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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – If extending your interior style to your backyard is on your home improvement radar, you're joining a group that has single-handedly boosted home-related purchases by more than $10 billion in just a few years. Outdoor living is a trend that is here to stay, driving sales of garden/patio furniture and decor as homeowners continue to turn their outdoor patios into elaborate living areas.
The 2005 National Hardware Show, to be held May 17 to 19 in Las Vegas, will feature more than 680,000 square feet of new products, with over 310,000 square feet dedicated to outdoor living products to meet this demand. In fact, in its second year in Las Vegas, Lawn & Garden World has increased nearly 50 percent over the 2004 show.
New for 2005 will be a New Product World showcase devoted exclusively to the lawn and garden segment at the Sands Convention Center. This New Product World will feature a "backyard walk-through," with products displayed as part of a garden path in realistic lifestyle settings.
| LAWN & GARDEN SEGMENT A TOP FOCUS OF 2005 NATIONAL HARDWARE SHOW INDUSTRY CONFERENCES |
NORWALK, Conn. - With more than 200,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to its Lawn & Garden World, the National Hardware Show is one of the largest shows catering to this constantly growing and evolving part of the home improvement industry. "The $22 billion U.S. lawn and garden market is a great place to be if you thrive on change," said Rick Pontz, president of Lawn & Garden Performance Group, who will be presenting at the Show's Industry Conferences for the Home Marketplace. "Despite the shakeout and consolidation among manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers and service providers, the lawn and garden industry as a whole is growing strong and growing at a rate of about 4.6 percent." Homeowners will account for more than three-quarters of total demand for lawn and garden products by 2008, according to Pontz, with increased availability of popular and improved products at home centers and mass retailers. "Home gardening activity, including lawn care, has been steadily increasing over the past decade as the baby boom generation has entered the 55- to 64-year-old age segment," he said. "This presents a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers and retailers in the lawn and garden category." Pontz will lead two seminars at the 2005 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, which takes place May 17 through 19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Convention Center. The first seminar, "The Price is Right," provides guidance on increasing profitability through price increases without damaging customer relationships. The second session, titled "Size Doesn't Matter - 12 Simple Ways to Compete Against the Big Guys," focuses on helping smaller, independent lawn and garden retailers compete against "big box" retailers. "Expertise like Rick's is what our exhibitors and attendees are looking for from a content perspective," said Rob CAppiello, industry vice president of the National Hardware Show. "The industry conferences bring 29 sessions on a wide variety of critical topics to our attendees and have been very well received." Source: www.nationalhardwareshow.com |
"Today, it's all about bringing the inside out, from complete outdoor kitchens and entertainment centers to wet bars and wetlands of a different kind: landscaped ponds, streams and lighted waterfalls," said Jan D'Atri, a home and lifestyle columnist and broadcaster. "Outdoor living space offers a place of peace and relaxation to the homeowner in a hectic world."
According to the National Gardening Association, more than 85 million Americans did some gardening in 2003, spending an average of almost $500 each to beautify their backyards. The spring season appears to be the most popular shopping time for homeowners, with 29 percent of households planning home improvement-related purchases in the month of May, and 22 percent planning purchases in June.
"Homeowners today are spending more and more of their time outdoors, and are looking to make these spaces as aesthetically pleasing and comfortable as possible," said Rob Cappiello, industry vice president of the National Hardware Show. "This year's Lawn & Garden World will demonstrate the industry's elevated commitment to delivering innovative outdoor solutions to homeowners."
The top five trends in outdoor living showcased at this year's National Hardware Show will include:
- Garden and patio furniture and outdoor decor that serve as an extension of interior living space
- Superior garden chemicals, including new natural, bio-safe products, that cut down on the manual labor involved in gardening and safely prevent infestation in flowers and plants
- Garden centers that increasingly target sophisticated consumers with high-end products that offer distinct design elements
- The new prominence of ergonomic outdoor tools, which allow homeowners more efficiency while reducing stress on the body
- Products tailored to the female homeowner as they continue to be a growing influence on the industry
According to D'Atri, proper landscaping can increase your home's value by 25 percent or more, and it will also add value to your lifestyle. In addition, more than half of recent home buyers take care of one or more home improvement projects in their first year of home ownership - landscaping is the most likely.
Some of the top names at this year's Lawn & Garden World include RL Flo-master, Fiskars, Melnor, Fountainhead Group (Black Flag), Scott's and Bayer Advanced.
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