Description
This report provides comprehensive and current information and analysis of the outdoor cooking market including outdoor cooking market size, anticipated market forecast, relevant market segmentation, and industry trends for the outdoor cooking market in the US.
Current market landscape
Outdoor cooking equipment sales skyrocketed in 2020 and 2021, as the pandemic propelled many to increase at-home cooking, invest in outdoor spaces and try new foods. Interest in sharing company and eating outdoors remains high, especially with younger consumers and families. However, as the effects of the pandemic have attenuated, high penetration, long replacement cycles, supply chain issues and inflationary pressures have dampened growth.
Market share and key industry trends in the US grills cooking market
- Ownership rises from 2020-22, with specialty products driving growth. Driven by high demand during the pandemic, trended data shows ownership growing in almost all categories of grills from 2020 to 2022. Specialty products were especially sought after, as consumers explored more diverse recipes and cooking methods. These offer the best opportunities for continued growth. However, as replacement drives most purchases, long replacement cycles pose challenges.
- Consumers 18-34 and parents show high engagement, warrant focus. Intent to purchase peaks among consumers 18-34 who comprise a key demographic, actively acquiring products for the first time. They are also less likely to be motivated just by replacement, but driven by sales/ promotions, treating self, upgrades and renovations. Parents of kids under 18, who tend to be younger, with larger households and dynamic active lifestyles, are also more engaged with wide-ranging purchase drivers. Both groups should be targeted by suppliers in product design and promotion.
Future market trends in outdoor cooking
Opportunities lie in showcasing the relative affordability of at-home cooking, while also continuing to showcase the experiential and adventurous aspects of outdoor cooking. Innovations in cooking methods and tech tools as well as appealing to healthy eating and sustainability may help drive long-term sales to key demographic groups, including 18-34 year olds and families.
Read on to discover more about the outdoor cooking consumer market, read our US Cooking in America Market Report 2022, or take a look at our other Cooking and Cookware research reports.
Quickly understand the outdoor cooking equipment market
- Major drivers and trends in the grills cooking market.
- How the outdoor cooking equipment market has responded to, and been shaped by, COVID-19 and is responding to current challenges in the macro-economic landscape, especially high inflation driving rising material, fuel and food costs.
- Outdoor cooking equipment trends in products, smart/wireless technology, design and marketing strategies.
- Consumer behaviors, attitudes and perceptions in relationship to outdoor cooking and outdoor cooking equipment shopping and usage, as well as innovations in flavors, smart technology and design.
Covered in this outdoor cooking market report
Brands include: Masterbuilt Holdings, Kamado Joe, Middleby, Char-Griller, Lynx, Viking, Josper, EVO, June Life, Weber, Nexgrill, Traeger, MEATER, Timberline, The Memphis Grill, Ikamand, Joe Jr, Charbroil Edge, Napoleon, Smokey John’s, Masterbuilt, Kingsford Charcoal, Home Depot.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
This report, written by Jennifer White Boehm, a leading analyst in the Cooking and Cookware sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis on the Outdoor Cooking products market to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
Outdoor cooking experienced a boom during the pandemic, creating opportunities to capitalize on shifts in behavior by engaging consumers with recipes, demonstrations, celebrity chefs and influencers. Challenges, however, lie in rising costs, which will demand suppliers showcase high value and affordability of both equipment and at-home cooking. Looking forward, opportunities also lie in engaging consumers with both tech tools and experiences, and showcasing outdoor cooking in relationship to healthy living trends.
