How Consumer Durables Work: Examples of Durable Goods
Durable goods are products consumers buy with the expectation that they’ll last a long time. They can include everything from cars to appliances to books.
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 goodspurchases 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.
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.”