Greener lawns coming from ‘green’ products
LAS VEGAS —Sales of energy efficient and eco-friendly products should lead home improvement retailers out of the doldrums this year toward a recovery in early 2009. Or at least that was the scenario laid out this month at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
More than 3,500 exhibitors filled the Las Vegas Convention Center May 6 to 8 showcasing everything from organic bug traps to $10,000 home generators. Mark Delaney, an analyst with The NPD Group, said he didn’t see any real stand-out products, but saw new additions to existing lines that bode well for sales this summer and fall.
“There were a lot of good new products in lawn and garden and that’s going to be strong category this year, since most of the products are affordable,” said Delaney. “I saw a lot of new manufacturers with organic lawn and garden products and there was new landscape lighting that actually threw off real white light.”
A good example of the latter is solar-powered lights from Westinghouse that feature new amorphous solar panels. Tom Kaufman, a senior electrical engineer with the International Development Corp., said nearly all Westinghouse’s outdoor lighting is now solar-powered and that amorphous panels make them stronger and more energy-efficient. The panels absorb sunlight more readily—even on cloudy days—and supply power more efficiently, delivering brighter lights using less energy. “And they come with Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries that contain no toxic materials,” said Kaufman.
More green products will be arriving at retail this summer and fall, and many will be in unlikely categories. Paint supplier Kilz has a new line of Kilz Premium paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic chemicals that are released when paint dries. The new line follows a trail blazed by suppliers like Benjamin Moore and its Aura label of low-VOC indoor paints.
Canadian supplier Jig-A-World is preparing to roll out a new version of its popular lubricant this fall that contains no harmful chemicals. “It’s called Eco-Lubricant by Jig-A-Loo and it will feature green packaging to target the green consumer,” said vp of marketing Patrick LeFleur.
And more companies are introducing new lines of organic fertilizer and feed, or expanding on existing brands. Kellogg Garden Products is coming out with a new line of organic fertilizer this fall specially designed for different plants, including one for roses and another for tomatoes and other vegetables.
And Scotts Miracle-Gro recently introduced its Scotts’ Turf Builder Water Smart formula that takes an eco-friendly approach by growing lawns that require less water than conventional ones by discouraging the growth of weeds.
While opinions vary on when the slump will end—with timelines ranging from the fall of this year to late 2009—the consensus appears to be somewhere in the middle.“Just about everyone I talk to feels we’re either at or near the bottom and that things are going to take off again in early 2009,” said Delaney.