Home Appliance Market Share: What You Need to Know
TraQline keeps you in the know about all of the latest consumer trends and market share data across industries. While the full TraQline report includes detailed data and expansive insights, our free infographics provide the data basics. Here is a short preview of the kind of information you can get from TraQline’s quarterly reports on the major appliance market.
What is a Major Appliance?
Major appliances are also called large appliances, large domestic appliances, large electric appliances, and (in more dated terms) white goods. These products are the more sizable appliances found in most homes. This umbrella encompasses refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, and ranges (ovens).
What is the difference between a large (or major) appliance and a small appliance? You might be surprised to find that it is not a matter of size. Instead, large and small appliances are often distinguished by their portability. If you can easily move an appliance from one place to another, it is generally considered a small appliance. If the mobility of your appliance is limited, it is generally considered a large appliance.
Major Appliance Data, Statistics, and Market Share Insights
Within the home appliance market, it is essential to keep a close eye on three main industry metrics: top-performing brands, regional players, and top-performing retailers.
Top-Performing Brands
What are the biggest brand names in the major appliance sector? Looking closely at how leading brands are performing can help you uncover growth opportunities and gain market share. As of the beginning of 2021 in the large appliances industry, the top-performing brands include Samsung (20%), LG (16%), General Electric (16%), Whirlpool (16%), and Maytag (8%).
Samsung Leads in Several Categories
SKU data can help you dive even deeper into top-performing brands, retailers, and even specific appliances. For example, Q1 2022 TraQline HPOS™ data revealed that Samsung holds 3 of the top 5 spots in the French Door Refrigerator category. The top SKU in this category was RF28T5001SR—to see the top 5, click here.
Regional Players
As the name suggests, regional players are brands and products that dominate a certain region. While you may not see them as a threat, these brands heavily impact sales and carry the potential to expand further into your domain. According to our most recent major appliances market data, 26% of customers chose the retailer with the most convenient location in their area.
Major Retailers
Tracking retailer performance is essential within any industry, but it is especially critical with major appliances. These are larger purchases (both in size and in expense), so consumers often want to visit a retailer and view their options in person rather than buying online. Our data found that 70% of consumers bought their major appliances from a retail store. This is almost a 10% difference from the small appliance market, where only 62% of purchases were from a retail store.
So where do consumers buy their large appliances? According to 2020 TraQline data, Lowe’s accounted for the most major appliance sales (26%) followed by Home Depot (20%) and Best Buy (12%). However, these specifics can vary when looking closely at different kinds of major appliances.
Consumer Motivation: Why Buy New Appliances?
When it comes to understanding any market, it is essential to explore consumer motivation, as it can heavily impact buying decisions. According to TraQline data, most customers (61%) bought a major appliance because their old one was broken. This motivation can impact consumer purchases; for example, when spending hundreds of dollars replacing a broken appliance, consumers may be motivated to seek out a new brand that they feel may last longer.
Other leading motivations behind this consumer purchase decision include moving to a new location (14%), remodeling (8%), and simply wanting an upgrade (8%). If you would like to test your major appliances knowledge, you can take the TraQline quiz: How Much Do You Know About Major Appliances?
TraQline: Home Appliance Market Data
TraQline is your source for market share information. Of the top 10 brands within the appliance industry, 100% trust TraQline for their market research data. We also offer industry-leading SKU-level data with our Durable IQ, SKU Metrix™ and TraQline HPOS™ offerings. TraQline HPOS leaves traditional POS systems in the dust, providing more insight than ever for the major appliance industry. If you are ready to unlock the data your business needs to track competitive share, stay ahead of evolving major appliance trends, and execute your strategy, contact our experts today.
Bringing Home Baby (Care Products)
Products for infants, toddlers, and small children must meet a lot of standards and win a lot of trust from buyers. Products like Car Seats, Strollers, Cribs, and Highchairs are an important part of caring for some of the most vulnerable members of the population. When caring for these new humans, what brands of products are their parents purchasing and at what outlets are they making these purchases? And what are they considering as they make those choices (which probably feel extra fraught because they are designed for such small children)?
