By Dena Fitzgerald, CMO
Today outdoor living is more than just a few patio chairs scattered on the lawn. In recent years homeowners have begun to take the pursuit of outdoor living seriously, building extravagant outdoor kitchens, outdoor living rooms with interior decor, home entertainment centers, and fireplaces that mean business.
Who knows why there is this surge in outdoor living. Perhaps it is due to the advancement in technology in textiles which has allowed outdoor furniture to look and feel like our inside decor. Or perhaps it’s the European influence on our restaurants which are offering more outdoor dining, and persuading us to take it out outside too. Personally, I believe that it is because in today’s fast-paced, technology-packed lifestyles, we are seeking the outdoors for rest and relaxation to balance the scales, and become more connected to nature, and boost our sense of vitality. Regardless of why, there is no denying that there are more opportunities than ever before to sell some really lucrative products outside the home.
The outdoor living market is hot, and by all measures it is set for a another boom in 2018. Residential construction has the greatest influence on its growth, and its first quarter showed a 7% increase in single-family residential construction, a 12% increase in home improvement construction, and a forecast of a continuing rise. Architects continue to cite outdoor living spaces as one of the most desirable features for the home, and the deck and patio building industry continues to thrive. Selling outside the home is a profitable market. Outdoor cooking equipment has seen a resurgence in the last 5 years and together with outdoor furniture is now a $7 billion market.
Traditionally shutter dealers have done all of their sales inside the home focusing on window treatments, however we have seen an increasing number of dealers getting their fair share of the outdoor market. We are seeing dealers getting more out of each sales call by not only making the sale on the interior window furnishings, but by selling products like TWO’s Weatherwell Elite, our aluminum patio shutter. The home owner is just as interested in decorating their patios, as they are their living rooms. Aluminum shutters can be used as privacy screens, weather protection, or as a louver system that totally encloses an outdoor space. The future says that homeowners will continue to blend indoor and outdoor spaces. The question is, will you?
