D&AS SURVEY SAYS: Garage Door Industry Sales Slide in 2008, California and Florida Hardest Hit
© 2009 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Spring 2009
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Pages 42-43
D&AS SURVEY SAYS
Garage Door Industry Sales Slide in 2008
California and Florida Hardest Hit
By Tom Wadsworth, Editor
In North America, the commercial and residential garage door business continues to slow down.
• Residential business is taking the biggest hit.
• Door dealers in Western states are feeling the worst of the recession.
• Nearly every California dealer’s sales are down.
These are among the findings of a new exclusive survey by Door & Access Systems magazine. The study, conducted online from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1, 2009, collected input from 181 door dealers in 43 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Door & Access Systems conducted a similar study a year earlier.
Residential: Suffering
In the 2008 study, 59 percent of dealers said their 2007 residential sales had dropped below 2006 levels. In the 2009 study, 70 percent of dealers said their 2008 residential sales had dropped in comparison with 2007.
California door dealers are feeling the worst effects of the housing crisis; 96 percent of responding California dealers reported a decrease in residential sales in 2008. The entire West is similarly affected. Of dealers in all Western states, 91 percent reported a decline in residential sales.
Florida door dealers, long known for a focus on residential business, are also experiencing a serious downturn in residential sales. Of all Florida dealers, 92 percent reported a decline in residential sales.
Of the four U.S. regions, the Midwest is faring the best. Still, 66 percent of Midwest dealers reported a decline in residential sales in 2008.
Canadian dealers appear to have sidestepped the recession. Only 23 percent of all Canadian door dealers said their 2008 residential sales decreased.
Commercial: Slipping
In the 2008 survey, only 40 percent of door dealers reported a decline in commercial sales. Things turned worse in 2009 as 48 percent of all dealers reported a decline.
Door dealers in the West and Southeast reported the least improvement in commercial sales. These two regions had 67 percent of dealers reporting that commercial sales had declined. Florida (77 percent) and California (75 percent) again led all states with the greatest decline.
Canada again had the best news, with only 15 percent of dealers reporting a decline in commercial sales. The U.S. Northeast and Midwest were the brightest spots in America, with 48 percent and 47 percent reporting a decrease.
Overall Sales: Slumping
Our survey also asked dealers to report whether overall business is up or down and by how much. In last year’s study, the number of dealers reporting an overall decline was essentially equal to those reporting an increase. However, in 2009, more dealers were decidedly in the decline column.
One quarter (23 percent) of all dealers experienced an overall sales decline of 20 percent or more in 2008. Since most dealers raised their prices in 2008, this statistic is more depressing.
Again, dealers in Western states led all declining dealers. Of all dealers that had overall sales declining 30 percent or more, 59 percent were from the Western states of Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.
To comment on this story, send an e-mail to the editor at trw@tomwadsworth.com.
CHARTS
Comparing your residential sales for (last year) with (this year), have your residential sales improved?
Comparing your commercial sales for (last year) with (this year), have your commercial sales improved?
Comparing your total sales for (last year) with (this year), are your total sales revenues up or down?
Survey details: Our 2007 online survey was conducted from Jan. 22 to Feb. 2, 2008. The survey was sent to 790 garage door dealers throughout the United States and Canada, and 191 responded (24 percent). Our 2008 survey gathered responses from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1, 2009. We invited 722 garage door dealers to participate; 181 responded (25 percent).