Page 12 - February 2022 Barbecue News Magazine

Pandemic Pushes Grill Sales and Usage to Record Highs, New Industry Data Finds
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Releases Biennial Consumer Research
We all knew we were grilling out more during the pandemic. Now, new data from the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) reveals just how high grill sales and grilling out have grown over the past two years.
According to HPBA’s bi-
ennial State of the Barbe-
cue Industry Report, 80%
of all homeowners and
70% of all households in
the U.S. own at least a
grill or smoker, matching
the highest percentage in
the study’s history, and
up from 64% household
ownership in 2019. In
Canada, 70% of households own a grill, consistent
with the last survey.
In addition, a full 38% of all grill owners purchased a new grill in the past two years. Of those who pur- chased in the last year, 27% did so because “they were cooking at home more due to the pandemic.”
“Over the past 20 months, the industry had the impression that grill and smoker purchases and backyard grilling were at all-time highs, driven by people spend- ing more time at home and changing their over- all habits,” said Jack Goldman, president and CEO, HPBA. “Now, with the first industry-wide
study conducted since the pandemic took hold, we have a clear picture of how much the pastime of grilling has grown, and we’re finding it’s at near record levels.”
Charcoal Strikes Back
According to the study, much of the growth came from charcoal grill purchases. In 2019, they repre- sented 49% of ownership. In 2021, they jumped to 65%.
“Gas grills remain the most consistently popular type of grill, but the data indicate that consumers added more grills to their backyard patios, and charcoal was their top choice,” Goldman noted. “In addition, we see wood pellet ownership increasing three-fold in
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FEBRUARY 2022