Hand tools, by the numbers

Channel analysis

Hand tools, that great infantry of home improvement products, are fighting back. According to consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group, year-over-year change in the dollar volume of hand tools rose 9.3% to $1.33 billion.

Demographic analysis

Based on NPD Group’s data, consumers age 65 and older continue to increase their share of hand tool sales.

Purchase motivators

Price and convenience are on the minds of consumers when determining where to shop for hand tools. Once inside the store, brand played a larger role in motivating the purchase of a specific item.

Product attributes

Across the product types, shifts in buying habits have been minimal in the 12 months ended January 2012, compared with the previous year. Of the categories below, wrenches show the steadiest growth.

NPD data are based on monthly tracking of more than 30 home improvement-related categories and 30,000 opt-in consumers.

*2012 data reflect the period February 2011 through January 2012.

**Key: WHC: warehouse home center; MM: mass merchant; DS: department store; SS: specialty store; HS: hardware store

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