Washing machines remain one of the most consistent performing markets within the home appliance sector with value sales increasing two percent for the past twelve months (May13-Apr14), says Daniel Fearnley, UK Lead, Home & Living at GfK. Total value sales are edging up towards £950million as the movement towards bigger capacity products continues to drive growth.
Washers with a capacity of 7kg are now the most significant segment with value sales accounting for a third of the total market. The greatest uplift however is coming from the 8kg+ sector which enjoyed growth of nearly 30% over this period.
The extra capacity has helped consumers reduce the number of washes per week thus lowering both the time spent on household chores and the cost of their energy bills.
For washer dryers the larger drum sizes have enabled both the washing and drying functions to be more economical and efficient. Value sales have increased 4% on the year as a result and they now account for 14% of total sales.
With house prices on the rise and property sizes dwindling, these 2-in-1 products such as washer dryers reduce the need for an extra appliance, thus becoming a valuable space saving option.