Which Retailers and Brands do buyers shop for childcare products?
When buying products for infants, toddlers, and small children, the adults in their lives most commonly turn to Walmart, Amazon, and Target, in that order. When looking at online only purchases, Amazon and Walmart trade places, while Target stays steady at third. Prior to the pandemic, close to two thirds of children’s products were purchased in brick-and mortar stores (61 percent in the 3ME Jan 2020). Online sales trended slowly upward during the pandemic (peaking at 46 percent in the 3ME Jul 2020), though they have decreased slightly as more stores are open to shoppers and shoppers feel safe enough to go to stores. That said, the mix of online to brick-and-mortar unit shares is similar, with 48 percent in-store and 45 percent online.
There are a wide variety of smaller brands that cater to childcare needs, but the brand that rises to the top is Graco, with 21 percent of unit share for the market. Notably, buyers have a low incidence of not knowing what brand of product they have purchased, sitting at 6 percent for 3ME Jan 2021. This suggests that brand matters for purchases in this category.
What childcare products are people buying most often?
The two child-care products that top unit share among TraQline respondents are infant/toddler/booster car seats (32 percent of purchases), with highchairs coming in just behind at 31 percent. One possible reason for such high purchase incidences is due to the roles they fulfill in caring for very small children. Car seats play a vital role in keeping infants, toddlers, and small children safe in moving vehicles. As children grow, their safety needs change, as detailed by health organizations such as the Mayo Clinic. And due to their size, infants and toddlers cannot sit in chairs designed for adults, and their caretakers need a way to feed them that is both safe and convenient. Additionally, safety guidelines for child-care products shift over time. A car seat or highchair that was considered safe for one child may no longer meet those guidelines when the next child is born.
Infant/Toddler/Booster Car seats keep kids on the move
Like other childcare products, Infant/Toddler/Booster Car Seats have a similarly low number of purchasers who report that they do not know brand. This acute knowledge of brand names is one part of why buyers choose their car seats. The top two reasons are Good Brand Name and Competitive Price. Interestingly, only 5 percent of buyers indicated that recommendations were an important factor in deciding what brand of Car Seat to purchase. It would be easy to assume that recommendations would play a larger role, given the proliferation of parenting groups one can find online.
Another thing to note about Infant/Toddler/Booster Car seats is that they can be purchased as part of “travel systems”, which typically combines both a stroller and a car seat. Approximately half (48 percent) of TraQline respondents indicate that the car seat they purchased was part of a travel system. Stroller buyers more frequently choose travel systems for themselves, at closer to a 60/40 split. This higher percentage of travel systems for stroller buyers could possibly be attributed to needing more car seats than strollers. A family with a very young child may only need one stroller but require two car seats—one for each parent’s car.
Highchairs give babies a seat at the table
Once babies and toddlers are started down the path towards eating solid foods, caretakers tend to invest in highchairs. Most buyers cite price and brand name as the top two reasons they choose a specific highchair brand, just as they do with car seats. Much like other children’s products, this emphasis on brand name means that there is a low incidence of buyers who report that they do not know brand (6 percent 3ME Jan 2021). And when choosing a highchair, one of the more sought-after features is a safety harness to keep small, wriggly children securely in their seats for the duration of a meal.
Childcare Products Quick Summary
Again, making decisions on what to purchase for infants, toddlers, and children can feel especially fraught, so knowing where and what consumers are purchasing can hep retailers position themselves to win trust. As of the 3ME Jan 2021, here are the Childcare Product Leaders and Stats you need to know:
- Walmart, Amazon, and Target are the top three outlets, with 29, 21, and 12 percent unit share, respectively.
- For online only shopping, the top three outlets are Amazon, Walmart, and Target, respectively.
- Of the multiple baby products included in TraQline, Infant/Toddler/Booster Car Seats are the most frequently purchased products, with 32 percent of the mix. Highchairs come in a close second with 31 percent.
