July Majap Shipments Sank 19%

By Alan Wolf On Sep 21 2009 - 6:00am

Factory shipments of major appliances in July fell 19.2 percent to 4.1 million units year over year and decreased 28 percent from June.

The data, compiled by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), also showed a 19.3 percent decline in year-to-date shipments through Aug. 1, to 36 million units.

Leading the downturn in July was the cooking category, which retreated 28.6 percent to 1.2 million units year over year. Microwave ovens were hardest hit, down 37.2 percent, followed by full-sized electric-heated ovens, which fell 27.2 percent.

Also taking it on the chin was the seasonal home-comfort category. Cold, wet weather across key room air markets during much of the summer stymied sales, leading to a 17.5 percent drop in AC shipments in July, while wholesale sales of dehumidifiers fell 15.6 percent.

Food preservation, another category that traditionally enjoys increased demand during the summer months, fell 15.4 percent, with refrigerator shipments down 16 percent to about 722,500 units and shipments of freezers off by 12.7 percent.

Elsewhere, the key home-laundry category fell 14.6 percent, led by a 16.5 percent decline in electric-heated dryers, while the core washer category fell 14.7 percent to about 531,900 units.

In kitchen clean-up, factory shipments of dishwashers declined 15.7 percent, dragged down by a 43.4 percent drop in portable models, while trash compactor shipments sank nearly 39 percent.

The AHAM 6, a composite group comprised of the core washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, range and oven categories, fell 14.6 percent in July and was down nearly 15 percent year to date.

Each of the product categories tracked by AHAM showed declines in July, as the housing market malaise continued unabated, depressing builder-channel demand. And while dealers and buying groups reported steady replacement sales at retail, consumers who may have opted for premium products in past years are trading down to midpriced models amid the recession and mounting unemployment.

Industry Shipments of Major Appliances*
(In Thousands of Units)