New York, NY (PRWEB) March 17, 2014 -- Bolstered by a revival in spending on home improvements, the Lawn and Outdoor Equipment Stores industry experienced a moderate recovery over the five years to 2014. “As consumers' confidence in the economy and disposable income improved, households increased their spending on items such as lawn and garden tools,” according to IBISWorld Industry Analyst Will McKitterick. Downstream demand from the Landscaping Services industry (IBISWorld report 56173) also increased as the housing and construction market revived and homeowners and businesses resumed repair and maintenance projects to lawns and gardens put on hold during the recession. As a result, industry revenue is expected to increase by 2.4% to $5.1 billion in 2014.
Despite positive signals from a number of economic indicators driving the industry's recovery, operators' growth has been constrained by fierce external competition from home improvement stores such as The Home Depot and Lowe's Companies Inc. “Big box stores such as these are leveraging their size to achieve significant cost savings on comparable products, passing the difference down to consumers in the form of lower prices,” says McKitterick. Industry revenue, though increasing, has been hampered by this competition, modestly increasing at an annualized rate of 0.3% over the five years to 2014. Operators were forced to lower their margins to remain competitive, and many merged in an attempt to increase market share and remain profitable while others exited the industry entirely. As a result, the number of enterprises is expected to decline at an annualized rate of 0.3% to 3,794 over the five years to 2014.
While rising consumer confidence and increasing disposable income hint at better times ahead for industry operators, these positive indicators mask serious unsoundness in the industry's underlying fundamentals. The Home Improvement Stores industry (IBISWorld report 44411) is expected to continue to undersell industry operators over the next five years, while an emerging group of online sellers further erodes operators' sales. The emergence of a new line of environmentally friendly products that feature gas substitutes and lower emissions will present an opportunity for lawn and outdoor equipment stores to recover some lost demand. Nevertheless, large home improvement stores will be better positioned to satisfy the emergence of environmentally conscious customers.
For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Lawn and Outdoor Equipment Stores in the US industry report page.
Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld.
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189.
IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics
Operators in the Lawn and Outdoor Equipment Stores industry sell lawn and outdoor power equipment and replacement parts to household consumers, farmers and ranchers, and other professional workers. Products include rotary mowers, rear engine riding mowers, garden tractors and shredders, chainsaws, leaf blowers, brush cutters, hedge trimmers and more. Players in this industry also provide repair services. This industry excludes home improvement stores and e-commerce companies selling lawn and outdoor equipment.
Industry Performance
Executive Summary
Key External Drivers
Current Performance
Industry Outlook
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Supply Chain
Products & Services
Major Markets
Globalization & Trade
Business Locations
Competitive Landscape
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
Major Companies
Operating Conditions
Capital Intensity
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Annual Change
Key Ratios
About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.
Gavin Smith, IBISWorld 2, +1 (310) 866-5042, gavins@ibisworld.com
Share this article