Consumers’ passion for grilling is boosting sales of grills and grilling tools all year round.
And that was is expected to continue in 2016, according to the latest State of the Barbecue Industry Report from the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, which was released in late 2015.
The report shows that even though half of grill owners already have basic grilling tools, many plan to step up to more specialized accessories this year, says Jack Goldman, HPBA president and CEO.
“We think this trend owes a lot to a relatively healthy economy as well as peoples’ continued passion for culinary adventure and bringing out the flavor of their food,” he says. “We think a number of items are drawing more people to year-round barbecuing.”
Goldman says consumers’ interest in cooking doesn’t stop when the seasons change.
“As individuals and families become more interested and passionate about taking the time to prepare well-thought out, exciting meals, they no longer see barbecuing as a special summer occasion, but rather another option for cooking,” he says.
It also helps that new technology lets a grill-happy consumer check the status of an outdoors meal, while watching the big game. “Some manufacturers have introduced grills and devices that let individuals monitor their meats and other grilled foods from indoors using their mobile phone,” Goldman says.
“Consumers can place a steak on the grill, shut the lid and then sit back on the couch while checking the temperature from their phone.”
And he adds, infrared grills prevent flare-ups and spread the heat evenly, so there is less need to hover over the flame.
“With these types of technologies, you no longer have to stand over the barbecue checking the food and or its internal temp in the middle of a cold, snowy January afternoon,” he says.
Grill owners plan to up their barbecuing proficiency with the purchase of a variety of specialized accessories. In addition, more than a third of consumers with outdoor kitchens plan to upgrade their space in the next three years, the survey found.
And shoppers in the market for grills and grilling tools are more likely buy those products in a store rather than online, with 83 percent of recent grill or smoker purchases made in store, compared to 11 percent made online.
“There is a lot of excitement for accessories,” Goldman says.
“Nearly half of all owners own the most basic grilling accessories, like a cleaning brush, tongs and gloves and mitts, so many plan to purchase more specialized accessories in the year ahead,” he adds. Goldman lists pizza stones, fish and broiling baskets, cooking planks, grill woks and motorized rotisseries as among the accessories to be purchased.
Men are still more likely to be involved in grilling, says Goldman, but only by a slight majority. “In the U.S., 53 percent of grillers are male,” he says. “The average age of all grillers is 48.”