- Graco is the number one children’s products brand, winning 21 percent unit share.
- Children’s Products have a low incidence of consumers not knowing brand name—only 6 percent report not knowing brand.
If you are looking for more insights like this, contact us today!
5 Unbeatable Sources for Consumer Data
Data is Knowledge, and Knowledge is Power.
Good data can help you make better business decisions. However, there can be a significant difference between the kinds of information that different data sets can provide. Data is definitely not “one size fits all”.
When you are doing market research, you need to make sure you are using the correct data for the situation at hand. That is why so many companies trust TraQline with their consumer durables research. It takes experience to determine the right data to use and expertise to uncover the insights you need for your unique business objectives.
High Quality Sources for Consumer Data
When it comes to consumer durables data sources, there are five major categories of data used in consumer research:
Internal Sales Data
Internal Sales Data is a high-quality source for digging into consumer insights and can be a great starting point for customer research. Even better, it is easy to use because internal sales data will be familiar to people within the organization.
Examples: YOY comp sales, sales by feature, pricing trends, promotional effectiveness, 10(K) / Earnings calls
Consumer Data
Custom research consumer data is a reliable source of data that will allow you to map consumer characteristics and behavior to purchases. It can be an excellent independent source to measure retailers or brands and competitors’ shares within consumer channels.
Examples: Customer satisfaction, preference tests, tradeoff analyses, segmentation
Point of Sale Data
Point of Sale (POS) data may be a part of your internal sales data, or you may be able to access collections from retailers, third-party companies, and manufacturers that partner with retailers. Comprehensive POS Data can be utilized to benefit marketing teams by indicating which features and SKUs are selling best and at which price point.
Examples: Category captain data and retailer POS extraction
Government Data
Government data is widely available and can provide a wealth of information about shipments, trade activity, business formation, patents, pricing, and economic trends. It is reliable in providing sales by retailer classifications, sales to non-residential construction, producer and consumer price indices, housing permits, housing starts, and completions.
Examples: Census data, Census of Retail Trade, CPI, Housing Starts/Completions, etc.
Industry Association Data
Sales data collected from member companies are typically collected and aggregated by trade organizations. Data includes the estimation of industry sales and may include breakdowns by revenue, geography, and other filters. This data is utilized when measuring sales in terms of shipments from manufacturers to their customers on a monthly or weekly basis.
Examples: OPE, AHAM, PCRP, RMA, HPBA, ISPA, PTI
Other sources for consumer data
While these sources are a good start, as you continue on your journey to collate and analyze data, there are other avenues to explore. Company websites, annual reports, and other business filings can be a resource of insight into industry and competitor performance. Some groups publish market research that is available for a fee. Other sources, like TraQline, may provide some market research reports online for free. You may begin monitoring social media as a source of data. However, it is important to be aware of the biases this can introduce (such as selection bias — not everyone is on social media).
Using the Right Data Sources for Market Research
In most cases, data diversity will be important. Single datasets can have gaps, blind spots, or biases. For example, if you are only using current customer feedback to assess product enhancements, you will not be able to tell if these enhancements will attract new customers — only the impact on existing customers.
It is also important to avoid data duplication. Even from different sources, some data can be present in multiple places and can skew results if you do not deduplicate it prior to analysis.
Using the right data tools, you can:
- Defend against competitive threats
- Find opportunities to build share
- Launch new products
- Track brand and retailer performance
- Track regional and national brands and retailers
- Learn about buyer motivations
- Prepare for line reviews
- Track online and offline shopping and buying trends
- Create custom research to make better decisions
Demystifying Consumer Data
It can be complex. That’s why businesses turn to TraQline solutions to provide the right data, using the right data sources, to provide consumer data and market insights. We track the entire retail market—both online and brick-and-mortar—across brands and outlets to provide a comprehensive market view. We can combine demographic, geographic, and behavioral data collected from the consumers that buy your products and provide up-to-date information on your industry and your biggest competitors.
