Worldwide demand for power tools is forecast to increase 4.8 percent per year through 2018 to $32.9 billion, an improvement from the gains that were recorded during the 2008-2013 period. Advances will be fastest in the world's developing areas, where there is expected to be significant and increasing amounts of construction spending. In particular, areas in the process of modernizing their housing stock, such as China and India, will register especially rapid power tool demand gains. Among developed nations, power tool sales will be boosted by the projected economic rebound and the improving construction activity throughout much of Western Europe and the US.

Cordless electric power tools to grow the fastest

Electric tools account for the vast majority of total power tool sales, benefiting from their widespread use across the professional and consumer markets. In addition, cordless electric models will post the most robust growth in through 2018. Steady improvements in cordless battery technology, such as the adoption of lithium-ion batteries, has increased the power and run time of cordless tools. Power tool producers have also begun to design an entire line of tools around one battery structure, which increases convenience by reducing the number of spare batteries needed at the job site or around the home. 

Construction spending to fuel key professional market

The professional market for power tools accounts for the larger share of global sales compared to the consumer market. The intensity of product use varies from country to country, as power tools face varying degrees of competition with hand tools depending on factors such as a country's level of industrialization, rate of construction spending, and the cost of labor. Advances for professional power tool sales will be bolstered by the solid, and sometimes accelerating, growth in construction spending through the forecast period. In the developed world, market penetration is much higher so more purchases are replacement and upgrade transactions. In the consumer
market, power tools growth is tied more closely to personal spending levels and cultural preferences.