Consumers Are Accustomed to an Omnichannel Approach to Shopping And Want The Same From Home Improvement Stores, Reports NPD

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The majority of home improvement consumers enjoy the convenience of online shopping, but many still see a lot of value in the traditional in-store do-it-yourself (DIY) shopping experience. According to The NPD Group's Checkout information, 20% of consumers who buy home improvement categories like to shop both in-store and online and will make an average of 13.8 purchases across both channels.

"While most home improvement purchases are still in-store, as industries mature online the omnichannel mix begins to shift," said Leen Nsouli, home improvement industry analyst at NPD. "Increasing consumer demand for convenience, and retail advancements in digital capabilities, ecommerce platforms, and the supply chain are key drivers of this shift."

U.S. online market dollar sales grew by double-digits last year*. Seventy percent of consumers shop online home improvement retailer sites for their DIY needs.** More than half of these DIYers, both men and women, utilize buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) options at least some of the time.** Recently, online dollar spend has been increasing among Baby Boomers and younger Millennials. However, consumers between the ages of 18 and 44 have the highest propensity to take advantage of BOPIS options with greater frequency, taking this approach to acquiring purchases all or most of the time.**

Over the last year, online spending has increased in major home appliances, as well as product segments like storage, hardware, plumbing, and air filters. The majority of the online dollar sales within the home improvement industry come from major home appliances and home décor.

Of the 30% of home improvement consumers who don't order online from home improvement stores, the majority cited wanting to see the product before purchasing as the main reason, followed by their enjoyment of in-store shopping at stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Ace and True Value.**

"The prime targets for online home improvement shopping are vast - consumers hitting key life moments, those who have been in their home long enough and are ready to make changes, constructing new space solutions to meet their needs" added Nsouli. "It is critical for manufacturers and retailers in the home improvement space to keep pace with what today's consumer expects from their overall shopping experience, but this industry has the advantage of learning from others that are reaching maturity in the online space.

Source: The NPD Group / Checkout 12 months ending June 2019.
*Source: The NPD Group/ US Online Industry Trends, 12 months ending June 2019 (commercial food service, office supplies, prestige beauty, small appliances, consumer electronics, apparel, toys, video games, media entertainment, footwear, accessories)
**Source: The NPD Group / January 2020 Omnibus

SOURCE The NPD Group