Watch
Aging population will result in more "do-it-for-me" in home improvement
Residential market for professional handymen and contractors will grow in the next years
Rotterdam, (PresseBox) -
The European Home Improvement Monitor studies the home improvement behaviour of consumers in ten European countries. The research is monitoring what type of home improvements were done, by who and which products have been used on a monthly base. In 2013 USP Marketing Consultancy conducted 12,000 interviews. Results have been split by various background characteristics of the European consumers. The hypothesis that the group of persons aged 65 and over, more often hire a professional to do their home improvement job can be considered valid based on this analyses. This fact will have its impact on the European home improvement market as a whole in the coming years.
More do-it-for-me, less do-it-yourself
The European population is aging. At this moment the group aged 65 and over consists of 17.5% of the total population in Europe. By 2020 this share will be larger than 20%. This share will continue to increase in the following decades. The figure below shows the percentage of home improvement jobs that are done by consumers themselves and the ones that are done by professionals (do-it-for-me). Among the age group 65 and over, the share of do-it-for-me is significantly larger. About 47% of all home improvement jobs in their house are done by a professional, while in the lower age categories this percentages is about 30%. Therefore it is logical to expect a growth in share of do-it-for-me in the coming years. Furthermore, it's logical that people who rent a house or have higher income more often let professionals to do the job for them.
Implications for DIY manufacturers and retailers
This increasing share of do-it-for-me means that the need for assistance via a handymen or contractors among consumers will grow. Manufacturers and retailers in the home improvement market should take this trend into account. Some of them are already doing this by offering a handyman that can install the product for the consumer. At the moment this is mainly offered by retailers or manufacturers for complicated products like ,for example roof windows or complete bathrooms. This seem to be a good way to suit the customers' needs. However, there are still opportunities to offer this service for the easier home improvement jobs as well. DIY-ers ,who have done paint jobs in and around their house themselves, could reach an age where to won't be able to climb a ladder anymore. They might still want to purchase the paint in the store where they have bought it in the past years, if this store can also offer a professional to do the paint job for them. Otherwise, these consumers might arrange a professional themselves, who will purchase the paint at a different channel. This could lead to a shift in the brands that are used for home improvement jobs. Therefore retailers and manufacturers should act now to facilitate future customers needs.
About the European Home Improvement Monitor
The European residential new build market currently has limited growth potential. Due to the economic recession the new build volumes have dropped dramatically. The renovation and refurbishment sector on the other hand has become relatively important and it is expected its importance will grow. There is a lot of information available about the DIY market and the renovation market in the professional segment. However, there's no source that provides insight in the size of the total home improvement market, so both jobs done by consumers and professionals, and the main trends in this market. The European Home Improvement Monitor is the first research that monitors the market size and main trends in the European home improvement market on a continuous basis.
Each month 2,000 successful interviews are conducted across Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In addition, the regions Scandinavia and Austria-Switzerland are also included in the research. This means that 24,000 interviews are conducted among European consumers on a yearly basis. The results from this research are reported on a quarterly basis and show the development of the market in terms of purchase volume and purchase channels. Furthermore, each quarter in-depth insight is given in topics which are actual in the market.
More do-it-for-me, less do-it-yourself
The European population is aging. At this moment the group aged 65 and over consists of 17.5% of the total population in Europe. By 2020 this share will be larger than 20%. This share will continue to increase in the following decades. The figure below shows the percentage of home improvement jobs that are done by consumers themselves and the ones that are done by professionals (do-it-for-me). Among the age group 65 and over, the share of do-it-for-me is significantly larger. About 47% of all home improvement jobs in their house are done by a professional, while in the lower age categories this percentages is about 30%. Therefore it is logical to expect a growth in share of do-it-for-me in the coming years. Furthermore, it's logical that people who rent a house or have higher income more often let professionals to do the job for them.
Implications for DIY manufacturers and retailers
This increasing share of do-it-for-me means that the need for assistance via a handymen or contractors among consumers will grow. Manufacturers and retailers in the home improvement market should take this trend into account. Some of them are already doing this by offering a handyman that can install the product for the consumer. At the moment this is mainly offered by retailers or manufacturers for complicated products like ,for example roof windows or complete bathrooms. This seem to be a good way to suit the customers' needs. However, there are still opportunities to offer this service for the easier home improvement jobs as well. DIY-ers ,who have done paint jobs in and around their house themselves, could reach an age where to won't be able to climb a ladder anymore. They might still want to purchase the paint in the store where they have bought it in the past years, if this store can also offer a professional to do the paint job for them. Otherwise, these consumers might arrange a professional themselves, who will purchase the paint at a different channel. This could lead to a shift in the brands that are used for home improvement jobs. Therefore retailers and manufacturers should act now to facilitate future customers needs.
About the European Home Improvement Monitor
The European residential new build market currently has limited growth potential. Due to the economic recession the new build volumes have dropped dramatically. The renovation and refurbishment sector on the other hand has become relatively important and it is expected its importance will grow. There is a lot of information available about the DIY market and the renovation market in the professional segment. However, there's no source that provides insight in the size of the total home improvement market, so both jobs done by consumers and professionals, and the main trends in this market. The European Home Improvement Monitor is the first research that monitors the market size and main trends in the European home improvement market on a continuous basis.
Each month 2,000 successful interviews are conducted across Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In addition, the regions Scandinavia and Austria-Switzerland are also included in the research. This means that 24,000 interviews are conducted among European consumers on a yearly basis. The results from this research are reported on a quarterly basis and show the development of the market in terms of purchase volume and purchase channels. Furthermore, each quarter in-depth insight is given in topics which are actual in the market.
