An outdoor patio heater, also known as a mushroom heater or umbrella heater, is a radiant heating device that is used to generate heat radiation for outdoor use. It works by burning liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane or butane through a burner mounted on top of a light pole and directing the flame towards the perforated metal mesh, from which heat radiates in a circular pattern around the device.
In recent years, outdoor patio heaters have become popular in bars and restaurants because they allow customers to stay longer.
There are two types of outdoor patio heaters: gas and electric heaters, but there are also a few other types of products (such as oil). Electric heaters are easy to turn on and off, easy to operate, and generally reach the desired temperature very quickly, making them suitable for partially enclosed indoor and outdoor spaces. However, electric heaters are usually less effective in heating and are therefore only suitable for a small number of people and a small number of occasions. Gas heaters usually use butane or propane as fuel, and as more and more homes are installed with natural gas pipes, the application of this type of heater is gradually increasing, and it can be used in gardens, patios, etc., at a lower cost than electric heaters. In addition, because the gas heater has a liquefied gas cylinder placed in the machine, which can be moved to the desired place at will, which is more convenient and flexible, it is the most widely used one of several types of products. In 2020, gas-fired outdoor patio heaters accounted for 65.12% of the market, and electric heaters accounted for 23.85% of the market share.
Analysis of the market status and prospect of the outdoor patio heater industry in the United States
After a period of development, the industry has entered a mature stage. According to our research, the market value of the outdoor patio heater industry in the United States was $288.98 million in 2015, and the industry developed rapidly from 2015 to 2019. In 2019, the industry market value grew to $389.00 million. However, in 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, the overall development level of the industry has declined, and the market value has decreased to 367.17 million US dollars, a decrease of 5.61% compared with 2019. Based on this, we have conducted a series of functional calculations and deduced the data for the next 7 years with scientific models, and finally predicted that the total market value of the outdoor patio heater industry in the United States will reach $600.79 million by 2027, and the compound annual growth rate is forecast to be 5.78% between 2021 and 2027.
The concentration of the outdoor patio heater industry in the United States is not high, and the distribution is relatively even. The top three companies are IR Energy Inc, Napoleon Grills, and Infratech, which in 2020 had market shares of 6.40%, 5.75%, and 5.53%, respectively.
The Northeast region of the United States is the largest revenue market for the industry, accounting for 37.01% of the market share with a market value of $135.89 million in 2020, while the Midwest region ranks second with a market value of 101.37 million and a market share of 27.61%. In addition, the data shows that although the northeast region is the largest revenue market, its market share is declining year by year, and is expected to decline to 36.87% by 2027, on the contrary, although the western region is currently ranked third, its market share is rising, from 20.05 in 2015 to 20.36% in 2020, and is expected to rise to 20.47% by 2027. The western United States is a densely populated region with a high GDP per capita and thriving businesses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, per capita personal consumption expenditures in Washington and California reached $465.74 million and $469.81 million, respectively, in 2018, which is close to a high level. Therefore, the western region of the United States is expected to become the fastest growing region of the industry in the future, and the development prospects are considerable.
The impact of the pandemic on the outdoor patio heater industry in the United States
After the outbreak of the epidemic, the U.S. government ordered residents to reduce going out and gathering, which greatly affected the development of the restaurant industry. Many bars and restaurants have suspended their operations, and these places happen to be the main application areas for outdoor patio heaters, so the demand for commercial outdoor heaters has dropped sharply in a short period of time. On the other hand, however, people have been moving out less, which has led to a significant increase in activities and gatherings at home, with many residents moving their gatherings to their gardens or terraces. And when the epidemic was more serious, the United States happened to be in winter, and the weather was cold. In order to increase the fun and comfort of outdoor activities in the family, residents have higher requirements for their environment, and many families are gradually choosing to use outdoor patio heaters for heating, so the demand for outdoor patio heaters is increasing, which has also promoted the development of the industry to a certain extent. Therefore, in 2020, the market share of residential outdoor heaters increased compared with 2019.
In addition, the Service Safety Team of the American Restaurant Association issued guidance to help the restaurant industry reopen when the pandemic improves. However, due to the high contagion rate of the novel coronavirus disease and the possibility of another outbreak at any time, people should not be too concentrated in closed spaces such as bars or restaurants, in which case open-air dining bars and outdoor tables are becoming more and more common. Many bars or restaurants will spread their customers out into outdoor courtyards, which requires them to have an outdoor environment. Outdoor patio heaters are essential when the weather is colder, and as a result, the demand for outdoor heaters increases significantly for a specific period of time. Therefore, on the whole, affected by the epidemic, the demand for outdoor heaters in the United States has declined in a short period of time, but with the improvement of the epidemic, the market demand will rebound to a certain extent.