Contact the data experts at TraQline today for more information on consumer research, market research, or to schedule a free demo. Let us show you how to demystify consumer data and how it can lead to insights that become powerful competitive advantages.
Auto Electronics Infographic
What are the best brands and outlets in the US Automobile Electronics market share? – An infographic
TraQline answers the “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, “why”, and “how” for Automobile Electronics market shares. Our quarterly survey will help you understand who’s buying Automobile Electronics, where they’re buying them, and what drives their decisions. Our Automobile Electronics Market infographic will help you answer the following questions about the market and how it is changing…
Who is leading sales in the Automobile Electronics market?
Our infographic will give you greater details, but for now, here’s what you need to know about the market leaders:
- Walmart continues to lead unit share in Automobile Electronics but is down about 1 point versus 2016 share. Amazon (third highest retailer) increases over 5 points versus 2016 – likely due to pandemic concerns.
- Sony is the brand leader for the category both online and in brick & mortar stores. However, overall Sony share is down almost two points versus 2016.
- 2020 share of traditional brands like Pioneer (-7 points) and Kenwood (-4 points) are down significantly versus 2016.
How much do consumers spend on Automobile Electronics?
When buying Automobile Electronics, the 2020 industry average price paid is $142. However, the average amount spent at different retailers can vary. For example:
- Shoppers buying from Bose spend $249 on average.
- Shoppers buying from Crutchfield spend an average of $204.
What demographic is buying Automobile Electronics?
Just who buys Automobile Electronics? TraQline’s census-balanced respondent pool has given us insights like:
- 69% of 2020 Automobile Electronics purchasers are men – down slightly from 70% in 2016.
- Purchaser age is fairly consistent since 2016, with almost one-quarter (24%) of 2020 purchasers in the 35 to 44 age range.
Automobile Electronics Market – Online vs. Brick & Mortar Sales Trends:
Brick & Mortar remains the most popular sales channel, but 2020 sales (47%) has decreased year over year since 2016 (61%). Here are just some of the trends that TraQline has uncovered:
- Online sales have increased steadily the past five years. 2020 online sales increase to 40% - likely due to pandemic concerns.
Automobile Electronics Market Share Facts:
Curious about other information TraQline’s survey has uncovered? Here’s a preview for you:
- “Competitive price” remains the top reason for store purchase. 47% of purchasers mention as a reason for store selection.
- Amazon saw increases in draw and close rate over 2019 (one of the few retailers to see an increase in both measurements).
To see everything we’ve included on our infographic, fill out the form below and download your own copy:
Fitness Equipment Market: 1, Pandemic: 0
One way that consumers across the country sought out endorphins during long stretches at home full of uncertainty has been through investing in fitness equipment. And with stay-at-home orders affecting much of the country for various lengths of time, many consumers turned to online shopping to fill the gym-sized holes in their social schedules. News outlets reported on the challenges of finding desired equipment (especially dumbbells) at reasonable prices. After my own fraught and expensive attempts to source fitness equipment at the height of the pandemic, I decided to look to TraQline’s data to put quantifiable data to my own anecdotal experience. Below, I dig into the data around how the Fitness Equipment market has grown during the pandemic, as well as what specific products are resonating with consumers looking to exercise at home.
Online Goes for Gold
While the percentage of Fitness Equipment sold online has been increasing steadily year over year since Q1 2019, the last three quarters have seen significant growth. In fact, 69 percent of all Fitness Equipment was purchased online in Q4 2020, up from 56 percent a year ago in Q4 2019. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Amazon has grown significantly in unit share for the last 4 quarters and currently wins 31 percent of the total market. Amazon's unit share growth is not reflected in its dollar share.
When isolating just online sales, Amazon is not showing such significant growth in unit share and is losing share in online dollar share. This is a strong indication that as shoppers are shifting to purchasing online overall, they are not averse to looking at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers’ online offerings.
