What do a truck, a mirror, and a book have in common? They all belong to the consumer durable sector—a product category covering a vast range of items, from textiles to appliances. These longer-lasting products are crucial for sustainability, as they can help lower overall consumption. With durable goods, you can attract long-term customers looking for quality and reliability, which can result in increased customer loyalty and higher profit margins.
Here's more on the production of consumer durables and what your company can do to succeed in this sector.
What are consumer durables?
Consumer durables—also known as durable goods—are long-lasting products that aren't depleted during use. A durable good typically lasts for several years and often requires a significant investment, meaning you don't purchase it frequently. Many household goods are consumer durables. Examples include:
- Home appliances
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Sports equipment
- Vehicles
- Luggage
- Books
Durable goods can be soft goods or hard goods. Soft goods are flexible, pliable products like bedding and linens, while hard goods are solid and sturdy products like electronics and appliances.
Consumer nondurables vs. consumer durables
Consumer nondurables are immediately consumed and quickly wear down. They expire in less than three years, are frequent purchases, and are essential for daily living. Think of nondurable goods as the items that often appear on grocery lists. They include food, beverages, skin care products, cleaning supplies, and paper products.
In contrast, consumer durables last much longer than consumer nondurables and retain their value for long periods. Since consumer durables aren't successive purchases, shoppers typically spend more time researching them. They often view durables as an investment that's expected to last several years, considering factors like price, material, and performance. Meanwhile, they cycle through nondurable goods quickly, often with less forethought during purchase.
Durable goods and the economy
The US Bureau of Economic Analysis reports a steady growth in personal consumption expenditure on durable goods over the past 70 years. Economists assess the health of the economy by analyzing consumer spending patterns (i.e., what they buy or do not buy with their money). Increased spending on durable goods typically indicates the economy is doing well, while a decline in durable goods purchases often signals financial uncertainty.
When household earnings drop, people might postpone the purchase of a durable good, like a new car, if the current item still works. In comparison, they can't defer nondurable goods, like food and hygiene products, due to their necessity and short life cycle.
Examples of 5 consumer durables companies
Here are five consumer durables merchants that have thrived thanks to their dedicated founders and strategic online business moves:
1. WHITESPACE
In 2022, Olympic snowboarder and three-time gold medalist Shaun White created WHITESPACE, a direct-to-consumer brand offering premium snowboarding gear and outerwear. With his professional history, Shaun had firsthand experience that informed the quality and performance of WHITESPACE products. In an effort to scale the business, the active lifestyle brand relaunched on Shopify.
"You have some of the biggest brands in the world using the platform," Shaun shares. "We want to be competitive. We want to be in the same space as these others."
2. Hollis + Morris
Mischa Couvrette, founder of furniture and lighting company Hollis + Morris, drew inspiration for his business from his experience buying a sailboat with a group of friends. After dedicating a year to fixing up the boat, the group sailed from Toronto to Guatemala.
"It was this big project that made the even bigger project of starting a company feel that much easier," Mischa explains in a Shopify Masters podcast interview. Once he returned from his sailing trip, Mischa began working with interior designers.
Despite not having a formal education in design, Mischa launched Hollis + Morris and looked to local brands for guidance. While learning how to operate the business, Mischa realized the importance of marketing, product photography, and cataloging.
"Photographing and cataloging the pieces I was making was almost as important as making the piece itself," he shares. Given most customers don't interact with the pieces in person before making a purchase, high-quality photos are essential. Since furniture is a durable good, customers may need that extra push before they commit to buying.
3. Camillette
Jewelry brand Camillette began as a side hustle and soon flourished into a full-fledged business, allowing founder Camille Ouellette to leave behind a career in sustainability consulting. The company's growth is in part due to the talent Camille hired and the partnerships she established along the way.
By enlisting external talent for photography and other skill sets, Camillette reached a new level of professionalism. "I got some help to make the website fit with all the design branding of Camillette," Camille explains in her interview on the Shopify Masters podcast. "Since my business is half online, I always need to improve the website." This ensures customers are captivated right off the bat—and it provides the reassurance they're buying long-lasting products from a reliable source.
4. Snug
Snug offers modular sofas with a one-week delivery guarantee. When the company was just starting out, founder Rob Bridgman understood the inconvenience of delayed shipping estimates that often accompany online furniture purchases, and sought to change it himself. Snug began delivering orders within days, improving the shopping experience and trust among customers.
After adopting Shopify, the company experienced 10 times the revenue growth and a 25% increase in the average order's value. Rob also attributes the company's significant growth to social media marketing and PR. The company deployed tactics such as offering one-on-one video chats and hosting a 40-minute live game show via Instagram during which viewers could win sofas and other prizes. Since nondurable goods, like furniture, often require additional research on the part of the customer, talking to prospects directly can help them decide to purchase.
5. Jono Pandolfi Designs
Jono Pandolfi Designs, founded by brothers Jono and Nick Pandolfi, produces handmade ceramic dishware for personal kitchens and restaurants. Since 2017, the company has grown from six employees to a team of 25 and become a seven-figure business.
Jono Pandolfi Designs operates as a B2B and B2C company, serving both the hospitality and dinnerware industries. The company's strategy involves a direct-to-consumer model for B2C, selling products at a higher price to consumers, which allows it to sell at a lower price to its hospitality clients. By serving two different channels, the company safeguards itself somewhat against economic impacts that might affect one target audience but not the other.
Consumer durables FAQ
What are the four main types of consumer products?
The four main types of consumer products are convenience products, shopping products, specialty products, and unsought products.
What are examples of durable goods?
Examples of durable goods include home appliances, consumer electronics, motor vehicles, furniture pieces, sports equipment, and textiles—all items that last multiple years.
Why are consumer durable goods important?
Durable goods retain their value longer than nondurable goods and their sales support the economy. Their consumption also serves as a reliable indicator of the country's economic state.
