Just “In” Do-it-yourself Tool Markets October 18, 2007

Posted by wenbi in : Tools , trackback

ttnet.net - [2007/02/01]

The popularity of DIY goes worldwide as we see more and more end-users love to do their own home improvement and renovations. Consumers regard it as an enjoyable pastime and encourage DIYers to brainstorm their own ideas out for themselves as industry people offer the user-friendly, self-explanatory and labor-saving products that make home-improvement easier, even enable a sense of achievement, purely done by own hands to save home repairing expense. Now, increasing female shoppers have joined the queues. By the a survey, while purchasing holiday gifts, 48% of U.S. women choose home improvement items, such as new flooring, appliances, window coverings and even tools, compared to 39% prefer apparel or other personal items, such as jewelry.In generally, the DIY market differentiates from the professional one, particularly as the former consumers tend to be sensible to price in purchasing decision. By this, DIYers are always searching for the tools, affordable yet practical to suit their needs. DIY tools, hand tools and power tools alike, are ergonomically designed with cushioned grip with asymmetric handle design and new, lightweight and durable materials, which enables end users to work more efficiently and safely for greater productivity, higher quality work, less fatigue, less wear-and-tear on joints and muscles and lessened danger of twisting or straining their wrist, arm or elbow. For strengthened safety, the tools with high-voltage insulation on the handles are required particularly to the electricians who need extra protection as working near live circuits. Multi-task tools provide stripping, cutting and crimping all with the same tool, incorporating an adjustable wrench with jaws that open like pliers; and pliers that can clamp work in place to serve as a third hand. Open-end wrenches come in integrated ring ratchet wrenches to be used in difficult to access places while traditional ratchets seem too large and somewhat cumbersome in use.Cordless power tools are lightweight, compact and easier to handle thanks to the use of small lithium ion rechargeable batteries, primarily used in mobile phones and digital cameras. Higher power output is significant. For instance, heavy hammer drills and chisel hammers with multistage overload clutches are designed with long-lasting power, friendly to user operation on hand. Now, laser technology for projecting precise cutting lines onto workpieces that often seen on professional-grade stationary panel saws and miter-cutting saws has turn to an indispensable feature of hand-operated saws for DIY lovers.

Market Snapshots

In TAIWAN, 90% of DIY hand tools are exported to overseas markets. According to the official statistics, the shipment of the general hand tools reaches to US$ 1.62 billion. The U.S. is the largest buyer, accounting for 36% of the total output. Taiwan¡¦s industrial players make effort on the R&D of new items and methods for RoHS Enforcement Guidance Document, hoping to conform to the ecological standards and regulations in Europe and other regions.

In CHINA, with the improving living standards, consumers have more pastimes to do house decoration and remolding. Currently, the Industry has fundamentally full-built as a complete production system from upstream to downstream. 78 % of the tool factories locate in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Tianjin. China’s cost advantage makes itself the world factory in tool sector, attracting myriad of world tool companies to set up manufacturing bases, especially from Taiwan. By statistics, Taiwan has more than 5,000 tool manufacturers and now one tenth of them have set up the factories in China.

In the U.S., the power tool market is expected to hit $10.5 billion in 2006, rising 23% since 2001 as the number of DIYers continues to grow. Although we saw a slowdown in housing sales, the rising demand for renovations contract the negative factor and DIY products celebrate the added sales correspondingly. Most of American regard garden as an oasis of peace and quiet and relaxation or a very personal place of withdrawal or refuge, more topical than ever before. The garden tools attract the eyes of house-owners who love getting close to soil and flowers. In America, the key consumers are mostly aged 45 to 65. The beginners contribute to the biggest market gains over the coming years.

Unlike US with rising female DIYers, DIY in the UK are basically a masculine activity. The participants include many more couples, single home occupiers and multi-generational households, either younger and older consumers. The DIY provides an economical way to do necessary repairs or of improving the value of the home. UK DIY & home improvement market is highly influenced by the overall health of domestic economy while the market is classified as discretionary spending with a small percentage of essential repair sales.

In FRANCE, in spite of the lack of physical strength and size and finding the work too tiring, 8 out of 10 women undertake DIY projects in the home. Women of less than 40 years’ of age are the most likely to undertake DIY, and not out of necessity, but for pleasure. For 82% of women, DIY is synonymous with the pleasure of dialogue within a relationship and not simply motivated by finances or a lack of workmen.