Biggest selling Vacs in the US?

[vacfan1982]

What are the biggest selling Vacs in the US?

Here in the UK sadly it's Bagless. Dyson , Shark, Vax, Bosch and cordless becoming more and more popular.
Henrys would be the biggest selling bagged cleaners followed by Miele and Sebo lagging behind in the domestic market. I think Sebo deserve to sell a lot more because they are excellent!

 

[huskyvacs]

Bissell and Dirt Devil do good in the low tier. (Under $50-$60)

Hoover and Eureka battle it out for middle range. ($80-$120)

For most people that believe more money gets them a better vac - Shark is slowly stealing the spotlight from Dyson but both sell reasonably well for high end vacs. ($150-$200+)

Sebo and Miele still do good for premium price vacuums that sell at or above Dyson's MSRP. ($400-600+)

Kirby and Rainbow are still surviving too - but those tend to be bought measured in decades and not years - they are more of vacuums for a niche market today. Most people that own them are collectors - or have been lifelong users and stick to their guns.

That's just my opinion on how the USA vacuum market goes.

 

[vacfan1982]

Thanks for that Huskyvacs that's interesting

 

[huskyvacs]

And of course I forgot - for workshop and contractor use I think Shop Vac and Dewalt are the top ones. Dewalt is a trusted tool name here so most people follow through with that brand to the shop vacuums. The everyday handyman and people that get damp basements or to clean their cars out like to get Shop Vac for occasional use.

 

[crazykirbydude]

The two most popular (based on units sold) are the Shark Navigator line and the Bissell PowerForce Helix.

 

[speedqueen]

The market seems to really be in a bad shape for the usual brands, not counting vac shop specialties here(Riccar, Miele, Sebo, Kirby, etc.)

Shark is the far and away leader, followed by Bissell for the low end, then Dyson in a distant third. With Eureka effectively out of the market for the last two years following the sale from AB Electrolux to Midea that leaves Hoover trailing the above mentioned brands as they haven't really introduced anything worth buying of late whilst at the same time killing off long standing, good selling products like the Tempo and Anniversary Self-Propelled Windtunnel in late-2018. Dirt Devil has gotten even less fanfare of late.

This is my take from working in a vac shop and seeing what is coming in as well as what we are selling in the way of low end stuff to augment the higher end machines.

 

[huskyvacs]

Sad to hear about Eureka. I still have my Brushroll Clean with Suctionseal I bought new in 2016 on rollback from Walmart.com. It might be due for a new belt, and the motor has a bit of a squeak on spin-down but everything else still works 100%. Just common scuffs and scrapes and the front logo is coming unglued. I was careful with it as best as I could but it still gets scuffed no matter how much I try, need to get rid of more stuff out of my house so its more vacuum friendly.

 

[jo]

How about Aerus?

Anyone know where Aerus Electrolux falls in sales here in the US? An upscale brand....which nearly dominated (as Electrolux) the market in the 50s-80s seems to be dropping off especially after the name change to Aerus once they sold the Electrolux name back to Eureka so Eureka could sell their machines here in the US. Unsuspecting customers thought they were getting a good Electrolux and were getting the Eureka Electrolux junk.

Anyway, I wonder how many units Aerus sells each year. I see virtually no advertising anywhere. Some years ago I saw magazine ads in Good Housekeeping but that’s about it.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Kenmore is now effectively out of the picture with all of the Sears and Kmart closures. They are selling specific models online with Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart, but I expect the sales are low. The current manufacturer Cleva also markets at vac shops.

Market today seems to be mainly for the bagless uprights, recharable hand vac and robot vacuum areas. Bulky bagless uprights of the past seem to be going more toward the Shark and Hoover React type lift off style machines.

Canisters are now largely in the specialty market, you go to a vac shop if you want one of them for the most part. There are few in most retail stores compared to other types, and the ones that are tend to be very small, straight suction models.

The cheaper market to me is just as has been mentioned by the others - Bissell, Bissell, Bissell, followed by Shark, then Hoover, then Dyson for the pricier end. These are mostly all you'll find in retail stores now, with some Dirt Devil mixed in. Eureka is slowly coming back though.

