweigh housing slump
- Housing slump upends market
- Homeownership shifts to ethnicities, younger buyers
- Growing male population aids sales
- Increases in disposable personal income (DPI)
- Greater home sizes in some regions, shrinking in others
- Media influence
- Market shifts from DIY to professional services
- Regional, seasonal considerations
- Market size directly affected by burst of housing bubble
- Two segments divided into several overall subsegments
- Five leading manufacturers; supply chain marked by acquisitions
- Advertising and promotion
- Retail landscape
- Consumer ownership of OPE, attitudes, and preferences
- Key consumer groups--hobbyists, enthusiasts, and eco-gardeners
- What the future holds
- Home sales continue to decline
- Green living, air quality regulations threaten market
- Market Drivers
- Introduction
- Changes in home sales, homeownership profiles directly affect market
- Housing bubble bursts
- Figure 1: U.S. existing home sales, 1996-2007
- Homeownership becomes more ethnically diverse
- Figure 2: Homeowners by race and Hispanic origin, 1995-2005
- Homeownership shifts slightly to younger generations
- Figure 3: Homeowners by age, 1995-2006
- Disposable personal income (DPI)
- Figure 4: U.S. disposable personal income, 2002-07
- Ownership of lawn and garden power tools by income and ethnicity
- Income
- Figure 5: Ownership of lawn and garden equipment, by income, May 2007
- Figure 6: Median household income by age of householder, 2005
- Ethnicity
- Figure 7: Ownership of lawn and garden equipment, by race/ethnicity, May 2007
- Figure 8: Median income in the U.S., by race/ethnicity, 1975-2005
- Figure 9: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2002-12
- Surge in home sizes and shrinking lots
- Popularity of outdoor living spaces spurs interest in power tools
- Improving "curb appeal"
- TV programs and magazines dedicated to gardening and outdoor living fuel sales
- DIY gives way to professional services
- Market Size and Trends
- Introduction
- Figure 10: Total U.S. retail sales of lawn and garden power tools, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Market trends
- Zero-turning-radius mowers
- Reduced emission levels
- Ergonomics
- Robotic lawn mowers
- Market Segmentation
- Lawn and garden power tools, segmented by end-user and product type
- Figure 11: Unit shipments of lawn and garden power tools, segmented by end-user and type, 2005 and 2007
- Walk-behind/push mowers
- Figure 12: Unit shipments of walk-behind/push mowers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Riding equipment: rear-engine mowers, lawn tractors, and garden tractors
- Figure 13: Unit shipments of riding equipment, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Rear-engine riding mowers
- Lawn tractors
- Figure 14: Unit shipments of lawn tractors, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Garden tractors
- Figure 15: Unit shipments of garden tractors, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Other large-wheeled garden power tools: tillers, snow blowers
- Tillers
- Snow blowers
- Figure 16: Unit shipments of snow blowers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Handheld products: trimmers, chainsaws, and blowers
- Figure 17: Unit shipments of handheld products, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Trimmers
- Figure 18: Unit shipments of trimmers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Chainsaws
- Figure 19: Unit shipments of chainsaws, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Blowers
- Figure 20: Unit shipments of blowers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Other tools and attachments
- Commercial lawn and garden power tools
- Figure 21: Unit shipments of commercial lawn and garden power tools, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Commercial intermediate walker mowers
- Figure 22: Unit shipments of commercial intermediate walker mowers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Commercial riding mowers
- Figure 23: Unit shipments of commercial riding mowers, at current and constant prices, 2002-07
- Supply Structure
- Introduction
- Companies and brands
- Deere & Co.
- Husqvarna
- The Toro Company
- MTD Products
- Briggs & Stratton
- Advertising and Promotion
- Introduction
- John Deere
- Toro
- Figure 24: Toro lawn and yard power tools TV spot--outdoor living
- Briggs & Stratton
- Husqvarna
- Black & Decker
- Figure 25: Black & Decker GrassHogXP TV spot--easy start; vertical adjustment; high-powered electric motor
- Figure 26: Black & Decker 18-volt cordless handheld tool series TV spot--easy start; vertical adjustment; high-powered electric motor
- Retail Distribution
- Introduction
- Figure 27: Preferred retail locations for purchases of lawn and garden power tools, by age, May 2007
- Home improvement centers
- The Home Depot
- Lowe' s
- Department stores
- Sears Holdings Corporation
- Hardware stores
- Ace Hardware
- The Consumer: Ownership of Lawn and Garden Power Tools
- Introduction
- Summary
- Lawn and garden tools ownership, user purchase habits and attitudes
- Ownership
- Figure 28: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by age, May 2007
- Figure 29: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by income, May 2007
- Figure 30: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by marital status, May 2007
- Figure 31: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by household size, May 2007
- Figure 32: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by number of children in household, May 2007
- Figure 33: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by region, May 2007
- Preferred retail locations for lawn and garden power tool purchases
- Figure 34: Preferred retail locations for purchases of lawn and garden power tools, by age, May 2007
- Figure 35: Preferred retail locations for purchases of lawn and garden power tools, by income, May 2007
- Figure 36: Preferred retail locations for purchases of lawn and garden power tools, by region, May 2007
- Attitudes towards powered lawn and garden tools
- Figure 37: Preferred attributes of lawn and garden power tools, by gender, May 2007
- Figure 38: Preferred attributes of lawn and garden power tools, by income, May 2007
- Amount spent in two years on lawn and garden power tools
- Figure 39: Amount spent in two years on lawn and garden power tools, May 2007
- Attitudes towards specific TV shows
- Figure 40: Viewing levels of specific TV programming, May 2007
- The Consumer: Cohort Analysis
- Hobbyists, Gardening Enthusiasts and Eco-gardeners: A comparison of
consumer cohorts
- Figure 41: Overlap between Hobbyists, Enthusiasts and Eco-gardeners
- Figure 42: Lawn and garden cohort profiles, May 2007
- Summary
- Lawn and garden tools ownership, user purchase habits and attitudes among cohorts
- Ownership
- Figure 43: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by cohort, May 2007
- Amount spent in two years on lawn and garden power tools among cohorts
- Figure 44: Amount spent in two years on lawn and garden power tools, by cohort, May 2007
- The Consumer: Race and Ethnicity Analysis
- Summary
- Lawn and garden tools ownership among ethnicities
- Figure 45: Ownership of specific lawn and garden power tools, by race/ethnicity, May 2007
- Attitudes towards specific TV channels
- Figure 46: Viewing levels of specific TV programming, by race/ethnicity, May 2007
- Future and Forecast
- Future trends
- Home sales continue to slide
- Triple threat: green living, gas prices, and regulation
- Figure 47: U.S. gasoline retail prices, 2002-07
- Noise pollution
- Market forecast
- Lawn and garden power tools market
- Figure 48: Forecast of total U.S. retail sales of lawn and garden power tools, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Figure 49: Forecast of retail sales of lawn and garden power tools, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Walk-behind/push mowers
- Figure 50: Forecast of U.S unit shipments of walk-behind/push mowers, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Riding equipment: lawn tractors and garden tractors
- Figure 51: Forecast of U.S. unit shipments of riding equipment, at current and constant prices, 2007-12
- Forecast factors
- Appendix: Trade Associations
