Refrigerators: 2025 Year-In-Review

Our Refrigerators: 2025 Year-in-Review report recaps product launches, placements, pricing and advertising and promotional activity captured throughout 2025. The report features data and insights from OpenBrand’s Refrigerators category, which feature products sold through the US ecommerce and brick-and-mortar channels.

Read through all the 2025 pricing and promotions insights below or email the report to read later.

You can also check out our 2025 Year-in-Review reports for other Major Appliance categories.

Refrigerators: 2025 Product Updates

The major appliance market’s recovery from post-COVID supply chain challenges was suppressed in 2025 as the Trump administration announced tariffs at the beginning of the year. Despite macroeconomic uncertainty due to tariffs, falling consumer sentiment, and a slow housing market, the appliance market remained resilient in 2025 as major retailers consistently reported growth in appliance sales during quarterly financial earnings calls and manufacturers continued offering strong appliance promotions that aligned with prior years. 

While the first half of the year was marked by price volatility, the second half of the year showed signs of price deceleration, with November marking a period of month-over-month price deflation in the appliance sector, according to OpenBrand’s Consumer Price Index. Coupled with price stabilization, new product debuts signaled a step towards normalization in the appliance industry leading into 2026. Whirlpool Corporation underwent a significant product portfolio refresh in 2025 with the company reporting that 30% of its North America product portfolio will be transitioned, as opposed to about 10% product renewal in a typical year. The company’s product revamp includes “the first full KitchenAid redesign in a decade”, which introduced the premium Black Ore and Juniper colorways.

These dynamics suggest that 2025 was defined less by contraction and more by recalibration. Pricing pressures eased, product innovation persisted, and promotional activity remained consistent. In 2025, the industry demonstrated an ability to navigate policy-driven uncertainty while laying the groundwork for more stable demand and competitive normalization heading into 2026.

2025 Refrigerators Market Share Overview

From January to November 2025, LG maintained leadership in the refrigerator market with about 19% unit share and 22% dollar share across major retailers. Frigidaire ranked second in unit share while Samsung ranked second in dollar share, reflecting Frigidaire’s value positioning and Samsung’s premium positioning. Lowe’s and Home Depot competed closely in the refrigerator market, with Lowe’s holding a slight lead over Home Depot in refrigerator unit share in 2025 (36% vs. 34%). French Door refrigerators remained the preferred configuration, composing 63% of unit sales.

Refrigerators: 2025 Pricing and Promotion Trends

Refrigerator prices fluctuated throughout 2025 as manufacturers balanced tariff challenges with discounting strategy during key promotional periods. According to OpenBrand’s Consumer Price Index, refrigerator prices climbed month-over-month in March (+0.81% MoM), May (+1.21% MoM), and August (+0.57% MoM). Refrigerator prices experienced three consecutive months of price deflation starting in September and peaking in November (-1.66% MoM) as Black Friday promotions took effect. This pattern signals a trend towards price stability entering 2026.

Despite tariff fears, market leaders like LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, and GE maintained significant discounts in 2025. These market leaders offered average discount rates above 28% for a French Door refrigerator. LG and Samsung extended these heavy promotions to their Side-by-Side portfolios, with both brands offering average discount rates above 26% on promoted models. Premium brands like GE Profile and KitchenAid promoted savings above 20% despite an average price nearing $3,000. At Lowe’s, Hisense refrigerators received heavy promotional discounts during Independence Day and Black Friday with advertised savings above 40%.

*Average price and discount rate excludes ultra premium refrigerators with a pre-discount price above $5,000

Craft Ice Segment Grows

LG introduced its first craft ice refrigerator in 2019 and this features popularity grew as the brand released new models that integrated this technology. In Q2 2025, LG debuted several new craft ice refrigerators, including a 3-Door French Door Refrigerator with an InstaView Window (LF25S6560S) and a Lowe’s Exclusive Side-by-Side Refrigerator (LL27T3530S). In the second half of 2025, Samsung released a Home Depot-Exclusive Samsung 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with Sphere Ice (RF70F29MER), supporting the growth of the craft ice refrigerator segment.

LG continued innovating in the craft ice space with the release of its first mini craft ice refrigerator (LF29S9730S) in September 2025. Rather than producing the craft ice in the freezer compartment, LG’s mini craft ice dispenses through the external water and ice dispenser. LG extended its mini craft ice refrigerator portfolio with the debut of a 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with a Instaview Window (LF29S9775S) in October 2025. With the introduction of mini craft ice technology, LG demonstrated its focus on innovation in the appliance space.

KitchenAid’s Redesign

In 2025, Whirlpool underwent a significant refresh of its appliance lineup, resulting in the transition of 30% of its North America portfolio, as opposed to 10% in a typical year. With Whirlpool’s refresh, the KitchenAid brand received its “first full redesign in a decade” as the brand debuted a new suite of large kitchen appliances with customizable hardware. Along with a standard Stainless Steel colorway, KitchenAid released two new premium colorways: Black Ore and Juniper. The brand heavily marketed its new lineup with an exhibit at KBIS 2025 and its “Make More Than Meals” advertising campaign that kicked off in October 2025. 

KitchenAid released several refrigerator lines in the Black Ore and Juniper colorways, including a Counter-Depth 3-Door French Door line with an interior water dispenser (KRFC236 Series), a 3-Door French Door line with an exterior water dispenser (KRFF436 Series), a 4-Door French Door line (KRMF436 Series), and a Counter-Depth Side-by-Side line (KRSC536 Series). These new KitchenAid models are widely available at all three major retailers.

Refrigerators: 2026 Outlook

The 2025 refrigerator market asserted LG’s market leadership as the brand achieved the top rank in both unit and dollar sales. LG’s craft ice innovation and KitchenAid’s redesign in 2025 demonstrated the importance of both technology and aesthetics for refrigerator shoppers. In 2026, LG will continue to be an influential brand as it grows the craft ice segment and challenges premium design-focused brands with the introduction of a new LG Signature lineup that is expected to debut at CES 2026. While Asian manufacturers may experience some pricing and cost challenges with the possibility of unexpected tariff or other macroeconomic challenges, brands will likely continue offering strong discounts, especially during key promotional periods like Independence Day and Black Friday.