Industry Insights
Buying intention
survey results
and more
To gain valuable insight into how outdoor power equipment dealers and their commercial customers plan to spend their money in the coming year, Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) and its sister publication Landscape and Irrigation (L&I) recently asked their respective readers for feedback. The results of the OPE and L&I surveys, as well as other industry insights, are as follows:
OPE Buying Intention Survey
Do you carry a line exclusively?
Yes 38.5%
No 61.5%
Will you be adding or switching lines in the next year?
Yes 20%
No 80%
Which of the following lines does your dealership currently carry?
Aerators (turf) 29.2%
Backhoes & Excavators 6.2%
Blowers 66.2%
Brushcutters 61.5%
Chain Saws 76.9%
Chippers/Shredders 41.5%
Dethatchers 30.8%
Edgers 55.4%
Generators 49.2%
Loaders 10.8%
Log Splitters 38.5%
Manual Hand Tools 32.3%
Mower Attachments & Accessories 58.5%
Mowers (riding) 76.9%
Mowers (stand-on) 36.9%
Mowers (walk-behind) 76.9%
Oils, Lubricants & Fuel Additives 81.5%
Pressure Washers 43.1%
Pumps 26.2%
Right-of-way Maintenance Equipment 6.2%
Recreational & Utility Vehicles 16.9%
Seeders 23.1%
Snow Removal Equipment 44.6%
Sprayers 47.7%
Spreaders 40%
Stump Cutters 13.8%
Sweepers 27.7%
Tillers 63.1%
Topdressers 3.1%
Tractors 24.6%
Trenchers 3.1%
Trimmers (hedge) 66.2%
Trimmers (string/grass) 72.3%
Vacuums (leaf and litter) 55.4%
What equipment lines do you plan on adding in the next year? (Check all that apply)
Aerators (turf) 0%
Backhoes & Excavators 0%
Blowers 6.3%
Brushcutters 6.3%
Chain Saws 12.5%
Chippers/Shredders 6.3%
Dethatchers 0%
Edgers 6.3%
Generators 6.3%
Loaders 6.3%
Log Splitters 6.3%
Manual Hand Tools 0%
Mower Attachments & Accessories 0%
Mowers (riding) 25%
Mowers (stand-on) 31.3%
Mowers (walk-behind) 12.5%
Oils, Lubricants & Fuel Additives 12.5%
Pressure Washers 18.8%
Pumps 0%
Right-of-way Maintenance Equipment 6.3%
Recreational & Utility Vehicles 18.8%
Seeders 6.3%
Snow Removal Equipment 6.3%
Sprayers 6.3%
Spreaders 0%
Stump Cutters 6.3%
Sweepers 6.3%
Tillers 6.3%
Topdressers 0%
Tractors 6.3%
Trenchers 6.3%
Trimmers (hedge) 6.3%
Trimmers (string/grass) 6.3%
Vacuums (leaf and litter) 6.3%
What factors influence your decision on what lines you stock? (Check all that apply)
Brand Loyalty 47.7%
Product Quality 76.9%
Price or Sales Incentives 40%
Profit Margin 76.9%
Other 6.2%
L&I Buying Intention Survey
For some insight into how landscape and irrigation professionals plan to spend their money in the coming year, and the factors that influence those buying decisions, Landscape and Irrigation (L&I) recently asked its readers for feedback. The survey results are as follows:
What turf maintenance equipment do you plan to purchase in the next year? (Check all that apply)
Blowers 62%
Chain Saws 60%
Trimmers (string) 56%
Mowers (walk-behind) 43%
Trimmers (hedge) 43%
Mowers (riding) 40%
Spreaders 30%
Edgers 27%
Snow Removal Equipment 24%
Spray Equipment 22%
Mowers (stand-on) 21%
Aerators (turf) 16%
Utility Vehicles 16%
Tillers 16%
Brush Cutters 11%
Chippers/Shreddders 11%
Sweepers 11%
Vacuums (leaf and litter) 10%
Dethatchers 8%
Curb and Border Machines 6%
What landscape construction do you plan to purchase in the next year? (Check all that apply)
Trenchers 39%
Grading Equipment 31%
Loaders 28%
Excavators 17%
Stump Grinders 17%
Backhoes 14%
Sod Cutters 11%
Air Excavation Equipment 8%
Augers 6%
What irrigation equipment do you plan to purchase in the next year? (Check all that apply)
Sprinklers (pop ups) 90%
Sprinkler Accessories 79%
Valves 79%
Pipes and Fittings 78%
Sprinklers (risers) 76%
Controllers 60%
Drip Systems 60%
Backflow Prevention 54%
Pumps 52%
Drainage Equipment 38%
Filtration Systems 31%
Central Control Systems 29%
Moisture Sensors 28%
Weather Stations 31%
Flow Meters 21%
What landscape supplies and materials do you plan to purchase in the next year? (Check all that apply)
Gravel, Rocks and Stone 80%
Mulch 79%
Perennials 68%
Shrubs 68%
Landscape Fabric 68%
Seed 66%
Soil 63%
Trees 62%
Hardscape Materials (bricks and pavers) 61%
Annuals 59%
Sod 55%
Compost 51%
Edging 51%
Stakes (plant and tree) 51%
Plant Containers 32%
Root Barriers 23%
Aquatic Plants 20%
Tree Guards 20%
What factors influence the brand of equipment purchases? (Check all that apply)
Prior Experience with Brand 74%
Quality 70%
Price 51%
Recommendation of Others 37%
How much do you plan to spend on equipment and supplies during the next year?
