Energy Efficiency Is Increasingly Important to Online Respondents regarding Household Appliances more in ˜Household Appliance



Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42779) has announced the addition of Household Appliances: Washers and Dryers - US - August 2006 to their offering.

This report focuses on the domestic U.S. market for automatic washing machines and dryers, both gas and electric, including side-by-side or stackable (dryer placed above washer) units.

The market for washers and dryers has shown healthy growth from 2001-06, with projected 2006 manufacturer sales of $6.3 billion, up from $4.1 billion in 2001. Sales are driven by increased home sales (stimulated by low mortgage interest rates), a rising number of high-income households in the U.S., and a rising number of households.

All the major suppliers have invested in product innovation, producing new features such as intelligent wash sensors that can assess the optimum amount of water needed for a given load, the use of steam to refresh clothes without washing and laundry pairs, in which the washer and dryer communicate the appropriate settings. New designs and colors continue to emerge, including touch-screen controls, glass windows to show the wash, appliances featuring brightly-colored interiors (from GE), and LG's8217;s Steam Direct Drive, which has a choice of patterns printed across the front.

Although machine breakdown is still the most common reason for respondents to have purchased a laundry appliance, 54% bought an appliance in the last 24 months for other reasons. Energy efficiency is increasingly important to respondents--only 14% or online respondents who own a washer or dryer agree it is not worth paying more for energy efficient products

In this report, it clearly identifies the principal external factors driving or curtailing growth. Exclusive consumer research reveals the attitudes, needs and behavior of consumers, with analysis broken down both by demographic characteristics, and by segment.

Six years of specific sales data provide a factual and impartial presentation of the market as a whole. The report also evaluates the performance of individual sectors in the market, and provides information about the major companies and brands. Using the SPSS forecasting package, the author creates a five-year forecast of U.S. retail sales, revealing potential opportunities for growth and product development.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42779

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980





Energy Efficiency Is Increasingly Important to Online Respondents regarding Household Appliances more in ˜Household Appliance