Leaders in the outdoor lighting industry recently gathered to discuss the past year's trends at the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals' (AOLP) 2022 Landscape Lighting State of the Industry. They also touched on challenges, opportunities and what is expected in coming months for the industry.

Industry Saw Increased Growth Over the Last 12-24 Months

Spurred by the pandemic, the outdoor lighting industry enjoyed a boost as people worldwide returned to nature and sought refuge in the outdoors. The yard
space became a focus as homeowners turned to the beautification of their homes through gardening and outdoor living and entertainment. This home landscape focus created a greater awareness of the landscape lighting industry, which saw a remarkable increase in the last 12-24 months.


12-month Forecast Predicts Continued Industry Growth

 

Panelists agreed that overall, the industry is healthy and will continue to see growth. Backlogs are still present in the construction and backyard spaces industry as
people continue to enjoy and want to invest in their outdoor spaces.

Installation growth depends on the local market and the saturation of competition. Market areas focused on upper middle to high-income wealth continue to
spend, but the lower end of the market might begin to dry up over time as the federal
government seeks to slow the economy.

Market saturation of the construction and landscape industry caused by the pandemic home-building boom should begin to decrease as demand for quality increases.



Industry Wide Obstacles and How to Overcome Them

Finding and keeping talent is a problem all businesses have; and the outdoor lighting industry is no different. Locating qualified and competent candidates is a time-consuming process taking away from time spent working with customers, so companies are heavily investing in their existing talent, adopting a 4-day work week, adding perks like employee breakfasts and lunches, and including employees in on the
post-installation success.

Taking a Temperature Check on Solar

It seems solar lighting is still not a viable and sustainable solution. There are still issues with the lighting such as color temperature, lack of brightness, low customization, not discrete, and retailers have conditioned consumers to treat it as a throwaway item. For manufacturers, the cost of research requires a heavy investment which is prohibitive.