Jennifer White Boehm
Director, BPCH Reports
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- Market context
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Executive Summary
- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Post booming sales in shutdown, growth slows to a crawl in 2022
- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of the outdoor cooking market, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 2: Total US sales and forecast of barbecue grills, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 3: Category outlook, 2022-27
- Opportunities and challenges
- Challenge: post ownership boom in 2021, slowdown seen in 2022
- Figure 4: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership trended, 2020-22
- Challenge: Replacement is key driver, though less so for 18-34 year olds and parents
- Figure 5: Select outdoor cooking equipment purchase motivators, by gender and age, 2022
- Opportunity: Recipes and skill building are important tools for engaging consumers
- Figure 6: Increasing outdoor cooking enjoyment, 2022
- Opportunity: Affordability, experimentation and flavor can buoy usage
- Figure 7: Outdoor cooking attitudes and behaviors, 2022
- Opportunity: Interest in smart/wireless grills high among key demographics
- Figure 8: Attitudes toward outdoor cooking technology, by age and gender, 2022
- Key consumer insights
- Ownership rises from 2020-22, with specialty products driving growth
- Consumers 18-34 and parents show high engagement, with more diverse drivers
- In-store shopping remains relevant, though younger shoppers tend to go online
- High interest in recipes, skill building and sharing experiences
- Consumers have been cooking more outside, value affordability and flavor
- Enthusiastic attitudes toward smart/wireless technology bode well for category
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Market Size and Forecast
- After booming sales in 2020-21, growth slows in 2022
- Figure 9: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of the outdoor cooking market, at current prices, 2017-27
- Figure 10: Total US sales and forecast of barbecue grills, at current prices, 2017-27
- After booming sales in 2020-21, growth slows in 2022
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Market Factors
- In June 2022, over a third still worried about COVID-19 exposure
- Figure 11: COVID-19 exposure concern, March 2020-June 2022
- At-home eating spurs demand for outdoor cooking equipment
- Figure 12: Monthly sales of food at home (FAH) and food away from home (FAFH), Millions of dollars, January 2019-April 2022
- Consumers tighten budgets as inflation rises and DPI shrinks
- Figure 13: Financial health, June-July 2020 and June-July 2021 and June 2022
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- Figure 14: Consumer Price Index, change from the previous period, 2007-22
- Figure 15: Disposable personal income, percent change from previous period, 2007-22
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- Figure 16: US Consumer Confidence, January 2019–January 2021
- Meat, though king, faces concerns related to price, health, sustainability
- In June 2022, over a third still worried about COVID-19 exposure
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Key Players
- Middleby buys Masterbuilt and Char-Griller, emerges as major player
- After stellar sales in 2020-21, Weber reports challenges in 2022
- Traeger also sees 2022 sales fall in challenging environment
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Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities
- Technology as integral to retail, functionality and design
- Online tools for shopping, skill-building, tips, recipes and maintenance
- Smart grills allow for greater ease, precision and effectiveness
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- Figure 17: Nexgrill “A new evolution in grilling,” Neevo smart grill, 2022
- Figure 18: iKamand device and app to monitor cooking, 2022
- Functional and aesthetic designs can differentiate products, engage diverse consumers
- Figure 19: Weber traveler grill with folding stand and wheels, 2022
- Figure 20: Joe, jr. portable kamado grill, 2022
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- Figure 21: Charbroil Edge electric grill, 2022
- Activate Identity driver by showcasing family, friends and community
- Figure 22: Napoleon, family cooking for Easter, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 23: Weber grills, “making memories,” 2022
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- Figure 24: Charbroil, sit-down lunch with friends in patio space, 2022
- Figure 25: Traeger Grills, on-the-go outdoor BBQ with friends, 2022
- Figure 26: Weber grills, winter grilling in the snow, 2022
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- Figure 27: Weber, Smokey John’s restaurant, 2022
- Figure 28: Masterbuilt, recipes and celebrity chefs, 2022
- Engage Experience driver via recipes, on-the-road grills, skill building
- Figure 29: Traeger grills, burgers and steaks, 2022
- Figure 30: Nexgrill recipes, pizza, mexican and grilled veggies, 2022
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- Figure 31: Charbroil, compact grills showcase outdoors, 2022
- Figure 32: Masterbuilt, smoke session demonstration, 2022
- Healthy, affordable eating and sustainability will shape consumer priorities
- Figure 33: Napoleon grills, sustainability promise, 2022
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The Outdoor Cooking Consumer – Fast Facts
- Ownership rises from 2020-22, with specialty products driving growth
- Consumers 18-34 and parents show high engagement, warrant focus
- In-store shopping important, but 18-34 year olds go online and welcome VR
- High interest in recipes, skill building and sharing experiences
- Positive attitudes offer inroads for ongoing promotions
- A quarter are interested in smart/wireless cooking technology
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Outdoor Cooking Equipment Ownership and Intent to Purchase
