For the last two years in our Consumer Practices Survey, Home Innovation has asked a detailed set of questions about garage and closet storage purchases. About 2,300 U.S. households reported. Comparing purchase patterns between 2018 and 2019, interesting trends are starting to emerge.
Each year, about 2.3 million U.S. households purchase closet storage systems, including those in bedrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchen pantries. The 2019 study found that about 108 million linear feet of closet and garage storage were installed in U.S. homes. And, while the storage system market is largely a do-it-yourself market currently, we expect professionally installed closet and garage systems to continue to grow in popularity.
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
We saw no growth in the number of households purchasing closet, pantry, and laundry room storage systems between the 2018 and 2019 studies; however, we found that each purchasing household purchased more—increasing from an average of 15 linear feet of closet system to 18 linear feet. Bedroom closets saw the smallest gain, and laundry room storage saw the biggest.
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
For Garage Storage Systems, the total number of purchasing households increased by 8% year over year, and linear feet of garage storage grew from 13 to 15 linear feet per household. Ceiling storage—perhaps the last frontier when all viable wall space is occupied—saw the biggest percentage increase.
The year-over-year change shows that homeowners are trying to get the most out of their existing (and possibly limited) storage space. Several demographic drivers could be at play.
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
Based on the 2019 report, clothes seem to be the primary focus for new closet storage. Nearly three quarters of all storage systems include hanging rods and bars; more than half include cabinets with shelves (many with doors and drawers); and more than a third integrate shoe storage.
Over the past year, we saw Manufactured Wood (primarily particleboard & MDF) catch up with metal rods, hangers, and shelves as the most popular material for closet storage systems. Natural lumber, the more costly option, has a healthy 16% share.
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
Over the years, the garage has evolved from the storage place for automobiles to a household’s exterior workspace, including the storage of tools and equipment for upkeep of the house, lawn, and autos. With basement space rapidly getting converted into living area, sections of the garage are often converted into work areas for crafts, hobbies, and anything else too messy, noisy, or space-consuming for inside the home’s primary living areas. Further, clearing away the clutter from garage floors with wall and ceiling storage systems makes it more accessible for useful tasks—and, occasionally, for parking the cars!
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
The 2019 Consumer Practices Survey revealed that just under 40% of garage storage systems were built from prefabricated components intended for garage storage. The remaining storage elements were assembled from traditional building materials—e.g., lumber and wood panels—or some other materials and methods.
Source: Home Innovation's Annual Consumer Practices Survey.
Garage systems are decidedly more likely to be made of metal than other materials, such as natural lumber, manufactured wood, or plastic.
The Consumer Practices Report on Closet and Garage Storage Systems contains even more details, including more details on materials used and place of purchase, demographics data, and geographic cuts for national, state, and metro area purchases of storage systems. If this is your market or if this market affects yours, the report is definitely worth a look.
Keeping up with purchasing trends is crucial in maintaining the health of your building products business. In addition to Closet and Garage Storage Systems report, Consumer Practices Reports are available for the following product categories:
Appliances | Cabinets for Kitchen & Bath | Countertops
Deck & Porch Railings | Exterior Doors | Faucets
Fencing & Landscape Walls | Finished Flooring | Garage Doors
Home Mechanical Ventilation | Home Standby Generators
House Wrap & Foam under Siding | Insulation | Interior Doors
Interior Finish Materials | Outdoor Structures - Decks, Patios & Porches
Patio Doors | Plumbing Fixtures | Plumbing Piping | Roofing
Roofing Underlayment | Sheathing - Floor, Roof & Wall
Siding & Exterior Cladding | Soffit, Fascia & Exterior Trim
Storage Systems for Closet & Garage
Structural Systems - Floor, Roof & Wall | Windows
Get the information you need to position your products in today's changing market. Reports are available for immediate delivery! Contact us for a sample report or to place your order.