Hoover really has drawn down the last couple of years though, I haven't even seen any advertising from them in quite some time. They have discontinued a lot of their higher end offerings such as the mentioned SP Windtunnel and various canisters as well it seems.

 

[kirbyklekter]

It also appears

that the majority of vacuums offered by the big box, stack 'em high sell them cheap stores tend to be bag less. It's like they're trying to steer you away from bagged cleaners. So along with all the other appliances now made to be thrown out, you enter into the replacement cycle yet again. There is nothing easier about emptying a bag less machine over a bagged, that I know for sure. Some are better/worse than others. Some require that you bang the pleated filter against the inside of your trash can or what ever and pick gobs of lint,carpet fiber, dirt etc. If your not wearing long sleeves you probably need to wash your arms clear up to your shoulders and hold your breath while doing all this bumping and dumping. It's just not worth it to me.I guess the companies out there are grooming (no pun) the up and coming buyers of the future to expect to have to replace just about everything they buy sooner than later. It's a new day, too bad it's taking a toll on their wallets and the planet, and don't get me started on refrigerators and washer/dryers, lol.

 

[eurekaprince]

Canada’s story is a little different: you can get Miele bagged canisters at three of our big chain stores: Hudson Bay Department Store, Best Buy and Canadian Tire.

 

[jo]

Miele available in US too

Miele is gaining in popularity here in the US. Available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and some other stores as well as general vacuum cleaner repair shops who sell as well.

Shark is doing well here in the US as well and Dyson has become a popular name but people who have had them for a long time now are starting to see their shortcomings of lack of parts or service as they purposely discontinue parts.

Still wish Aerus which was formerly Electrolux would up their game to let people know their product still exists and is great. Though I think they could sell more units if they dropped pricing some to be similar to Miele. Many young and middle aged homeowners getting frustrated with junk vacuums are wondering what kind of vacuum it was that their older relatives had that seemed to last forever.

I do however, see younger generations living strapped for cash, liking bagless vacuums because they immediately assume don’t have to spend money for bags and think that’s a good idea, though these people are also the ones to never clean the filters, or be lazy about it and assume just dumping the dirt cup is enough and when it stops sucking to just throw it out and buy a new machine altogether. I showed my niece how to clean out her bagless vacuum that stink like dog and cigarette smoke. Took it apart, staled all the dust bin parts and filters in a bucket with laundry detergent in the water overnight, then rinsed and dried and reassembled everything perfectly clean...it smelled all fresh and new...she was pleased and didn’t even realize the machine was designed to take the filter out and the dust bin parts out for deep cleaning periodically. I told her yes, if it stops sucking, it’s time to deep clean it. Fun, just fun...I’d rather use my bagged Electrolux where there’s never a deep cleaning needed to restore suction, just replace the bag.

Jon

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yep, many young people (myself included) setting up housekeeping in apartment or home. If they do buy a vacuum, usually go for bagless from Walmart, Target or similar, because like you say they assume it's better because no bags and it's cheap. Not much thought to put into it, it's "just a vacuum." If it isn't an iPhone, a sports car/truck or a firearm, they aren't interested in knowing how to fix it or read the manual to know there's a filter (generally).

Just saying...

Haven't seen Miele at the Bed Bath and Beyond here, but I notice they don't carry some of the higher end items other B B & Bs do.

 

[electromatik]

I think bagged and bagless are each at roughly 50% market share in the US but I could be wrong. It's hard to find info about it.

In the US uprights control the highest market share but stickvacs and robotic vacuums are growing rapidly. Canisters remain in second place.

Central vacuum systems also have a sizable market share.

The biggest company in floor care sales is Bissell. Hoover is likely second. Kenmore, Tacony, and Oreck have sizable chunks too. Dyson was the #1 selling upright for a number of years and still sells well.

There is a BIG caveat with US sales figures. The door-to-door companies still sell lots of machines but these are not tallied as the big store sales and vacuum shops are because they don't always have a cash register and barcode scanning taking place. A lot of the machines sold in the US are going to the same households because they are replacement machines after a few years of ownership and are thrown away. The higher quality door-to-door machines can last 30 or 40 years if taken care of and thus they will not buy replacement machines.

