As the summer season officially gets underway (on Memorial Day), consumers want to continue to fix up their yards.
According to eMarketer’s Insider Intelligence “Retail By the Numbers” email newsletter, consumers have been sprucing up their yards in the last two years, buying outdoor furniture and accessories and “entertaining equipment” like fire pits and grills.
Like much spending these days, millennials planned to buy more (and spend more) than baby boomers.
Belgard’s Joe Raboine told The Spruce that “homeowners aren’t just craving more space—they want to make it modern, too.” He says, “We see outdoor living spaces becoming more modern and functional to suit the taste of today’s consumer.” That translates, Raboine explains, into a desire for products that “offer clean lines” and an uncluttered aesthetic.” He adds that flooring, specifically, is “becoming more geometric.” Patterns like hexagons and herringbone are newly in demand.
Consumers are also looking for materials that won’t take forever to be installed.
If you sell outdoor furniture, accessories, and equipment, you need to be mindful of these consumer demands. You should also be aware of consumer desire to stretch their summer season by incorporating “elements like lighting, sound, and shade structures to make patios and other outdoor areas usable no matter the time of day or season.”
In addition to the rise in demand we’ve seen for outdoor kitchens, Raboine says consumers today want outdoor living rooms complete with large TVs and outdoor projectors.
Business owners should also note that eMarketer says 87% of consumers are willing to pay at least 5% to 10% more for eco-friendly furnishings.
Outdoor entertaining stock image by Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
