Dec. Majap Shipments Declined 12%

By Alan Wolf On Feb 9 2009 - 8:00am

Factory shipments of major appliances fell 11.7 percent in December, with almost all categories of white goods experiencing double-digit declines.

Total shipments for 2008 fell 8.9 percent year over year to 68.2 million units.

The good news, according to the latest data compiled by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), is that December shipments increased 17.5 percent over the previous month.

Among the core product categories, refrigeration took the biggest hit in December, down 19.4 percent to some 718,500 units. In contrast, total shipments of freestanding freezers remained essentially flat, and chest-type units actually rose 1.5 percent, as consumers continued to seek out the boxes for thrifty bulk-food purchases.

The overall food-preservation category was down 7.9 percent for the year.

Also taking it on the chin was the cooking category, down 19 percent in total. Gas-fueled cooktops took the biggest beating, down 28.3 percent year over year, while gas ranges got off relatively lightly with an 11.8 percent drop. Microwave ovens fared best, down only 3.8 percent to 994,000 units shipped.

Total cooking shipments were down 8.9 percent for the year.

Laundry, another core category for majap dealers, slipped nearly 11 percent, to 1.4 million washers and dryers. Shipments were down 10.3 percent for the former and 11.7 percent for the latter, with electric dryers taking the biggest hit with a 12.5 percent decline.

Total laundry shipments were down 6.8 percent for the year.

The kitchen clean-up category declined 15.4 percent in December, dragged down by a 34.5 percent drop off in compactor shipments, compared with a 14 percent decrease in dishwashers. Total category sales fell 14 percent for the year.

The best numbers came out of the home-comfort category, where a 79.3 percent surge in room air shipments offset a 65.7 percent decline dehumidifiers, for a net gain of 13.9 percent. Nevertheless, home-comfort shipments were down 7.2 percent for the year.

The AHAM 6, an amalgam of the core washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, range and oven sub-classifications that provides a representative industry snapshot, was down 13.8 percent in December and 9.7 percent for all of 2008.