 

[jo]

Fan of fans I challenge you....

To get an Electrolux canister and try it out. Have you ever tried one? I think you might soon realize the simplicity, ease of use, high filtration quality, ease in dealing with the dirt, etc. That makes higher quality machine really a great performer. Get one with a genuine rubber hose, the genuine combination attachments and a power nozzle in good working order, likely the L shaped version a sidekick mini power nozzle too and put it through your toughest cleaning challenges, cleaning sofas covered in pet hair and crumbs, cleaning a really dirty carpeted staircase, cleaning the carpet along walls and baseboards, behind furniture. Do a thorough cleaning of a rental house after a teen ant moves out and has failed to clean in months and I think you’ll find using a higher quality machine is easier on the tasks than these cheap machines and is a better performer and why not have one of these great performers even if you just live by yourself with a pet or two in a smaller place?

You’ll soon come to realize quality does make a difference. One won’t be as tired after cleaning. Won’t be annoyed and disgusted getting covered in dust emptying a bagless bin...or putting it off compromising suction because it’s an annoying gross task...You won’t find vacuuming a clumsy chore or put off vacuuming steps because it’s too hard and the list goes on. Literally vacuuming will be come a pleasure with a better quality machine as all aspects will be easier.

 

[kloveland]

In the future I think it’s going to cheap vacs, central vacs and robotic vacuums. I don’t see door to door brands being around forever. I think the cheap bagless vacs have definitely taken over. It’s 2020 the market is changing and has been changing for a long time. More homes have less carpeting and some people think they can get by without a vacuum cleaner.

 

[electromatik]

I totally forgot about Shark as someone mentioned above. They likely have a significant market share now too. Miele, Sebo, and several other "high-end" brands have niche market shares with higher income households as well. It's hard to find actual data on this market share of companies.

Most people today don't care about vacuum quality. Vacuums have been commoditized for so long people don't expect them to last and the price is so cheap people can afford replacement machines. It's sad for those who like quality machines.

 

[fan-of-fans]

"Fan of fans I challenge you....

To get an Electrolux canister and try it out. Have you ever tried one? I think you might soon realize the simplicity, ease of use, high filtration quality, ease in dealing with the dirt, etc. That makes higher quality machine really a great performer. Get one with a genuine rubber hose, the genuine combination attachments and a power nozzle in good working order, likely the L shaped version a sidekick mini power nozzle too and put it through your toughest cleaning challenges, cleaning sofas covered in pet hair and crumbs, cleaning a really dirty carpeted staircase, cleaning the carpet along walls and baseboards, behind furniture. Do a thorough cleaning of a rental house after a teen ant moves out and has failed to clean in months and I think you’ll find using a higher quality machine is easier on the tasks than these cheap machines and is a better performer and why not have one of these great performers even if you just live by yourself with a pet or two in a smaller place?

You’ll soon come to realize quality does make a difference. One won’t be as tired after cleaning. Won’t be annoyed and disgusted getting covered in dust emptying a bagless bin...or putting it off compromising suction because it’s an annoying gross task...You won’t find vacuuming a clumsy chore or put off vacuuming steps because it’s too hard and the list goes on. Literally vacuuming will be come a pleasure with a better quality machine as all aspects will be easier."

Yes, I own an Electrolux and numerous canisters. I don't even own any bagless uprights, I only really like canisters and bagged uprights.

 

[fan-of-fans]

"In the future I think it’s going to cheap vacs, central vacs and robotic vacuums. I don’t see door to door brands being around forever. I think the cheap bagless vacs have definitely taken over. It’s 2020 the market is changing and has been changing for a long time. More homes have less carpeting and some people think they can get by without a vacuum cleaner."

That's true and for some reason people think they don't need a vacuum cleaner if they don't have carpet. Using a vacuum on hard floor or above the floor cleaning just doesn't click for a lot of people. Therefore they think there's no need for one.