Garden Power Tools - US - November 2003

SUMMARY

Sales of outdoor power equipment are anticipated to reach nearly $8.9 billion in 2003, a 1.2% increase from 2002. Yet more than 8% growth was experienced from 1998 to 2000, propelled primarily by a favorable economy and subsequent high consumer spending on home improvement and gardening. Sales declined in 2001, although continued high home sales and aggressive expansion by retailers have helped bolster sales even in a depressed economic climate.

The market is expected to grow slightly each year from 2003 to 2007, driven primarily by the aging Baby Boomer population. Avid gardeners aged 45 to 65 (especially homeowners) make up the primary outdoor power tool consumer group. Growth in the number of households, especially in first-time homeowners, will drive the market forward. As more Baby Boomers age beyond 65, their consumption will drop, although as some move to professional lawn care services, commercial consumption will increase.

Among the key issues covered in this report are the effects of growth and innovation within the home improvement retail industry, important tool ownership factors, and the three tiers of gardeners and tool ownership. Original consumer research examines attitudes and behavior by age, gender, ethnicity and income, and a six-year trend analysis predicts future growth.

Included in this report are power-operated garden tools and equipment. These include mowers, riding mowers, yard/garden tractors, tillers, snow blowers and hand-held powered equipment such as trimmers, chainsaws and leaf blowers. 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, garden chemicals and growing media such as fertilizer, and non-powered hand tools and irrigation equipment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction & Abbreviations

INTRODUCTION

OTHER RELEVANT REPORTS

DEFINITION

ABBREVIATIONS & TERMS

• Abbreviations
• Terms

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SLOWER ECONOMIC GROWTH

GARDEN POWER TOOLS BY TYPE

SIX MAJOR MANUFACTURERS

ADVERTISING EFFORTS

RETAILERS PROPEL GROWTH BUT POSE CHALLENGES FOR SUPPLIERS

KEY TOOL OWNERSHIP FACTORS

PRICE COMPETITION AND INNOVATION DRIVE SALES

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS SUPPORT FUTURE GROWTH

MARKET DRIVERS

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PDI

• Figure 1 Real GDP growth (%), real disposable income, and garden power tool sales, 1998-2002

HOUSING SALES

• Home ownership rates
• Figure 2 Home ownership rates, by age, 1996-2001
• Construction, renovation, and housing sales
• Figure 3 Sales of homes, new and existing, 1992-2002
• Graph 1 Annual percentage change in sales of homes, new and existing, 1993-2002

STRONG PERFORMANCE OF HOME STORES

LIFESTYLE FACTORS: FOCUS ON THE HOME, GARDENING

• Figure 4 Lawn and garden participation, by activity, 1997-2002

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

• Figure 5 U.S. population, by age group, 1998-2008

FEMALE CONSUMERS

NOISE POLLUTION

CORDLESS PRODUCTS

MARKET SIZE & TRENDS

• Figure 6 U.S. sales of garden power equipment, at current and constant prices, 1998-2003

MARKET SEGMENTATION

INTRODUCTION

• Figure 7 Unit shipments of garden power tools, segmented by type of product, 2001 and 2003
• Graph 2 Unit shipments of garden power tools, segmented by type of product, 1998-2003

WALK-BEHIND MOWERS

• Figure 8 U.S. unit shipments of walk-behind rotary mowers, 1998-2003

Riding Mowers and Lawn AND Garden Tractors

• Riding Mowers
• Figure 9 U.S. unit shipments of front- and rear-engine riding mowers, 1998-2003
• Lawn and Garden Tractors
• Figure 10 U.S. unit shipments of front-engine lawn tractors, 1998-2003
• Figure 11 U.S. unit shipments of garden tractors, 1998-2003

OTHER LARGE WHEELED GARDEN POWER TOOLS

• Tillers
• Figure 12 U.S. unit shipments of walk-behind rotary tillers, 1998-2003
• Snow throwers
• Figure 13 U.S. unit shipments of snow throwers, 1998-2003

HANDHELD PRODUCTS: TRIMMERS, CHAINSAWS AND BLOWERS

• Figure 14 U.S. unit shipments of gasoline-powered handheld garden power tools, 1998-2003
• Figure 15 U.S. unit shipments of gasoline-powered handheld garden power tools, by product type, 2002
• String trimmers/brush cutters
• Chainsaws
• Leaf blowers and vacuums
• Hedge trimmers

OTHER TYPES OF TOOLS AND ATTACHMENTS

COMMERCIAL GARDEN POWER TOOL EQUIPMENT

• Figure 16 U.S. unit shipments of commercial intermediate walker mowers, 1998-2003
• Figure 17 U.S. unit shipments of commercial riding mowers, 1998-2003

SUPPLY STRUCTURE

FOREIGN TRADE

• Figure 18 Total U.S. imports and exports of lawn and garden equipment, 1996-2000

