Americans are buying backyard grills, assembling new television stands, installing home security systems and fixing that running toilet, according to a Grapevine-based company with insights about what people are doing while sheltering in place.
“For some products, downloads are as good as Christmas,” said Angela Meek, marketing director of Grapevine-based Bilt Inc., which creates instruction animations and makes them available to DIYers on its app.
Instruction downloads by product were up 40% in March vs. a year ago, and while that activity has historically been concentrated to the weekends, she said, it’s spread out during the week these days.
There’s a lot of nesting going on.
Instruction downloads for indoor home improvement items such as light fixtures, ceiling fans, door hardware and plumbing fixtures, are up 27% from the March of last year. Information about assembling home storage items, from bathroom cabinets to outdoor sheds, is up 50%.
Bilt’s app provides official DIY assembly instructions for major brands, including Weber Grills, Samsung, Kidkraft, Coleman Powersports and private label brands from Home Depot, Walmart and Costco.
Companies pay Bilt, which was spun off by software company SAP in 2016, to create instructions that consumers can access on its app. On a touch screen, users can pinch or zoom in and out on an image. The 3D feature allows for images to be turned to change perspective or to get a better view.
Another big category has been office chairs, desks, filing cabinets and bookshelves, Meek said.
Office furniture to make dedicated spaces for working and schooling from home, and an uptick in home décor sales, sent shares of Wayfair up last week. That’s something Meek said she can confirm from Bilt’s traffic.
Americans are also buying patio furniture and backyard grills, and outdoor product category instruction downloads are up 20%.
Instruction downloads in the plumbing category jumped 382% and include significant traffic how to install bidets, Meek said, matching up with reports that Americans are turning to bidets during a time when toilet paper is hard to come by.
Twitter: @MariaHalkias
Looking for more retail coverage? Click here to read all retail news and updates. Click here to subscribe to D-FW Retail and more newsletters from The Dallas Morning News.