While the necessity of staying home probably has played an important role in this shift, availability of products also played a role. “Product Selection” has seen a significant increase as a reason that consumers choose to buy from specific retailers. Additionally, the number of consumers who reported that they shopped three or more stores has significantly increased year over year (9.4 percent in R4Q Q4 2020 vs 7.9 percent the prior R4Q).
As noted before, online unit shares had been increasing since Q1 of 2019. Additionally, 72 percent of Fitness Equipment buyers have Amazon Prime memberships, which could also be continuing to nudge buyers towards making online purchases.
Stationary Bikes Cruise to the Top
As consumers looked to stock their personal gym setups, certain pieces of equipment saw significant increases of unit share. For example, Elliptical machines, Multipurpose Machines, Rowing Machines, Stationary Bikes, and Treadmills all saw significant online unit share increases.
Of all these pieces of equipment, Stationary Bikes in particular increased their overall unit and dollar shares, while also seeing significant growth in online sales (27 percent unit share overall, 30 percent online unit share). The next most popular piece of equipment was the Treadmill, winning 19 percent of unit share overall (and 17 percent of online share). And while no one fitness equipment brand specifically took home the crown, Peloton has had steadily increasing YoY growth and has handled the shift with aplomb. Of all stationary bike brands, Peloton took home 25 percent unit share, driven in part by “recommendation”. Perhaps Peloton’s infamous commercial from last holiday season helped create a buzz around their bikes after all! In fact, the relatively high cost of Peloton bikes may be a contributing factor to the online dollar share increase for Stationary Bikes as a whole.
Recap:
While already comfortable shopping online for Fitness Equipment, this year saw an increase in consumers making purchases online. Amazon topped the retail unit share list with 31 percent in Q4 2020 (and won 43 percent of the online only share). Stationary Bikes won 27 percent of unit share overall in Q4 2020 (30 percent online only share).
Exercise Equipment Infographic TY 2020
What are the best brands and outlets in the US Exercise Equipment market share? – An infographic
TraQline answers the “who”, “what”, “where”, “when”, “why”, and “how” for Exercise Equipment market shares. Our quarterly survey will help you understand who’s buying Exercise Equipment, where they’re buying it, and what drives their decisions. Our Exercise Equipment Market infographic will help you answer the following questions about the US Exercise Equipment market and how it is changing…
Who is leading sales in the Exercise Equipment market?
Our infographic will give you greater details, but for now, here’s what you need to know about the market leaders for Exercise Equipment:
- Amazon takes the lead for unit share in the Exercise Equipment market, growing significantly from last year.
- Peloton is now the brand leader for Exercise Equipment with 9 percent of unit share.
- Amazon and Peloton’s share increase is largely at the expense of Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
How much do consumers spend on Exercise Equipment?
When buying Exercise Equipment, the industry average price paid for these products is $641. However, the average amount spent at different retailers can vary. For example:
- Shoppers buying Exercise Equipment from Amazon spend $378 on average.
- Shoppers at Peloton, on the other hand, spend about $2012 on average.
What demographic is buying Exercise Equipment?
Just who buys Exercise Equipment? TraQline’s census-balanced respondent pool has given us insights like:
- In approximately one third of all Exercise Equipment purchases women take the lead (33%).
- The South under-indexes on Exercise Equipment buyers.
Exercise Equipment Market – Online Sales Trends:
With 66% of Exercise Equipment purchases being made online, it is vital to keep track of online sales trends. Here’s just some of the trends that TraQline has uncovered:
- The percentage of Exercise Equipment Purchases made online has increased dramatically from this time in 2019 (66 percent this year vs 52 percent in 2019).
- Possibly contributing to Amazon’s growth, 71 percent of Exercise Equipment buyers have Amazon Prime.
Exercise Equipment Market Share Facts:
Curious about other information TraQline’s survey has uncovered? Here’s another preview for you:
- The average price paid for Exercise Equipment ($641) is up 13 percent compared to last year’s average price.
- Walmart saw significant decreases in unit and dollar shares as well as draw and close rate for Exercise equipment.
