Riding Mowers Hot Sellers

IBISWorld Inc., forecasts sales of riding mowers were up 9.8 percent to $896.6 million in 2010. The company tripped across this trend while researching home improvement stores, such as The Home Depot and Lowe's. The company expects this retail group, overall, to post a 2.3 percent decline in sales for 2010. But one bright spot has been riding lawn mowers.

The company speculates many Americans have gotten rid of their gardeners, landscapers amid the sluggish economic recovery. But homeowners soon find out that mowing themselves is hard work. So they run to a home improvement store and spend $700 to $5,500 or more for a new riding mower. "Baby boomers are driving this trend. They are seeking comfort while they mow the lawn." Sales of push mowers, or walk-behind mowers, meanwhile, remain on the decline.