Unit factory shipments of major appliances rose 13 percent in November as retailers stocked up on refrigerators, ranges and laundry pairs in advance of Black Friday.
According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), which compiles the monthly data, some 5.6 million appliances made their way to retailers and home builders in what was the biggest percentage surge of the year.
The double-digit increase also handily outpaced the 4.9 percent uptick in November 2015.
Leading the charge was the home comfort category (ACs and dehumidifiers), up more than 337 percent in unit volume year over year.
Washers also had a good month, up nearly 29 percent to over 862,000 units.
Other big November winners included gas cooktops (up 14.4 percent) and built-in dishwashers (up 13 percent).
The gains more than offset steep declines in portable dishwashers (down 36 percent) and chest-style freezers (down 19.6 percent after climbing 35 percent last year).
The core categories of washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and ovens — together dubbed the AHAM 6 — enjoyed a hefty cumulative increase of 14.7 percent year over year.
But despite the pre-Black Friday surge, increases in total shipments year-to-date still fell shy of 3 percent through November.
