Clothes dryers are an often-overlooked component of the major appliance purchase. As the backyard clothesline has disappeared, what was formerly a luxury item has become a near essential component of consumer purchases. 

While many consumers think of a washer and dryer purchase as two parts of a whole, research indicates that over 40% of consumers purchase a dryer without a washer. With options like gas vs. electric dryers, stacked pairs, and laundry centers, consumer choices have never been more prolific — and sorting through these options can become overwhelming. With information and opinions on everything from electric cars to power tools and appliances, it often leaves consumers unsure which products to purchase.

Combined with recent media coverage about gas appliances, we decided to take a closer look at how consumers are shopping for an essential household durable product: Clothes Dryers, regardless of energy source.

Read on to see which brands and retailers may or may not get ‘hung out to dry’ on market share, online shopping behaviors and more. Specifically, we will discuss who is buying, where they are buying and what drives their purchase decisions. Download our free Clothes Dryer market infographic to see all the insights as of December 2023 or read on to discover current trends in the industry such as what percentage of Dryers purchased in 2023 were gas and which features resonated most among consumers?  

Source: All data in this article was pulled from the TraQline Durable IQ^TM and HPOS™ platforms using the rolling 4Q ending Q4 2023, Clothes Dryer category which focuses on several key features as well as energy source gas vs. electric. For the most recent insights or further dives into the data, please  contact us.    

Who are the top retailers by share in the Clothes Dryer market?

As of December 2023, the top retailer for Clothes Dryers was Lowe’s with significant growth in both unit and dollar share versus the prior year. 

While Home Depot was second for both unit and dollar share, they were flat in terms of growth versus the prior year. Lowe’s was the only retailer showing an increase in share for Clothes Dryers. Best Buy saw a significant decline in unit share as well as a decline in dollars, however not significant.  

The top two retailers highlight differences in fuel type – due to geographic differences between these two retailers (see regional breakdown below). Consumers buying gas were slightly more likely to purchase at Home Depot versus Lowe’s, 24% and 23%, respectively. However, electric was higher at Lowe’s by 12 percentage points (33%).

Outlet Draw/Close Rates

Lowe’s and Home Depot lead both draw rate (percentage of shoppers who consider that store) and close rates (percentages of shoppers who end up buying at that store). Lowe’s is up significantly in 2023 for both.

The draw rate for Home Depot dropped slightly in 2023 but the close rate increased (0.5 percentage points). Best Buy saw significant declines in the overall draw but maintained close rate. Consumers shopping for Gas Dryers were more likely to do so at Home Depot, however both their draw and close rates were down slightly versus 2022 as Lowe’s did see a significant increase in close. 

Which Clothes Dryer brand leads in market share?

As of December 2023, the most popular Clothes Dryer brand with consumers was Samsung, in both unit (22%) and dollar (20%) share.   

However, Samsung saw decreases in brand share for dollars and significant decrease in units. LG was the second leading brand for the category overall and saw a significant unit share increase of 2 percentage points. The Whirlpool brand fell third in line for top brands, but they are making some headway with significant increases across both unit and dollar share YOY. 

Electric Clothes Dryer vs. Gas Dryers: Brand Leaders by Fuel Type

Are the brand leaders different by fuel type? The answer is yes — LG holds the top spot among Gas Dryers for brand share both units and dollars, climbing a significant 2 percentage points for units. Samsung took a hit by 3 percentage points which likely went to LG.  

In electric Dryers, Samsung leads, however they had a slight decrease overall. Both LG & Whirlpool show significant increases for units with a 2-percentage point gain. Whirlpool also increased significantly (2 percentage points) for dollar share with these gains in electric dryers driving their overall gains for the total category. 

While the market share leader Samsung has declined YoY, both LG and Whirlpool had significant increases in unit and dollar share versus the prior year. 

Brand Consideration Rates  

Samsung holds the lead for draw and close, however both draw and close are significantly down versus 2022.   

What type of Dryer features are important for consumers?  

We touched on the differences in fuel type above by retailers but what is the breakout of gas versus electric overall for the Dryer category – 20% to 80% overall.

Now let’s look at Clothes Dyer sales by region. Interestingly, while 44% of all dryers purchased are from the Southern region of the United States, only 21% of the dryers purchased there run on gas.

According to this article from Kiplinger, nationwide gas is the cheaper option for the home’s most expensive cost – heating. However, in the south where the climate is warmer, the natural gas infrastructure is less prominent, causing electric dryer purchases to over index in the south relative to the population.

The top 3 key Clothes Dryer features in consumer purchases were:

1. End of cycle signal 63%
2. Permanent press cycle 58% 
3. Energy Star rating 56%  

How are online vs. in-store sales trending for the Clothes Dryers market?  

Online Dryer purchases are up 9 percentage points from 2019, however most Dryers are still purchased in-store (72%). Lowe’s is the top outlet whether in store or online — with 23% of all online Dryer purchases being made at Lowe’s. 

Other key Clothes Dryer market insights   

Which demographics are buying Clothes Dryers?  

Balanced to the US Census, the TraQline Durable IQ^TM data shows differences in the primary demographics for Clothes Dryers purchases.   

• 72% of Clothes Dryers purchasers are homeowners 
• 26% of purchasers are renters  
• 57% of purchasers are married  
• 34% of purchases are made with males only involved in the purchase decision  
• 33% of purchases are made with females only involved in the purchase decision  
• 25% Clothes Dryers purchasers are Baby Boomers, 32% Millennials and 30% Gen X generations  

Clothes Dryers Purchase Drivers    

The top reason for product purchase for Clothes Dryers was “old one was broken” with 64% for 2023. The theme overall for this product category definitely focused on consumers’ concern for quality or the product possibly breaking soon. 

The top three reasons cited by consumers for purchasing Clothes Dryers were:   

1. “Old one was broken” (64%)  
2. “Moved into a new home” (16%)
3. “Old one will break soon” (9%)    

The most mentioned reasons for purchasing Clothes Dryers at a specific retailer were:  

1. “Competitive price” (56%) 
2. “Good selection of products” (30%) 
3. “Convenient location” (30%) 
4. “Previous experience with store” (27%)   

The most mentioned reasons for purchasing a specific brand of Clothes Dryers were:   

1. “Competitive price” (45%) 
2. “Quality product” (32%)
3. “Good brand name” (30%) 
4. “Features desired” (27%)   

Download our Clothes Dryer
market infographic for all the insights