Regional Trends
The US is by far the largest producer of power lawn and garden equipment worldwide, followed by China. Other significant producers include:
Germany
France
Canada
the UK
Italy
High production in most of these countries stems from sizable domestic markets, although the lawn and garden equipment industries in China and Italy are relatively export-oriented.
Through 2025, Chinese producers are expected to gain market share, while Western Europe will account for a reduced share of global power lawn and garden equipment output:
Chinese producers will benefit from growth opportunities for value-priced equipment both domestically and abroad.
European manufacturers of power lawn and garden equipment will continue to shift production from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, where labor costs are lower and local markets are less mature; however, weak outlooks throughout Europe are expected to slow this shift through the forecast period.
Technology & Innovation
Automation/Robotics
Development of robotic mowers has accelerated considerably since 2010, with an increasing number of firms introducing products in this segment. Demand growth has been boosted by several key areas of innovation:
Improvements in battery technology have been key to the growth of the robotic mowers segment, as all widely commercialized models rely on battery power.
Incorporation of GPS and other navigation technologies has offered opportunities to eliminate the need for a boundary wire, reducing installation costs.
The proliferation of internet-integrated systems has helped to ease user concern about theft.
In addition to robotic mowers, firms have begun to develop robots capable of handling other aspects of lawn and garden maintenance, including snow blowing and weed trimming. Most of these products have not achieved widespread commercialization, but industry leaders are increasingly investing in developing this niche.
Smart Technology
Smart technology allows suppliers to improve the usability of their products by integrating power lawn and garden equipment with smartphones and other digital tools. Companies such as Deere and Stanley Black & Decker are increasingly supplementing their physical product lines with integrated apps, which offer such services as:
tracking the status of elements such as batteries, oil, air filters, and mower blades
providing product use, maintenance, and troubleshooting information
deterring theft by tracking location and/or requiring digital PINs to operate
Robotic mowers often include smart technology integration. For example, Husqvarna’s Automower can be controlled via smartphone.
Demand by product is presented for:
lawn mowers (including front-engine riding mowers, rear-engine riding mowers, walk behind mowers, and robotic mowers)
turf and grounds mowers (including riding mowers, walk behind mowers, stand-on and other specialty mowers, and tow-behind mowers with dedicated engines)
chainsaws
trimmers and edgers (including wire blade trimmers, fixed blade edgers, brush cutters, and combination trimmer/edgers)
other equipment (including blowers, vacuums, and sweepers; chipper/shredders; garden tractors; hedge trimmers; power tillers; and snow blowers)
parts and attachments (such as mower blades, replacement chains for chainsaws, extra/replacement batteries, snow plows and attachment-type snow blowers, and multi-tool attachments)
Demand is also presented by power source (engine-driven, cordless electric, and battery-powered equipment) and by market (consumer, commercial).
Since the vast majority of engines for power lawn and garden equipment are used in OEM capacities, engines are excluded from the scope of this study, except insofar as they contribute to the value of the equipment that they power.
Also excluded are non-powered equipment, lawn and garden consumables, and agricultural equipment.
Historical data for 2010, 2015, and 2020 and forecasts for 2025 and 2030 for manufacturers’ shipments, demand, imports, and exports are provided in current dollar terms (which are not adjusted for inflation). Demand totals at the country level are also presented in local currency terms. Major power sources and markets are also analyzed.
VIDEO
Global demand for power lawn and garden equipment is forecast to increase 2.4% per year to $28.2 billion in 2025. Sales will be boosted by a strengthening economic environment in North America and Western Europe, which represent the dominant markets for these products. However, demand in 2020 was elevated in the short term by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts by both power lawn and garden equipment suppliers and participants in associated industries will be required in order to sustain these gains.
Consumer Lawn & Garden Markets Boomed During Social Distancing
Consumer sales of power lawn and garden equipment rose by more than 10% in 2020, spurred by behavioral changes under government-imposed lockdowns and social distancing. Individuals spent more time at home and significantly increased their participation in DIY home improvement activities, including lawn and garden maintenance. Growth was particularly strong in the US, Australia, and similar markets with many DIYers.
Going forward, a stronger consumer spending environment offers opportunities for further gains. However, it is likely that participation in DIY lawn care activities will regress toward pre-2020 levels as the impact of the pandemic fades, and industry outreach will be required to sustain consumer interest in these products.
Pandemic Impact Offers Opportunity for Golf Turnaround
Like consumer gardening, participation in golf boomed during the pandemic, as the sport represented a leisure activity compatible with social distancing efforts. Measured in rounds played, golf activity spiked in both the US (the world’s largest golf market) and Western Europe. However, the impact on industry revenue was tempered by other changes required by the pandemic, including the closure of clubhouses and pro shops. As a result, opportunities for power lawn and garden equipment sales were dampened, and the number of active golf courses fell in 2020, continuing the long-term trend.
Through 2025, the number of golf courses active worldwide is expected to increase slightly, although course closures in the US are expected to continue. However, there is potential for a more significant reversal of long-term declines if the industry can succeed in retaining golfers who increased their participation in 2020.
Landscapers Must Innovate Service Offerings to Achieve Recovery
The commercial market for power lawn and garden equipment underperformed in 2020, as growing consumer participation in DIY lawn care came at the expense of spending on residential landscaping services. Sales performance is expected to improve through 2025 as the effects of social distancing fade, but there is some risk that the popularity of DIY lawn care may remain elevated over a longer term.
Demand for landscaping services may be further eroded by the rising popularity of robotic mowers, which are already common in Western Europe and are increasingly being introduced in the US. Most of these products have been reliant on the installation of boundary wires, which restrict use of a robotic mower to a single location. However, the advent of satellite-based and other wireless guidance technologies may offer opportunities for landscapers to begin incorporating robotic mowers into their service offerings.