This article provided by HIRI's Premier Platinum Summit Sponsor, OpenBrand. Authored by Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist.
Consumers across the Home Improvement (HI) market are realigning how they shop in the face of market shifts, tariff concerns, price increases, and tighter budgets.
In this blog, we connect findings from OpenBrand’s consumer tracking survey with real-time CPI trends to show how sentiment, price perception, and purchase motivations are shifting. We then zoom in on Major Appliances and Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) to see how pricing is evolving within these key categories.
Tariff Impact on Home Improvement
Consumer priorities in Home Improvement skewed more toward need-based this year.
The share of purchases driven by ‘broken/failure replacement’ rose significantly YoY rising +3.2 ppt in five years to 36.6%. While the last four years have seen significant increases YoY.
Consumers purchasing because an ‘item was likely to break soon’ also saw YoY increases. Meanwhile, discretionary motivations softened: routine maintenance (-1.2 ppts), remodeling (–1.1 ppts), redecorating (–1.0 ppts), and first-time purchases (–1.1 ppts).
Households are prioritizing function and continuity over upgrades.
How Tariffs Are Impacting Consumer Behavior & Pricing
Tariff headlines are reshaping timing and product choices.
OpenBrand’s consumer survey data indicated more consumers buying HI durables are adjusting how they purchase as a result of tariffs with an +8 ppt increase since Q1 2025 among those who “delayed purchases due to higher prices”. While the increase continues it's not as dramatic from Q2 to Q3 (+2 ppt). Overall fewer consumers reported ‘tariffs did not affect’ purchase decisions.
Preference signals nudged toward domestic: “bought American-made” rose to 5% (+2 ppts) and “consider more American-made” to 11% (+1 ppts). The share saying “tariffs did not affect my decisions” fell to 43% (–9 ppts), and tariff unawareness dropped to 6% (–4 ppts) more evidence that tariff salience is rising and pulling demand toward necessity and value.
As tariffs fluctuate, we see corresponding shifts in our CPI reports.
OpenBrand NowCast: The latest CPI update
OpenBrand’s CPI NowCast Data for October 20 shows a slight moderation in price growth across durables, with CPI-Home Improvement rising +0.39%, while CPI-Appliances edged down 0.08%. The increase in HI reflects persistent inflation in the category despite broader cooling.
Pricing Shifts in Major Appliances & OPE
For a more nuanced view of how this looks within specific industries, let’s look at how CPI is shifting in major appliances and OPE.
Major Appliance Categories
Price inflation is prevalent across Major Appliance categories in September, especially compared to where the categories were in March 2025. Cooktops & Wall Ovens, as an example, saw 5 percentage point increase from March to September. These category-wide price increases can be correlated with the tariff policy shifts starting in Q1 2025.
Looking forward, we expect Major Appliance prices to cool back down, and continue on the downward trajectory they were on before tariffs.
Take a look at the individual Major Appliance category CPI shifts and how we forecast prices to shift going into 2026.
Cooktops & Wall Ovens
Dishwashers
Laundry
OTR Microwaves
Ranges
Refrigerators
Outdoor Power Equipment
With the exception of a dip in pricing for pressure washers in August 2025, OPE categories have seen steady price inflation since the first-half of 2025.
Unlike Major Appliances, we do not expect prices to come down much in OPE categories, primarily because renovation activity remains healthy compared to the existing and new for-sale housing market, which has been slumping and will only see marginal growth next year.
Take a look at the individual OPE category CPI shifts and how we forecast prices to shift going into 2026.
Cordless Pressure Washers
Cordless Handhelds
Mowers
How Our CPI Is Made
OpenBrand’s CPI for Durable and Personal Goods is built to track real price changes as they happen. It pulls from OpenBrand’s proprietary real-time pricing data, across products and retailers, then applies a consistent process for tracking, adjusting, and updating prices over time. The result is a clear, up-to-date view of how costs are moving in the real world, helping brands, retailers, and consumers stay informed as market conditions shift.
Summary
Tariffs and inflation are reshaping how consumers shop the Home Improvement market. OpenBrand’s latest data shows need-based buying on the rise, with replacement and maintenance leading purchase drivers. Tariff awareness is up, influencing timing and product choices, while CPI data shows mild price moderation and more discounting. Major Appliances are predicted to cool, but Outdoor Power Equipment remains elevated on steady renovation demand, reinforcing a value-first, necessity-driven mindset across the category.
More Market Intelligence
For a broader look into market data, check out OpenBrand’s public MarketSignal dashboards for Outdoor Power Equipment and Major Appliances. You can also connect with our team of analysts for a one-to-one review of your brand’s market. OpenBrand is a sponsor of HIRI's 2025 Home Improvement Insights Summit.
