OPE+ Market Data Book is live
Outdoor power equipment dealers currently face a complex business environment characterized by staffing shortages, a cautious approach to electrification, fluctuating sales performance, and significant external challenges. The new OPE+ Market Data Book recounts the details of this OPE industry environment.
Industry data and analysis
The 2025 inaugural OPE+ Market Data Book is a combined effort of the OPE+ team and the information experts from our sister company EPG Specialty Information that allows you to stay ahead in the OPE industry by analyzing technological advancements, market challenges, and more. The OPE+ Market Data Book explores the factors influencing buyer choices, such as brand loyalty, and purchasing behavior and key metrics on dealer performance, including sales, revenue trends, and sentiment to gain insights into dealer dynamics, as well as data impacting users of professional equipment. Learn more at https://epgspecialtyinformation.com/.
Dealers have mixed feelings about their profit margins, with 43% feeling worse compared to last year. Additionally, 53% of dealers have a pessimistic outlook on their business compared to six months prior. External factors such as price inflation and the US political environment remain significant concerns, affecting dealers’ overall business confidence.
The increasing volume of battery-powered equipment presents both opportunities and challenges for today’s power equipment dealers. Consumers show increasing interest in battery-powered equipment, while professional users have been slower to embrace battery-powered equipment. Despite this, 71.2% of dealers reported an increase in electric equipment sales in 2024, driven by ease of use and lower maintenance costs.
The biggest issue for more than 50% of our professional users is finding skilled labor. This business problem is leading the landscaping industry to look closely at automated equipment, the type that requires little or no human interaction. For instance, as landscapers find that autonomous zero-turns can help alleviate staffing challenges, they are seeing an increase of products available from several manufacturers. The initial cost of equipment and maintenance costs are also a hurdle, with 43.2% and 36.4% voicing these opinions, respectively.
Professional OPE users are happy with the current demand for their business services, and are looking forward to the future, instead of dreading it. More professionals believe that technological advancements are going to transform the industry than not. Professionals believe that technological developments in battery-powered tools, automation and AI will have more impact than less within the industry; nearly three-quarters believe these developments will moderately or significantly impact the industry.
