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The U.S. appliance industry showed healthy increases in March factory unit shipments in most of the appliance categories tracked by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
Shipments in the AHAM 6 category of appliances (washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges, and ovens) were up 9.3% in March 2010. 4,015,300 units shipped, compared to 3,675,000 units shipped in March 2009. For the year-to-date, 9,054,900 appliances have shipped in the AHAM 6 category, up 5.5% from the 8,573,500 appliances shipped in the same time period in 2009.
Cooking appliances had another strong month in March with the ongoing exception of microwave ovens.
• Electric cooking (ranges, ovens, and cooktops) were up 7.1% in Mar. 2010 (450,800 units shipped) over Mar. 2009 (421,000 units shipped). Electric cooking is up 5.4% year-to-date.
• Gas cooking shipments (ranges, ovens, and cooktops) were up 14.6% in Mar. 2010 (278,900 units) over Mar. 2009 (243,300 units). Gas cooking is up 9.1% year-to-date.
• Microwave oven shipments were down 15.8% in Mar. 2010 (880,500 units) from Mar. 2009 (1,046,100 units). Microwaves are down 12.0% year-to-date.
Home laundry was up overall 2.1% in Mar. 2010 compared to Mar. 2009:
• Mar. 2010 washer shipments were up 2.0% to 882,300 units. Washers are just barely down year-to-date at 0.1%.
• Dryer shipments were up 2.1% in Mar. 2010 compared to Mar. 2009. Dryers are up 3.4% year-to-date.
The Kitchen Clean-Up category had a strong month thanks to big growth in built-in dishwasher shipments. Dishwashers were up 21.5% in Mar. 2010 (640,500 units) compared to Mar. 2009 (527,100 units).
• Built-in dishwasher shipments were up 21.9% in Mar. 2010 (633,200 units) compared to Mar. 2009 (519,500 units).
• Portable dishwashers were down 4.5% in Mar. 2010 to 7,300 units.
• Disposers fell 6.7% in Mar. 2010 (456,300 units shipped) compared to Mar. 2009 (489,100 units shipped). Disposers are down 1.1% year-to-date.
• Trash compactors turned in surprisingly strong growth in March, up 19.5% compared to Mar. 2009. Compactors remain down 9.8% year-to-date.
In the Food Preservation category 1,104,200 units were shipped in Mar. 2010, up 13.9% from 969,600 in Mar. 2009. The category is up 8.8% year-to-date.
• Refrigerators shipped 901,300 in Mar. 2010, up 16.2% from 775,500 in Mar. 2009. Refrigerators are up 12.1% year-to-date.
• Freezer shipments were 4.5% in Mar. 2010 (202,900 units) compared to Mar. 2009 (194,000 units). Freezers are, however, down 4.0% year-to-date.
In AHAM's Home Comfort category:
• Room air-conditioners shipments were down 21.4% in Mar. 2010 (1,069,000 units shipped) compared to Mar. 2009 (1,360,500 units shipped). Room air shipments are down 32.1% year-to-date.
• Dehumidifier shipments – which were down 56.6% in February – eked out 0.4% growth in Mar. 2010 at 255,900 units compared to Mar. 2009's 255,000 units. Dehumidifiers remain down 15.3% year-to-date.
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