Nov. Washer, Fridge Sales Rise: NPD

By Alan Wolf On Jan 11 2012 - 1:43am

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Retail sales of four-door refrigerators and high-efficiency top-load washers rose substantially in November, The NPD Group reported, buoyed by Black Friday promotions and the entry of new brands.

Stainless-steel four-doors, which have previously struggled to find sustained growth, posted a 140 percent increase in dollar volume year over year, while average selling prices (ASPs) rose 6 percent, the market research group said.

Conversely, dollar sales of stainless three-door French doors declined 6 percent, as many consumers opted for the four-door option.

Meanwhile, substantial promotional support from vendors helped push November sales of high-efficiency top-load washers up more 13 percent in dollars. Demand for the configuration has been growing in recent months despite a 9 percent increase in ASPs due to its “attractive balance” of energy savings, large capacity and traditional top-load design, NPD said.

In contrast, front-load washers saw a double-digit decline in dollar volume in November, despite — or perhaps because of — a slight increase in prices.