Robotic Mowers: Threat or Opportunity for Landscapers?

Cleveland OH, September 23, 2021 – A new Freedonia Group analysis finds that 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.

Global Commercial Market for Power Lawn & Garden Equipment to Reach $13 Billion in 2025

Global demand for power lawn and garden equipment in the commercial market is projected to increase 2.7% per year through 2025, slightly outpacing growth in the consumer market:

• North America and Western Europe are projected to account for the majority of sales gains through 2025, bolstered by their aging populations. Less able or willing to undertake DIY lawn care activities, older consumers tend to make greater use of commercial landscaping services.
• In lower-income countries, growth in the size of the middle- and upper-class populations will provide opportunities for commercial landscapers as economies develop. In such countries, interest in DIY lawn care tends to be low, and those who can afford maintained lawns prefer to employ commercial services.

Other factors promoting growth in lower-income regions include:

• growth in building construction
• rising standards of living
• solid increases in forestry operations
• continued advances in golf tourism

Want to Learn More?

Global Power Lawn & Garden Equipment is now available from the Freedonia Group.

This study examines the global market for power lawn and garden 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.

Demand by product is presented for:

• lawn mowers
• turf and grounds mowers
• chainsaws
• trimmers and edgers
• other equipment (e.g., blowers, vacuums, and sweepers; chipper/shredders; garden tractors; hedge trimmers; power tillers; and snow blowers)
• parts and attachments (e.g., mower blades, replacement chains for chainsaws, 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).