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Going and Going With Battery-Powered Outdoor Power Equipment

Many consumers are skeptical of battery-powered outdoor power equipment, though battery technology has advanced rapidly.

Homeowners tend to question the run time, power capability, price and durability of battery-powered equipment, research from The Farnsworth Group shows. Older shoppers are more worried about how long the battery will hold a charge than younger. The data show that 61 percent of baby boomers are concerned about battery run time, compared to 47 percent of millennials.

Off the top of their heads, few consumers thought of many benefits of battery-powered tools, though they selected favorites when Farnsworth provided a list of positive characteristics.

Applied to Retail
Your customers may become more enthused about battery-powered snow blowers and hedge trimmers if they learn the benefits of going gas- or cord-free.

Train your staff to discuss the most popular characteristics of the equipment—such as that it’s exhaust-free, doesn’t have oil to change, is easier to start and is more environmentally friendly—rather than only addressing the concerns shoppers mention.

If run time is a customer’s biggest hang-up, then have your staff talk them through how long they will actually use a tool at a time. A battery may hold a charge far longer than they need, if they think about it. If not, then not having to mess with cords or gas may still save them time.

battery-powered

About Kate Klein

Kate is profiles editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. She reports on news and industry events and writes about retailers' unique contributions to the independent home improvement sector. She graduated from Cedarville University in her home state of Ohio, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English and minored in creative writing. She loves being an aunt, teaching writing to kids, running, reading, farm living and, as Walt Whitman says, traveling the open road, “healthy, free, the world before me.”

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