Under $10,000 16%
$10,000 – $24,999 20%
$25,000 – $49,999 21%
$50,000 – $99,999 14%
$100,000 – $249,999 21%
$250,000 – $500,000 4%
More than $500,000 5%
L&I SURVEY ANALYSIS
* The biggest thing that jumps out is that the percentage of respondents planning to purchase various types of equipment, in each category, during the next year has risen across the board from L&I’s survey results of the past 3 years. This suggests that respondents are ready to spend more on equipment in the coming year than they have the past three years.
* In terms of landscape and turf maintenance equipment, handheld equipment such as blowers and string trimmers remains at the top of the list, which is consistent with L&I’s survey results from 2011, 2012 and 2013. However, the order changed this year as string trimmers, which have been at the top for the past three years, fell to third behind blowers and chain saws.
* A big riser this year is chain saws, with 60% of respondents indicating that they intend to buy a chain saw in the next year (compared to 16% in 2013, 18% in 2012 and 32% in 2011).
* Other big risers include: trenchers, up to 39% in 2014 (from only 6% in 2013); commercial walk-behind mowers at 43% (compared to 20% in 2013, 28% in 2012 and 28% in 2011); blowers, which increased from 46% in 2013 to 62% in 2014; and snow removal equipment, which is up to 24% of respondents planning to buy (compared with 12% in both 2013 and 2012).
* Those indicating that they plan to buy a loader in the coming year also increased from less than 7% each of the past three years to 28% on the latest survey.
* Irrigation seems to be at the forefront of respondents’ buying intentions as 90% of respondents intend to buy sprinklers (pop-ups) in the coming year, and more than 70% intend to purchase irrigation system components, such as pipe, valves fittings and other accessories.
* Familiarity with a brand, and overall quality of the product continue to trump price in terms of factors that influence the buying decision.
State of the Green Industry
During Irrigation Show 2014, Michael V. Geary, CAE, president and CEO of AmericanHort, presented a session on the “State of the Green Industry.” (AmericanHort, formed in 2014, is a consolidation of the American Nursery & Landscape Association and OFA — The Association of Horticultural Professionals.) Geary provided insight into the industry from all levels of the market chain — from plant breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, garden retailers, students, educators, manufacturers, landscape professionals and more.
“We lost a lot of business during the recession,” Geary said. But he added that confidence is high among growers and statistics are pointing to positive trends for the Green Industry. For example, employment is on the rise (see Figure 1), housing starts are increasing (see Figure 2), and sales of existing homes are rising (see Figure 3).
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Other positive trends that Geary pointed to included a rise in the sale of perennials, annuals, edibles and trees/shrubs — which each increased in sales, as reported by garden centers, by more than 58 percent from spring of 2013 to spring of 2014, according to Nursery Management Magazine. Greenhouse production also increased during 2014.
According to Geary, 72 percent of garden centers reported that overall sales increased in 2014, as compared to 2013, and landscape contractors reported a profitable market.
The horticulture industry’s production, wholesale, retail and landscape service components have annual sales of $163 billion, and sustain more than 1.15 million full- and part-time jobs, said Geary.
According to Geary, a recent study shows that U.S. demand for outdoor products is expected to increase 4 percent in 2015 to almost $7 billion; plants will play a key role; people are looking for quick, easy solutions that they can personalize; and people are increasingly taking to the outdoors for cooking, dining and entertaining.
The Garden Media Group Garden Trends Report showed that 85 percent of Millennials rated outdoor rooms as “very important” or “important,” compared to 83 percent of Gen Xers and 74 percent of Baby Boomers.
According to Geary, big issues for the Green Industry in 2015 and beyond will include immigration reform, the Affordable Care Act, pollinator health, tax reform, new technologies, and, of course, water.
“Without water, none of this happens,” said Geary.
Information provided by Michael V. Geary and AmericanHort. With a combined 220-plus years of experience with the whole plant and horticulture services industry, AmericanHort was formed by the ANLA and OFA members to unify the industry, improve collaboration, increase organizational efficiencies, and expand the support for the industry’s businesses. With that goal in mind, AmericanHort represents the entire horticulture industry, including breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscapers, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry market chain. For more information, visit www.AmericanHort.org.
