Above all equipment for cooking, barbequeing, lighting etc. was examined, but great opportunities for the natural stone industry can also be identified

According to a current study of the furnishing industry, living will in future also take place outside more than in the past. In real terms, this means: whoever has a house also counts the terrace and garden as living space, and for people who live in an apartment, the balcony will become increasingly important. „The balcony or terrace will become a second living room”, was the motto at this year’s furniture fair IMM Cologne in Germany. Market researchers from the US company Freedonia are now looking at the subject from a different angle and have come to the same conclusion: before the Corona crises, they have examined the market for „Outdoor Living Products” in the USA and predicted growth of (+)4% to around 9.9 billion US dollars this year. By 2024, the market is forecast to grow again by (+)4% per year to then 11.5 billion US-$.

The term „outdoor living products” mainly refers to technical utensils from kitchens and grills to lighting and sound systems and security systems. The study also touches on the fringe-products, namely materials for floor coverings etc.

When it comes to high-quality materials for this market, natural stone is one of them. The industry offers, for example, high-quality tiles for the terrace, bricks around a barbecue or wall coverings for shower corners. Other products include gabions or dry stone walls for the garden, to name but a few.

There are many reasons for this residential trend, according to which the new indoor is outdoors: on the one hand, the last few years have brought summers with hot temperatures even in colder regions, and people have rediscovered their own gardens or public places.

In addition, trend researchers have long noted a shift towards nature: in practical terms, this means that people are looking for a certain naturalness, without, of course, wanting to miss out on the comforts of life in an industrial and consumer society.

Ecological materials, for example, are increasingly attracting interest, partly to demonstrate their own philosophy of life to the outside world.

This year’s IMM Cologne had compiled some findings from studies: „With the ,Indoor – Outdoor’ trend, weatherproof outdoor furniture today not only looks as if it came out of the living room – it is also used there! Precious materials and high-tech textiles make it possible to use them indoors as well.

The Freedonia study „Outdoor Living Products 2020” with 243 pages can be purchased for 3,900 US-$.

In December 2019, Freedonia had prepared an analysis of the US market for „Hardscaping Products“.

(20.04.2020, USA: 04.20.2020)