Seven years after one of the worst economic recessions in American history, the American economy is still in the toilet, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You see, toilet sales are directly connected with the general health of the American economy, the housing market in particular.
According to toilet manufacturer American Standard, toilet sales have risen 28% since 2011. This indicates that home improvement and home remodeling projects are on the rise. Along with the automotive industry, the home improvement industry is one of the biggest indicators of the nation’s economic outlook.
The Toto Neorest 600 was just one of the high tech toilets to make the list. Check out the Coolest Toilets in the World.
What Drives the Sale of Toilets
Home remodeling projects and toilet upgrades are the main driving force behind this upward trend. As employment increases, more Americans are beginning to reinvest their hard earned money into the home where they can see a return on their investment. Bathroom remodeling provides one of the highest ROI’s of all home remodeling projects.(LINK) In fact, pull statistic from another post.(LINK)
“We lost a third of our overall business from 2008 until 2012. I’m happy to say now, over the past two years, we’ve been growing at double-digit rates.”
-Jay Gould, CEO American Standard
The bathroom is one of the main areas that determine the comfortability of your home. It’s been proven that a cramped space around a toilet can lead to negative feelings to a home in general. So why not renovate, toilets can even be used to make your bathroom look bigger.
For every purchase of an Champion Toilet, American Standard will donate a sanitary toilet pan to a developing country. Learn more at Flush for Good.
[READ: New Study Find that Young Adults Love to Tweet from the Seat]
SmartToilets Pass the Test with Flying Colors
SmartToilets are beginning to catch the eye of the American public as well. As the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials is high on the list of priorities, consumers are seeking to improve efficiency in the bathroom. (LINK) Smart Toilets save BLANK amount of water, something that is particularly useful during California’s Mega-Drought.
American Standard manufactures toilets with heated seats that automatically opens, closes, and flushes. They’re not the only one moving toward automation in the bathroom (talk about first class!). KOHLER recently unveiled their new Touchless Toilet that you have to see to believe. Here in America, we’re just trying to keep up with Japan, a technologically advanced society known for being ahead of the curve. Smart Bathroom Design will become increasingly popular in 2015. There are a slew of new ideas being thrown around, even waterless toilets.
The Touchless Toilet from KOHLER.
“In Japan, 75 percent of all household have smart toilets. Today in the United States, it’s only 1 percent. I can definitely envision that growing to at least 10 to 15 percent over the next three years.”
-Jay Gould, CEO American Standard
More Information on Toilets Than You’d Ever Want to Know:
- Surprise, Surprise, Toilet Seat Liners Don’t Work
- The Welbeing Toilet: Ergonomic Toilet Promotes Proper Pooping
- Flush: The Odd Bathroom Book Swirling around the Industry
- How a Toilet Works When You Flush – Inforgraphic
- Troubleshooting Guide: How to Repair Your Toilet
- 5 Things You Need to Know About Your Toilet
About the Author
Cheryl Khan is a designer and writer at Tradewinds Imports.com, an online specialty site dedicated to retailing fine bathroom furnishings. She has extensive knowledge about all the finer details that go into planning the perfect bath renovation project and is an expert on all things bathroom! Send her your bathroom Q’s on twitter @SuperInteriors!
