Kitchen and bath products are cooking

NKBA reports backlogs and challenges, but also growth

The kitchen and bath market continues to deliver growth, according to the quarterly National Kitchen & Bath Association/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index report.

The research and estimates from the NKBA and John Burns Real Estate Consulting show an 11% increase in sales for the second quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of the year.

And despite ongoing material shortages and rising labor costs, full-year sales are now expected to exceed 2020 by 14.5%, an upward revision from the 13.4% consensus forecast last quarter.

“We’re encouraged by the findings from our report on the Kitchen & Bath industry, which reaffirms the longer outlook of the field as one of growth and strong earnings,” said Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO. “While we are seeing the continued delay of materials and increase in labor costs causing problems and concerns within the sector, it also shows that the sky-rocketing demand for remodeling projects has continued.”

According to Darcy, the industry is also experiencing an increased interest in higher-end products as consumers are spending more time than ever in their homes due to the ongoing pandemic and are prioritizing comfort and luxury, particularly when it comes to kitchen and bath improvements.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have a significant impact on the supply chain and material development industries, causing widespread challenges to all sectors of the economy, the NKBA said.

The NKBA said that the industry has seen “double-digit” price increases across common kitchen & bath products, while labor rates have increased an additional 10-19% in an effort to retain talent within the industry. All of these factors have put a strain on the consumer budget.

Despite these hurdles, there is a clear demand for remodeling services as 60% of designers have reported a backlog of at least three months.

Additionally, in Q2 2021, 55% of the building and construction industry reported zero projects canceled, a stark contrast from the previous quarter. And despite an increase in material costs, nearly half of retailers (46%) have begun to see a shift in typical price points demanded by customers with 89% saying their customers are shifting toward the pricier, higher-end finishes.

Among the report’s key findings:

Labor Challenges Persist: As the qualified labor pool continues to shrink with early retirement and career changes, building and construction companies scramble to incentivize their current workforce. 80% of companies report increasing labor rates to retain employees — with nearly two-thirds report rising rates of as much as 19%. This continues to increase the overall price of the project and delay the timeframes of planned remodels. However, clients continue to move forward with projects and are willing to pay for products and finishes in demand.

The KBMI score hit an all-time high in the second quarter, reflecting strong kitchen-and-bath spending.

COVID-19’s Impact Lessens: While industry experts and professionals keep a watchful eye on the progression of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, members reported a significant drop in the pandemic’s impact on business, giving it a score of 4.9 out of 10, where 0 is no impact at all and 10 is a significant impact — down significantly from around 6 the previous three quarters.

More Record Indices: An 82.3 overall KBMI score topped the previous all-time record 79.8 from Q1. Current conditions of 85.7 shattered last quarter’s record 78, and is miles ahead of the 59.8 from Q4 2020. Future conditions are flashing warning signals though, as price hikes and lead times are beginning to take a toll. Many members are becoming creative, ordering months in advance to circumvent lead times and lessen the sting of price hikes.