We will repeat our studies of the commercial market for 5 outdoor power equipment products purchased by Lawn Maintenance services and Landscape Contractors. The product categories are:
- String Trimmers
- Portable Yard Blowers
- Gas Hedge Trimmers
- Gas Lawn Edgers
- Gas Pole Saw Pruners
The studies will be conducted by telephone in 35-45 markets with a total of 700-800 commercial grass cutters (lawn maintenance services and landscape contractors). To ensure a representative sample, we will select randomly from Yellow Page listings. The survey will be conducted in September 2001, and results will be available in late October.
The studies will cover the following:
- Projected number of units owned.
- Products purchased during the 2001 season (Oct. 2000 - Sep. 2001).
- Projected number of units bought by product-type or size.
- Brand shares by product-type or size.
- Type of outlet where purchased
- Features that were wanted. This will be cross-tabulated by brand to show which features were wanted by buyers of each brand.
- Trade publication readership.
- Trade publications read regularly.
- Trade publication that is best source of information.
- Percent that plans to buy each product category in 2002.
- Classification data.
- Number of employees during the season.
- Number of trucks.
- Region.
Product-types or sizes:
- String trimmers: straight shaft, bent shaft
- Portable blowers: backpack, hand-held
- Pole saw pruners: extendable, fixed length
- Hedge trimmers: single- or double-sided; under 16",16"-24", 25"-36", over 36"
- Lawn edgers: walk-behind, hand-held
The price of the first product category is $6,800. The second category is $3,000 and additional product categories are $2,500 each. There is a 15% early decision discount for agreeing to purchase by August 28, 2001. There is an additional discount of $600 off the early decision price for hedge trimmers, lawn edgers, or pole saw pruners because they are lower incidence products. The early decision price requires an initial payment, which will be invoiced in September. Quantity prices and required pre-payment are shown below.
| Number of Product Studies Purchased | Price After Publication | Early Decision Price (by 8/28/01) | Pre-payment Required |
| One | $6,800 | $5,800 | $2,900 |
| Two | $9,800 | $8,300 | $4,150 |
| Three | $12,300 | $10,400 | $5,200 |
| Four | $14,800 | $12,500 | $6,250 |
| Five | $17,300 | $14,650 | $7,325 |