U.S. barbecue market reaches $6.1 billion, with pellet grills growing fastest

Joe Derochowski, home industry consultant at NPD, a research firm, said: "Barbecuing is a pastime for some and a passion for others. With the travel restrictions brought on by the epidemic, barbecue has become more and more popular. With the increased concerns caused by the epidemic and consumers exploring many outdoor cooking skills, the current U.S. barbecue market has reached new heights."

According to NPD, 69% of U.S. households owned a grill in the early months of the pandemic, and U.S. consumers have purchased more than 21 million grills and smokers since July 2020.

And NPD found that the seasonal distribution of outdoor grilling became more even in 2021. While summer is still the time when most people choose to grill outdoors, the frequency of grilling increased slightly in the early winter months last year.

NPD said sales in the U.S. barbecue market reached $6.1 billion in 2021, up 14% from the previous year.

Almost all types of grills saw sales growth in 2021. If there was one category that saw the most growth, it was pellet grills.

A pellet grill is an outdoor cooker that combines elements of a charcoal grill, a gas grill, and a kitchen oven. It uses wood pellets as fuel and uses a PID electrical control panel to ignite the pellets. Generally speaking, smoke enthusiasts prefer this grill.

It is understood that more than 1 million pellet grills were sold in the US barbecue market in 2021, with sales increasing by 38% year-on-year. Sales of pellet grills grew strongly at the beginning of last year and accelerated in the second half of the year. For the whole year, pellet grills accounted for 18% of the grill and smoker market, second only to gas grills (down from 44% in 2020 to 39% in 2021).

In addition to pellet grills, portable grills , gas grills, and other outdoor cooking tools have also gained additional market share.

As grilling activities pick up, sales of grilling accessories and fuel are also booming. In the second half of last year alone, nearly 13 million grilling accessories were sold in the U.S. market , an increase of 4% from the second half of 2020.

For barbecue fuel, its sales have grown at an average annual rate of about 4%. But this growth has accelerated over time. For example, in the fourth quarter of 2021, barbecue fuel sales increased by 6% and sales increased by 9%.

Charcoal, propane, and wood pellets are the most popular types of grilling fuel in 2021. Among them, wood pellets have the fastest growth, with annual revenue increasing by 17%.

USA

barbecue