To see everything we’ve included on our infographic, fill out the form below and download your own copy:
How Online Shopping is Affecting the Bath Fixtures Market
With homeowners pouring so much care and attention into their living spaces during extended time at home, we thought that it was time to investigate the data we have available on how homeowners are making purchases to fit the needs of their new “normal”. Specifically, we wanted to know what the Bath Fixtures Market is currently looking like, especially since hygiene is a top priority during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Who are the top players in the Bath Fixtures Market?
At the close of Q4 2020, Home Depot and Lowe’s sit at the top of the Bath Fixtures market, with 35 percent and 27 percent unit share respectively. Amazon takes third place with 8 percent. Walmart and Menards are also top players, with just over 4 percent of the market each. Looking at how the Bath Fixtures market has shifted over the last five years, both Amazon and Home Depot have increased their share. Lowe’s, on the other hand, has lost share in the past five years, decreasing from 30 percent to 27 percent in that time.
The three brands that consumers gravitate towards are Moen, Delta, and Kohler, who have 16 percent, 15 percent, and 14 percent unit share, respectively.
Has the shift to online shopping affected the Market?
While 71 percent of Bath Fixtures are purchased in brick-and-mortar stores, online sales are gaining momentum. Currently, consumers purchase 23 percent of all Bath Fixtures online. As online sales have increased year over year, brick-and-mortar sales have seen a commensurate decline. This year specifically has seen a dramatic increase in online purchases, up from almost 18 percent last year. This increase in online shopping is a primary driver of Amazon’s Bath Fixture Market share increases.
Online Shopping Trends in the Bath Fixture Market
Around 41 percent of consumers report that they do some shopping online before making a Bath Fixtures purchase. While more than half of those customers choose to make their final purchase online (55 percent R4Q Q4 2020), the activities of those who ultimately purchase in store is illuminating. Online shoppers who buy their Bathroom Fixtures in brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to report that they were doing basic product research and searching for promotions before making their purchase. Retailers and Brands alike can capitalize on this by making sure that product information is easy to find and understand on their sites, as well as highlighting any promotional deals they have available.
Overall, the increasing shift to online is not causing a major threat for traditional Bath Fixture Retailers and Brands yet. However, looking at how consumers are shopping and making their choices will give an additional edge as consumer behavior is undergoing rapid change.
Curious about what other insights TraQline can help you uncover? Start a conversation with one of our Account Executives today!
Are the Big Box HI Stores Getting Their Fair Share?
This piece was updated on January 26 to reflect the latest TraQline US and Monthly data
OPE Maintenance and Repair Parts
When consumers need to invest in Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) like line trimmers, mowers, leaf blowers, etc. they often turn to Big Box Home Improvement (HI) stores. These stores are usually regional or national chains with a big footprint. Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards – the three largest Big Box HI stores in the US have dominated the OPE market over the last few years, and collectively command 50% of the unit share of OPE products (source: TraQline, R4Q end Dec 2020). Two of the key factors for their market dominance are the continuing decline of Sears, as well as a decrease in the number of smaller Independent Power dealers. In fact, the OPEAA has observed that the independent dealer count has declined almost 20 percent since 2004.
Retailers large and small not only sell OPE to consumers but also benefit from the sale of repair parts for those products. Comparing retailer market share for OPE vs market share for parts can highlight opportunities for retailers to succeed where their counterparts fail.
Big Box Retailers are not getting their fair share of OPE parts purchases
As it turns out, Big Box retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards are underperforming with parts as compared to their OPE sales (34 percent unit share and 50 percent unit share, respectively). While the usual culprit – online shopping – seems to be to blame, there may be other reasons consumers choose smaller stores over their larger counterparts.
In terms of what consumers are purchasing at the Big Box HI stores, there can still be some disparity between OPE and OPE part purchases. Retailers are seeing the largest gaps between Walk-Behind Mowers and Riding Mowers (54 percent vs 34 percent and 42 percent vs 25 percent, for in-store vs online, respectively). Although it still exists, that gap narrows for products like Line Trimmers and Power Leaf Blowers.
