Grilling season won’t have quite as much sizzle this year.
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, sales of outdoor grills have fallen in 2022 as Americans divert spending elsewhere, or look to save.
- Grill masters Weber and Traeger reported first-quarter sales declines of 7% and 5%, respectively.
- “Since the beginning of March, the industry has seen a significant drop-off in year-over-year point-of-sale data with sharply reduced shopper traffic, both in retail stores and online,.
The trend is another sign that consumer spending is shifting, as the economy rebalances after a heavy pandemic tilt toward durable goods.
After a couple of years of cooking their own food more often than usual, many Americans are ready to have someone else do the cooking for them.
- A return to travel for many families is among the key reasons for the decline in grill sales.
- Right now, we are seeing a lot of pent-up demand for going out in travel and services.
A general slowdown in spending is also at play.