At the beginning of June, a questionnaire was sent to 2,770 retailers of hearth, patio, and barbecue products. A total of 126 were returned and usable.

There are 30 different products categories in the column below. Together they represent what just about all the Outdoor Room products that a successful specialty retailer could (should?) carry. But let’s be honest here. It’s only a very few specialty retailers who do a great job at selling Outdoor Rooms.

Perhaps it’s because most specialty retailers simply don’t have the talent and skills to speak about an Outdoor Room design. Or it could be that they’re intimidated by the effort required in assembling a heavy pergola, or a stone island with a granite top.

Maybe they just want to do what they do best – sell products, one by one, and help the customer to their pickup truck with their purchase. Help me here, because I truly cannot understand why so many retailers are willing to leave so much money on the table. My email is wright@villagewest.com.

Retail Penetration: Outdoor Room Products & Services.

The chart shows products that gained penetration into the specialty retail channel, or stayed even with the prior year. There were 23 products that gained, and only 6 that lost penetration. Fire pits – Gas increased 11 percentage points, while Fire Pits – Wood, has increased 12 points.

On the service side, the percent of retailers who sell and install outdoor kitchens increased by four points; the percent of retailers who provide design services for customers increased by two points.

The percent of retailers who sell and install pergolas increased by 3%, and the percent that sell and install gazebos increased by 11%.

Now, do yourself a favor and read the lead article in this issue; it talks about trends regarding Outdoor Rooms. You’ll find that just about every survey, and every professional in the field, points to the Outdoor Room as one of the key trends in the country today. It’s going strong, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Think about it.