COMPANIES AND BRANDS

• Figure 19 U.S. manufacturers' estimated sales of OPE equipment in the U.S., 2000 and 2002

COMPANY PROFILES

• Deere & Company
• Electrolux Group?Poulan
• MTD Products
• Murray, Inc.
• Toro Company
• Simplicity Manufacturing

OTHER MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS

• Agri-Fab
• Ariens
• Black & Decker
• Country Home Products
• McCulloch Corporation
• Trim-A-Lawn Corporation

ADVERTISING & PROMOTION

INTRODUCTION

MEDIA SPENDING

DEERE & COMPANY

TORO

MTD

• Sears-Craftsman (Electrolux)
• Black & Decker

RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

INTRODUCTION

• Figure 20 Retail sales of garden power tools, by channel, 2000 and 2002
• Graph 3 Retail sales of garden power tools, by channel, 2002

DIRECT RETAIL AND DEALERS

HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTERS

• Home Depot
• Lowe's

MASS MERCHANDISERS

• Wal-Mart
• Kmart
• Target

HARDWARE STORES, SEARS

• Hardware-buying co-operatives
• TruServ
• Ace Hardware
• Do It Best
• Sears

THE CONSUMER

INTRODUCTION

GARDENING

• Figure 21 Profile of respondents who include gardening among leisure activities of the past 12 months, June 2002-May 2003
• Figure xx Profile of respondents who include gardening among leisure activities of the past 12 months, June 2002-May 2003 (continued)

YARD OWNERSHIP/GARDENING ACTIVITIES

• Figure 22 Type of outdoor area around home, September 2003
• Figure 23 Type of gardening activity undertaken during gardening season, by gender, September 2003

OWNERSHIP OF POWER LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT

• Figure 24 Ownership of power lawn and garden equipment, September 2003
• Figure 25 Ownership of garden power tools, by gender, September 2003
• Figure 26 Ownership of garden power tools, by age, September 2003
• Figure 27 Ownership of garden power tools, by household income, September 2003
• Figure 28 Ownership of garden power tools, by race/ethnicity, September 2003
• Figure 29 Ownership of garden power tools, by region, September 2003
• Figure 30 Ownership of garden power tools, by time spent doing gardening, September 2003
• Figure 31 Ownership of garden power tools, by urban, suburban or rural household, September 2003

RECENT PURCHASING OF POWER LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT

• Figure 32 Purchasing of garden power tools in the last 12 months, June 2002-May 2003
• Figure 33 Purchasing of power lawn and garden equipment in the last 12 months, by events experienced in the last 12 months by the respondent, June 2002-May 2003

FACTORS DETERMINING PURCHASING OF GARDEN POWER TOOLS

• Figure 34 Factors influencing decision on outdoor power tool purchase, September 2003
• Figure 35 Factors influencing decision on purchase of garden power tools, by gender, September 2003
• Figure 36 Factors influencing decision on purchase of garden power tools, by age, September 2003
• Figure 37 Factors influencing decision on purchase of garden power tools, by household income, September 2003
• Figure 38 Factors influencing decision on purchase of garden power tools, by time spent doing gardening, September 2003
• Figure 39 Factors influencing decision on purchase of garden power tools, by urban, suburban or rural household, September 2003

CONCLUSION

FUTURE & FORECAST

FUTURE TRENDS

CONCLUSION

FUTURE & FORECAST

FUTURE TRENDS

• Growth in households
• Figure 40 Number of U.S. households, 2003-08
• Figure 41 Single-resident households, by gender, 1998-2008
• Age and generational trends
• Figure 42 American population projections, by generation, 2000-10
• Figure 43 U.S. population, by age group, 2003 and 2008
• An ethnically diverse population
• Figure 44 U.S. population, by race/ethnicity, 1998-2008
• Gardening Hobbyists and Home Improvement Spending

MARKET FORECAST

• Figure 45 Forecast of U.S. retail sales of garden power tools, at current and constant prices, 2003-08
• Graph 4 U.S. retail sales of garden power tools, at current prices, 1998-2008
• Forecast Factors

APPENDIX: Trade Associations

APPENDIX: Research Methodology

CONSUMER RESEARCH

• Sampling & Weighting
• Presentation & Definition
• Further Analysis

TRADE RESEARCH

• Informal trade research
• Formal trade research

DESK & INTERNET RESEARCH

SOURCES

DEFINITIONS

FORECASTS

APPENDIX:

WHAT IS MINTEL?

MINTEL PUBLICATIONS

MINTEL SERVICES

• Product retrieval
• Retail audits
• Tailored research
• Global New Products Database

RESEARCH SUPPORT/CONSULTANCY/MIC

• The Mintel Information Centre (MiC)
• PR Research