Big Box Retailers are not a parts “destination location”
Much like Miami, Florida is considered a vacation destination location over somewhere like Miami, Ohio, shoppers just don’t regard Big Box retailers as a stop for maintenance and repair parts in the same way they regard Big Box as a stop for OPE in general. For example, Home Depot shoppers are nearly 60% percent more likely to shop the store for OPE than for OPE parts.
That said, when shoppers do visit Big Box HI stores for OPE parts, the Big Box stores are more likely to close the sale. In fact, close rates for parts at Big Box retailers are 5-10 percent higher than close rates for their respective OPE products. Consumers cite the convenience of purchase as their top reason for buying parts at a Big Box, mentioning reasons like Convenience, Already in store, and Seeing a Display.
So, if consumers aren’t shopping at Big Box HI stores, where are they going? The three biggest competitors are Walmart (itself a Big Box store, though not solely focused on HI), Independent Power Dealers, and Amazon
You cannot neglect online retail
When it comes to online versus brick and mortar, about 25 percent of repair parts are purchased online. Compared to that industry benchmark, Big Box HI stores have a lot of ground to make up—only 9 percent of their parts sales are made online. When shopping online for repair parts, data indicates that consumers gravitate elsewhere due to a perception of better prices and selection as compared to Big Box HI’s online storefronts.
Big Box HI Stores Have Share to Claim
Big Box retailers have dominated the OPE market over the past few years, driven by aggressive marketing efforts combined with the decline of rivals such as Sears and Independent Power Dealer locations. However, when it comes to parts, these large retailers lag behind independents. Consumers have not yet embraced Big Box HI retailers as a destination for parts purchases, preferring to make purchases based on convenience. By being more aggressive with advertising and increasing their focus on online selection, Big Box HI retailers may make a play to gain share more in line with their OPE share.
Until recently, retailers only had their own internal sales data for visibility around customers’ purchases of maintenance and repair parts. Recognizing this gap in available data, TraQline developed a survey designed to track OPE maintenance and repair part (MRP) purchases. With data going back to 2018, we can begin answering questions like “Are Big Box HI stores getting their fair share of OPE parts purchases?” Interested in the data behind this piece? Contact David Garcia at TraQline today!
Not All Products Are Created Equal: Thermometers
This piece was updated on January 25, 2020 to reflect the latest TraQline Monthly data
In September we introduced a new series highlighting categories that contribute to bottom lines, even if they don’t always contribute to news cycles. We kicked off the series with a piece on Auto Batteries. As we enter 2021 with the global pandemic still a part of our everyday lives, this report focuses on one of the most important consumer products keeping us safe at home and at work.
Nearly as emblematic as wearing masks when out and about, Thermometers are adding an extra layer of reassurance as we engage with people in schools, stores, and offices across the country. Thus it is perhaps unsurprising that we’ve seen sales increase. Looking at the mix of Thermometer sales as a percentage of health supplies tracked by our consumer survey (including Glucose Test Trips, Blood Glucose Meter/Glucometers, Bathroom Scales, and Blood Pressure Monitors), shows a significant share increase versus the same month a year ago. (Interestingly enough, Bathroom Scales saw a significant decline and I am guessing that’s because no one wanted to actually record the impact of their “Quarantine 15.”)
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is influencing thermometer demand in different ways.
What types of Thermometers are people buying?
While approximately half of all thermometers being purchased are oral thermometers, forehead/temple thermometers are on the rise, taking share from other formats as they post significant increases every month since August, and overall increases since April of 2020.
Which retailers sell most Thermometers?
While Walmart wins number one for unit share among all outlets, the retailer has seen a decrease in recent months, with #2 retailer Amazon picking up some of that share. However, while outlets like Target and Walmart have lost some share, most pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens have maintained a steady share of Thermometer sales (9.8 and 7.9 percent respectively for the 3 months ending December 2020). While the majority of consumers report purchasing their Thermometers in a brick-and-mortar store (61.3 percent 3ME December 2020), online purchases have seen an unsurprising and significant increase as well.
