Last Updated on February 28, 2023
If you’re looking for high-paying jobs in the consumer durables sector, you’ll need to know what types of jobs are available and, more importantly, what companies are in the consumer durables field. This will make it easier to get to work and understand the landscape you walk through.
The largest stocks of consumer durables are found in the automotive industry and include companies such as Tesla, Toyota, General Motors, and Ford Motors. Companies like Whirlpool, Roku, Mohawk Industries, Malibu Boats, Sony, Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung are some of the most common in the consumer durables space.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the largest companies in consumer durables. Before that, let’s consider what consumer durables are.
Table of Contents
What are Consumer Durables?
Consumer durables refer to durable goods or durable products. That is products that do not have to be bought here and there. Therefore, durable goods can mean products that do not wear out or need to be replaced for a long time. Typically, once these items are purchased, they last at least three years before they need to be replaced.
Items like televisions, washers, refrigerators, dryers, and air conditioners, in that order, are perfect examples of consumer durable products.
In addition, appliances like computers, televisions, trucks, jewelry, wardrobe, vehicles, home, office furniture, plate, etc., fall into consumer durable categories.
What Companies Are In The Consumer Durables Field?
Below are some of the top companies that deal with consumer durable goods.
1. Sony
Founded 75 years ago in Japan, Sony has become one of the largest manufacturers of consumer durables in the electronics field. Their brand image is known worldwide and consumer perception of their products is generally positive.
We’re all familiar with their various consumer electronics such as cameras, TVs, household appliances, smartphones, and more. Unless you’re living under a rock, you probably also know that Sony owns Playstation. One of the key factors in their success is the diversification of their product lines and the way they have built their branding strategy over the years.
2. Apple
White monitors, round corners, seamless touch technology. Apple is well known for the image it has created for itself. Steve Jobs is responsible for a major part of the hype around Apple products such as iPhones and Macbooks.
One of the biggest reasons for Apple’s success (and the reasons people are willing to pay extra for their products), is that their products usually work best with each other. Exclusivity is part of Apple’s branding strategy, and it’s paid off.
3. Microsoft
A long time before the world started accusing Bill Gates of trying to control the world, most people simply knew him as the man who brought computers into everybody’s homes. The entire world is familiar with Windows as a platform, and Microsoft Office is a standard for businesses and schools everywhere.
Although Microsoft’s products are mainly digital, their software is ubiquitous and familiar. In fact, reports show that Windows’ usage share is around 91%. That means Microsoft is one of the dominating companies in the consumer durables field in operating systems. Achieving this type of success is no small feat.
4. Samsung
This South Korean business conglomerate consistently ranks among the top ten highest consumer durables companies in brand value. They have been operating in the electronics industry since the 1960s, and have been consistently manufacturing high-quality yet affordable products.
5. Although Samsung has a diverse portfolio and operates within multiple industries, its activity in the consumer durables field is in the manufacture of consumer electronics such as home and kitchen appliances, personal electronics, smartphones, and much more.
6. Tesla
Just as the iPhone changed how people view their mobile phones and completely transformed the market, Tesla was able to reshape the automotive industry. Electric vehicles (EVs), which were once very limited in their scope, have become a sign of wealth and a status symbol.
Tesla was able to influence other automotive companies in the automotive branch of consumer durables to change their missions and amend long-term goals. The innovative strides that have come from the manufacture of Tesla’s vehicles have brought the concept of cars to the future.
7. Toyota
Among petrol heads, Toyota is a company known for manufacturing reliable and durable cars. There is a running theme in many of their advertisements that their cars do not break down as often as other brands’ cars.
The quality and durability of Toyota’s vehicles set them apart from other companies in the consumer durables field because consumers have higher expectations from their products. Potential buyers are willing to give up the flex of owning a status symbol car for the reliability of a Toyota—that’s what keeps the customers buying their cars.
8. Whirlpool
We’ve gone over several companies in this article that deal with home appliances, but the Whirlpool Corporation is probably the most familiar with American consumers. With annual revenue exceeding $20 billion, the company owns several brands that are common in American homes and beyond.
The US market shows the buyers trust the Whirlpool brand name when purchasing laundry appliances (washers and dryers), the same is true for their other brands. The Whirlpool Corporation owns the iconic Kitchen-Aid brand, as well as a few international home appliance brands.
9. Mohawk Industries
When most people ask “What companies are in the consumer durables field?” They usually think of the automotive and home appliances industries. However, many other companies fall within this category. Mohawk Industries is one of the leading manufacturers of flooring in the United States.
They manufacture both soft and hard flooring products—that is, everything from carpets to tiling and laminate flooring. However, it’s worth noting that even though they’ve been operating for almost a century and a half, Mohawk Industries only lays claim to yearly revenue of 10 Billion.
That number may sound impressive but it doesn’t compare to others we’ve mentioned in this article.
10. Roku
Although it is a relatively new player in the consumer durables field, Roku has managed to rise to the ranks in record time. The company caters to a very niche market, whereby its main product is a streaming digital media player.
Within a decade, Roku has come a long way from the first general streaming device that developed in collaboration with Netflix (before Netflix blew up and streaming was still in its initial phase). However, the company’s vision hasn’t changed much in the years since it was founded.
Its product is still focused on providing a low-cost standalone option for streaming access to most potential buyers.
11. Malibu Boats
Moving on to more traditional recreational activities, Malibu Boats is surprisingly successful for such a small company. Even though they have under a thousand employees in their company, they are considered the world’s top manufacturer of recreational boats.
Malibu Boats headquarters are in Tennessee and they have a second manufacturing plant in Australia. You might think that recreational boats are an expensive purchase, but in reality, they aren’t that different in the consumer durables field when compared to automotive.