US demand for janitorial equipment and supplies (excluding chemical products) is forecast to increase 2.2 percent per year through 2019 to $7.1 billion, continuing the recovery that began in the latter part of the 2009-2014 period.  Significant pent-up demand for automated floor cleaning equipment will drive advances. 

After initially falling in 2008 and 2009, sales of most types of automated floor cleaning equipment experienced extended downturns, only recently returning to more substantial growth.  Sales of many of the products in this category remained below pre-recession highs as of 2014, but will again approach or exceed those levels by 2019. These and other trends are presented in Janitorial Equipment & Supplies, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

In general, gains for janitorial equipment and supplies will be driven by accelerating economic growth and by factors such as a rising number of business establishments and gains in nonresidential floor space.

According to analyst Reta Sober, “Improved economic conditions will also support a return to increased levels of cleaning and greater sales of related products.” 

Concerns about the risk of cross-contamination and employee injury will drive sales of products with advanced features and improved ergonomic designs. Sales will be further fueled by rising interest in replacing older, noisy equipment with quieter products appropriate for use in increasingly popular daytime cleaning applications or in noise-sensitive environments. Pricing pressure attributable to lower cost imports and market maturity in manual cleaning products and bags and containers will prevent faster gains.

Automated floor cleaning equipment is forecast to post the fastest and largest gains as the segment continues to recover from its extended downturn.  Sales of specialty items and those used on hard surface floors will particularly benefit as janitorial budgets expand.  Most other types of janitorial equipment and supplies are lower-cost and sometimes disposable items that saw recoveries earlier in the 2009-2014 period, so gains going forward will lag those of automated floor cleaning equipment.

US JANITORIAL EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES DEMAND (million dollars)
                                                                                                % Annual Growth
Item                                                    2009     2014     2019     2009-2014    2014-2019
Janitorial Equip & Supplies Demand        5779     6415     7135       2.1                2.2
Manual Cleaning Products                      1886     2103     2305       2.2                1.9
Bags & Containers                                1667     1785     1925       1.4                 1.5
Automated Floor Cleaning Equip             1504     1632     1900       1.6                3.1
Other Supplies & Accessories                  722       895      1005       4.4                2.3