Which Thermometer Brands sell the most?
There are a multitude of brands available to consumers. With all these options, consumers don’t seem to gravitate toward any one brand: One top brand, Vicks, captured only 4 percent of the total Thermometer market, and approximately 1 in 5 self-report that they do not know what brand they purchased.
It appears that availability was more important to consumers than any particular brand loyalty. However, during the early days of the pandemic, Braun saw a boost to unit shares of forehead/temple Thermometers. Brands like iProven and Equate have seen significant increases to their unit share of forehead/temple Thermometers, though they each only make up 3 percent of the market.
Has Thermometer average price shifted?
Given the shift in mix towards more expensive forehead/temple Thermometers, average prices paid for thermometers peaked at $24 in the 3ME June 2020 (up from $18 from the three months ending September 2019), in between the initial lockdowns of the pandemic and the start of schools beginning to reopen. Consumers realized that this would be a prolonged quarantine as states had shuttered non-essential stores. Average price paid has slowly started to fall and sits at $22, which is still a few dollars higher than the averages for Thermometers from pre-pandemic.
Changes in Consumer Healthcare Purchases due to the Pandemic
A year ago none of us could have predicted the soaring demand in Thermometers or Health Supplies in general. Until the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available and more people have some measure of immunity, keeping track of physical health will be important to consumers. Interested in understanding more about our monthly survey and the products tracked? For more information on some of the monthly products we track, please contact Eric Voyer.
How Craftsman Found Growth Within Its Legacy
When I was younger my grandparents had a farm where we did a lot of building – treehouses, birdhouses, fences, stalls, etc. What I remember most was how many tools my grandfather had in his garage. Fast forward to when I packed up for college and my first apartment: I recall asking my mom to get me a toolbox. I did not want a generic “toolbox”; I wanted one with only Craftsman Tools like those my grandfather and I used for all our projects. Fast forward to today: I began to wonder how Craftsman’s legacy has changed over time specifically with Sears closing so many of their retail locations. What has changed for this incredible brand that has left its mark on so many?
If you are not as familiar with the tool market, Craftsman plays in the Hand Tools & Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) categories. When we examine Hand Tools specifically, the Craftsman brand covers nearly a third of all wrenches – sets and individual, a quarter of all tool chests, ratchet and mechanics tool sets sold – dollar share is as equally strong, if not better, among these key products. Craftsman still retains its position as the leader in the US tool market for both unit share and dollar share (Source: TraQline 2020), but their journey has been rocky.
The outlook was grim for Craftsman as their share saw year-over-year declines starting in 2013 and continued to 2018 with only 2017 not seeing a significant decline – all likely a result of Sears closing their doors (Source: TraQline R4QE September, 2020). In early 2017, Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) made the bid to purchase the 90-year old tool brand in an effort to build up their growing tool business – which currently commands 10 percent of the brand share for the last year as reported by TraQline. SBD leveraged their partnerships and moved to extend the Craftsman name to key retailers.
One major Home Improvement (HI) chain benefitted greatly as Lowe’s began selling Craftsman in 2018. It was then that Craftsman share began to make some uphill strides following the tumultuous decline seen in prior years. In addition, we can see a direct transition from Sears to Lowe’s for the OPE category – exactly where Sears significantly drops, Lowe’s significantly gains unit share among Craftsman purchases.
While it has not completely rebounded to its earlier highs, Craftsman has been gaining unit shares. The brand has also seen significant growth in some quarters since the partnership began. However as with many key businesses, COVID-19 has likely played a part in the significant declines seen by Craftsman in the last several months.
While the journey has not been easy for the Craftsman brand, it’s good to see they are weathering the storm with time and new outlets. Want more information on your brands and how they compare over time? Contact a TraQline Representative today – we are happy to help you identify key traits among your brand purchasers as well as your overall brand performance.