Consumers spent no less than 28.7 billion euros last year on home equipment according to GfK’s balance sheet, an annual increase of 4%.
Locked in their homes for several months, morale in the socks, the French spent lavishly to equip themselves for teleworking and improve their domestic comfort last year. Thus, according to GfK’s annual report, spending on household equipment goods increased by 4% in 2020 to 28.7 billion euros.
“The Home Equipment universe shows a positive 2020 balance sheet, foiling the forecasts envisaged for the first half of 2020”, comments the research institute.
What were the most popular products? Sales of computer-office equipment posted + 18% in turnover to 6.1 billion euros, sales driven by needs related to teleworking but also to entertainment with a jump in sales of PCs dedicated to gaming.
3.6 million PCs sold, 2.6 million printers
Laptops thus posted 283 million euros in additional sales compared to 2019 with 3.6 million units sold. 2.6 million printers were sold for an additional turnover of 29%. And it’s +187 million euros for ink cartridges, +119 million for helmets.
The best dynamics go to accessories with a turnover up + 35% and 922 million euros earned, driven in particular by sales of screens (+ 60% growth) dedicated to work but also to games with doubled sales for screens 27 inches and larger, and those with high refresh rates.
GfK also notes the comeback of televisions. “Despite the serial cancellations of sporting events, natural promoters of the market, the French bought 5 million televisions in 2020 for a turnover of more than 2.3 billion euros, up + 16%”, underlines the cabinet.
Sales particularly skyrocketed after the first confinement in March, the French having spent a lot of time in front of their televisions have certainly been keen to renew possibly aging equipment.
Television’s comeback
Proof of this is that consumers have turned to premium products such as large screen sizes (+ 27% in turnover for the 55 ” and more offer) or models equipped with OLED-QLED technologies (+ 43% in turnover).
Then comes small household appliances (+ 11%) with +85 million euros in turnover over one year for food preparation robots or +68 million euros for coffee machines. Consumer electronics posted + 6% with in particular +95 million euros for tablets, which made it possible in particular to occupy children.
“The health and economic context has strongly influenced the purchasing behavior of the French. We logically find the expression of the Stay @ Home instruction in the product trends of home equipment”, explains Christophe Loyer, Retail Expertise Manager GfK Market Intelligence.
Web leap but still far from Germany or the United Kingdom
Unsurprisingly, with physical stores closed, online sales have skyrocketed since they represent no less than 30% of these expenses (+6 points in one year at 7 billion euros). “However, the practice remains moderate with regard to our European neighbors, in particular Germany and the United Kingdom”, comments Christophe Loyer.
Thus, e-commerce in Germany accounted for 42% of annual household equipment turnover (+ 10pts) and the United Kingdom reached an all-time high at 68% (+ 25pts).
However, the choice of online remains behind specialized supermarkets, preferred by 39% of French people and the physical channel continues to record two thirds of the turnover of the Home equipment sector in 2020.
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