Garage Organization Products

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This study analyzes the US market for garage organization products. This includes purchases made by consumers, including those intended for use in self-storage facilities. Garage cabinets are included only if they are part of a garage modular system.

Sales of products to self-storage facility operators and any other nonresidential end users are not included. Also excluded are:

• conventional cabinets, including kitchen cabinets with open shelving
• food storage products
• furniture, including outdoor furniture and bookcases
• laundry baskets
• office products
• preinstalled accessories
• tool storage
• waste baskets and recycle bins

Office products are also excluded from this study, as it is difficult to know the final end use for these items. However, products that turn non-office rooms into multifunctional spaces would fall into the scope.

Sales of for garage organization products are examined by product and market in US dollars at the manufacturers’ level. Historical data for 2010, 2015, and 2020 and forecasts for 2025 and 2030 are presented in current dollars (which are not adjusted to account for inflation).

Sales data are presented by product, material, and installation type.

Products are discussed in terms of:

• shelving
• bins, baskets, and totes
• modular units (e.g., garage organization kits or systems) and various components (e.g., cubes, drawers, bins, open racks, shelves, and rods)
• hanging storage
• accessories and hardware (e.g., drawer and shelf dividers, hooks, jewelry tray inserts, lazy susans, pull-out drawers, slatwall and pegboard, valet rods)

Material segments include:

• metal and wire, including plastic coated wire
• plastic
• wood and laminate, including solid wood and laminate-covered engineered wood
• wicker, rattan, and other natural weaves, such as hyacinth, seagrass, and bamboo
• textiles and other materials (e.g., canvas, vinyl, glass)

Installation segments are do-it-yourself (DIY) and professional.

Installation Trends (DIY vs. Professional)

In 2020, professional installations accounted for 16% of sales of garage organization products. Modular systems are becoming increasingly prevalent and often require professional expertise to install. Additionally, hanging storage is often attached to the ceiling of basements, which can be difficult for consumers to attach, particularly older consumers.

Looking forward to 2025, the share of garage organization products that is professionally installed is expected to grow, spurred in part by more closet franchise companies that offer modular systems in these areas.

Materials Trends

Metal and wire, followed by plastic, are by far the leading materials used in the garage organization market, together accounting for 94% of sales in 2020. The dominant market position of metal and plastic is due in part to the enhanced strength and durability requirements of the variety of items usually stored in these spaces:

• Plastic is low in cost and durable, making it especially appealing to the large DIY base in the garage storage products market, who often care less about aesthetics in these spaces than they do cost and function. As a result, plastic accounts for a greater share of unit demand than of value demand.
• Though higher in cost, metal is often preferred for its enhanced durability and strength in high-value installations, such as custom modular units:
  • Metal’s higher cost – coupled with its more intensive use in high-end modular units – gives it an edge over plastic in terms of sales share.
  • While aesthetics are less a factor in the garage than in other parts of the home, the industrial look of metal is often favored by end users in this market – particular those from wealthier households who use their garage as a multifunctional space (e.g., “man cave”).

Use of wood and other materials is limited by their often lower durability compared to metal and plastic, as well as by the temperature and moisture level fluctuations garages typically experience in much of the US, which can cause materials like wood to warp over time and need to be replaced more frequently. Nonetheless, durable laminate modular units are increasingly employed in garages.

Through 2025, demand growth for plastic will be supported by the widespread use of the material in bins, totes, and shelving – the leading garage organization product types – due to its combination of low cost, durability, and strength.

Pricing Trends

Prices for garage organization products generally track the pricing for the leading home organization product overall: bins, baskets, and totes; shelving; modular units, and hanging storage. Prices for these products fall within a wide range and depend on a variety of factors, including the level of customization, the material used, and the product’s size. For example, a simple plastic basket could cost less than $5, while a custom, metal modular unit may cost several thousand dollars. The range in retail prices can be even more dramatic, as they can include several stages of markups, overhead costs for multiple sales organizations (e.g., wholesale and retail), and transportation costs.

Despite the wide range in pricing, virtually all garage organization product prices are impacted by competition among an expanding number of suppliers. Low-cost imports have also placed downward pressure on prices, particularly in more commoditized segments such as bins, baskets, totes, and laminated shelving.

Another force restraining prices is the power of key retailers. Discount mass merchandisers (such as Target, Walmart, and Amazon) and big-box home improvement stores (such as Home Depot and Lowe’s) can exert significant downward pricing pressure by virtue of the volume of sales they register for many types of home organization products.

Prices of garage organization products are also affected by changes in raw material prices. For instance:

• Suppliers of plastic products are often affected by volatility in the prices for plastic resins.
• Tariffs on steel, aluminum, and soft lumber have caused fluctuations in the pricing of these materials.

Tariffs on softwood lumber from Canada were lowered in 2020, which may help to ease some of the costs of suppliers who bring in the material from across the border. However, the overall cost of lumber increased in 2020 and spiked during the first half of 2021. If prices remain high, it could potentially raise costs going forward.