2014 Hearth Retail Sales Report — Part II
By Richard Wright
See 2014 Hearth Retail Survey Report — Part I
Retailer Sales by Region
2014 Compared to 2013
A minimum of 70 percent of specialty hearth dealers in every region posted a positive year in 2014.
2014 Hearth Appliance Market Share
U.S.
While vented gas led the way with 34 percent market share in the U.S., the surprise contender was vent-free gas products at 16 percent.
2014 Hearth Appliance Market Share
Canada
In Canada, vented gas also led the way with a 43 percent share, with wood at 32 percent. Pellet (13%) and electric (12%) units showed surprising strength.
2014 Gas-burning Appliance Sales
Gas fireplaces rule the terrain in both the U.S. (42%) and Canada (49%). Inserts at 34% and 31% respectively, also showed strength.
2014 Wood-burning Appliance Sales
Wood-burning stoves own the market in Canada with a 59 percent share, while inserts (30%) in the U.S. are coming on strong.
2014 Pellet-burning Appliance Sales
In Canada, it’s all stoves in the pellet-burning category, with a 90 percent share; in the U.S. that figure is 75 percent.
2014 Gross Revenues
The average hearth specialty dealer derives 35 percent of his/her revenue from Hearth products; 21 percent for “Other” products; eight percent from Barbecue products, and nine percent from Patio Furnishings.
Days Backlogged for Installation
The consumer rush to buy hearth products began in August of 2014 and never let up for the rest of the year – and beyond.
- 33% of retailers plan to increase staff in 2015, by a total of 17%.
- 40% of retailers plan to increase marketing dollars in 2015, by a total of 14%.
| New Installations vs. Hearth Replacements | |
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Thirty-three percent of hearth product sales are to replace an existing hearth product. | |
| 2014 Hearth Appliances Replacing Existing Hearth Products | |
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Twenty-one percent of hearth product sales are to Replace Inefficient Wood Fireplaces; millions of such products remain in homes throughout North America. | |
| Expected Purchases for 2015 Season | |
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Expected Purchases for 2015 Season | |
| 2015 Sales Outlook | |
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A whopping 88 percent of specialty hearth dealers believe 2015 sales will be the same or better than those in 2014 – and you know how good 2014 was! | |
