Homeowners Shop 'Till They Drop — as Long as Home Improvement Retailers Offer Product Availability, Economy and Convenience

Business Wire, June 3, 2005

NORWALK, Conn. -- Today's homeowners overwhelmingly head to the home center when it comes to home improvement products, with 67 percent of homeowners opting for the big box for a broad range of products.

But consumers put product availability, a good value and convenience first when choosing their home improvement shopping destination, according to a new survey from the National Hardware Show(R) and the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI).

The survey of more than 3,000 homeowners was conducted by HIRI to determine where consumers shop for home improvement products and their reasons for choosing a specific retailer. It also evaluated who purchased products from contractors and how they selected the contractors they used. In the study, HIRI reviewed 15 product categories for home improvement purchases, including building materials, ceilings and floor coverings, doors and windows, electrical and lighting, hardware, hand tools, HVAC, appliances, kitchen and bath, lawn and garden, lumber, paint and accessories, plumbing, power tools, and wall and window coverings.

"We were excited to gain a better understanding of how homeowners determine where they want to shop for various products and what influences their purchases," said Rob Cappiello, industry vice president for the National Hardware Show. "Our focus is on bringing retailers and product manufacturers together to deliver great products to consumers, and this new information about their purchasing patterns is extremely valuable in how we do that."

Key findings of the study include:

--Some 70 percent of all respondents purchased products themselves while 81 percent of those purchases were used in DIY projects.

--Approximately 30 percent hired someone to purchase products for their projects.

--Of the purchases, 67 percent were made from home centers, while hardware stores ranked second with 8 percent of purchases.

--Paint and sundries were purchased most frequently, representing 28 percent of purchases, followed by electrical/lighting at 17 percent and plumbing at 16 percent.

--Consumers select their retailer based on product availability (41%), economy (39%) and convenience (35%).

--Lower prices weren't the main concern, as only 5 percent mentioned lower prices as a reason to shop in a location, while 14 percent said reasonable prices were important.

--One-quarter of respondents said that a location close to home was important, while 24 percent said having the product they wanted was a key driver.

The study also found that there are interesting linkages between product categories when consumers are purchasing for their projects. Findings include:

--Hardware and hand tools are frequently purchased with lumber and building materials, electrical supplies and paint products. Power tools and lumber also are typically purchased together.

--Nearly 70 percent of paint purchases were made in home centers. Those homeowners who went to specialty stores mentioned good product availability as a reason to shop there 31 percent of the time.

--Home centers also were the source for 72 percent of electrical and lighting purchases and 71 percent of plumbing products.

--When it comes to flooring, 69 percent of consumers opted for home centers, while 14 percent shopped in specialty stores.

--For lawn and garden, discount stores ranked second with 10 percent of shoppers and home centers garnered the top spot with 61 percent.

--Hardware stores continue to draw shoppers for the core hardware category with 10 percent of the audience, and home centers drew 72 percent, which parallels the sales of hand tools. Two-thirds of power tools are sold at home centers, with no clear contestant for second place.

--For window and wall coverings, 57 percent of sales were through home centers and 11 percent were through specialty and discount stores equally.

--In appliances, home centers have a much smaller share, attracting just over 50 percent of shoppers, while department stores drew 16 percent and specialty stores drew 11 percent.

"The research that we conduct for the home improvement industry -- such as the landmark study we unveiled at the 2004 National Hardware Show -- provides critical data on what consumers are thinking, and how that thinking translates into business opportunities for our members," said Fred Miller, HIRI managing director. "Having the National Hardware Show as a member of HIRI will provide us with additional insight based on its 60 years of experience with the leaders of our industry."

HIRI's primary research encompasses baseline and tracking studies which profile the characteristics, attitudes and buying behaviors of consumer and professional remodeler customers. Research is proprietary to member companies and is geared to meet the needs of the Institute's membership base while gathering data which accurately gauges trends in the market.

HIRI is a 23-year-old trade association that conducts a broad range of research on the home improvement industry. Members pool their resources through annual dues to conduct forecasts of industry size and trends, detailed profiles of consumers, and studies of the practices and needs of remodeling professionals. For the $10,000 annual dues, HIRI members are receiving over $600,000 worth of research in 2005. Non-members can purchase research reports after member-exclusivity expires. For more information about HIRI, its research and membership, visit www.hiri.org or call 813-627-6750.