- Overall ownership higher in 2022 than in 2020, but replacement now a challenge
- Figure 34: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership trended, 2020-22
- Almost half intend to purchase some kind of product in the year ahead
- Figure 35: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership and intent to purchase
- Ownership is high among 18-54 year olds
- Figure 36: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership, by gender and age
- Intent to purchase peaks among men 18-34, key to market growth
- Figure 37: Traeger grills, celebrity chef, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 38: Outdoor cooking equipment intent to purchase, by gender and age
- Affluent households central to gas grills and more specialized products
- Figure 39: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership, by household income
- Both ownership and intent to purchase are high among parents
- Figure 40: Weber, Father’s Day post, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 41: nexgrill, Mother’s day recipe, Instagram post,2022
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- Figure 42: Traeger grills, Mom at the grill on the go, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 43: Outdoor cooking equipment ownership, by parental status
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- Figure 44: Outdoor cooking equipment intent to purchase, by parental status
- Overall ownership higher in 2022 than in 2020, but replacement now a challenge
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Outdoor Cooking Equipment Purchase Drivers
- Replacement is top driver, with continuity in purchase drivers from 2021-22
- Figure 45: Nexgrill, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 46: Outdoor cooking equipment purchase drivers trended, 2021-22
- 18-34 year olds are vital base, seeking new, larger and diverse products
- Figure 47: Napoleon, Instagram post on March matchup, 2022
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- Figure 48: Traeger Grills with celebrity chef Amanda Haas, Instagram post, 2021
- Figure 49: Select outdoor cooking equipment purchase motivators, by gender and age, 2022
- Affluent consumers more likely to upgrade, invest during renovation
- Figure 50: Select outdoor cooking equipment purchase motivators, by household income, 2022
- Purchase motivators show parents to be highly engaged, eager to upgrade
- Figure 51: Kamado Joe, Father’s Day post, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 52: Select outdoor cooking equipment purchase motivators, by parental status, 2022
- Replacement is top driver, with continuity in purchase drivers from 2021-22
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Outdoor Cooking Equipment Purchase Process
- In-store shopping remains popular with many
- Figure 53: Outdoor cooking equipment purchase process, 2022
- Age shapes openness to online shopping, secondhand grills and VR tools
- Figure 54: Outdoor cooking equipment purchase process, by gender and age, 2022
- Parents value online shopping, digital tools and second-hand grills
- Figure 55: Outdoor cooking equipment purchase process, by parental status, 2022
- In-store shopping remains popular with many
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Increasing Outdoor Cooking Enjoyment
- Appealing, diverse recipes offer a vital tool for engaging consumers
- Figure 56: Weber grill, recipes and demos on instagram and youtube, 2022
- Figure 57: Nexgrill, recipes on instagram, 2022
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- Figure 58: Napoleon products, dessert recipes with Randy and Katherine, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 59: Increasing outdoor cooking enjoyment, 2022
- Women interested in recipes and sharing with friends, men in new fuels
- Figure 60: Charbroil Grills, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 61: Nexgrill, pellet grill flavor, Instagram post, 2022
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- Figure 62: Masterbuilt and Kingsford, smoke sessions, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 63: Increasing outdoor cooking enjoyment, by age and gender, 2022
- Parents stand out with high interest in shows, experts, lessons and fuels
- Figure 64: Traeger, fathers day promotion with flavored pellets, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 65: Increasing outdoor cooking enjoyment, by parental status, 2022
- Appealing, diverse recipes offer a vital tool for engaging consumers
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Outdoor Cooking Attitudes and Behaviors
- Affordability, experimentation and a focus on the home support usage
- Figure 66: Charbroil, Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 67: Outdoor cooking attitudes and behaviors, 2022
- Age and gender shape value placed on affordability, design and flavor
- Figure 68: Outdoor cooking attitudes and behaviors, 2022
- Families have embraced more outdoor living in the context of the pandemic
- Figure 69: Outdoor cooking attitudes and behaviors, by parental status, 2022
- Affordability, experimentation and a focus on the home support usage
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Attitudes toward Outdoor Cooking Technology
- A quarter show enthusiastic attitudes toward cooking technology
- Figure 70: Attitudes toward outdoor cooking technology, 2022
- Males 18-34 stand out as enthusiasts for new technology
- Figure 71: Attitudes toward outdoor cooking technology, by age and gender, 2022
- Urban dwellers show high interest in tech features
- Figure 72: Attitudes toward outdoor cooking technology, by location, 2022
- Parents prize high-tech features in outdoor cooking equipment
- Figure 73: Attitudes toward outdoor cooking technology, by parental status, 2022
- A quarter show enthusiastic attitudes toward cooking technology
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 74: Total US sales and forecast of barbecue grills, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2017-27
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