Product Mix

The product mix shows how electrical distributors' sales break down by product group. To use these numbers, multiply your sales figure by each product mix percent to estimate the sales of each type of product. (It is a very rough measure, and the process works better for some types of products than others.) Compare these figures to your own sales by product type to see how your company is doing. By stacking your company's mix up against the ones we give, you can see whether you're in line with other distributors. You can also glimpse where opportunities lurk for specialization and other interesting market insights.

The pie chart on this page shows which product groups are most important — and have the most mind share — to full-line electrical distributors. Lighting, wire and cable and distribution equipment account for 62 percent of the sales of all electrical products. That's an interesting number to consider because it reflects the investment that distributor will make in inventory, sales time and training in these important product areas. This pie chart also shows just how hard it can be for small manufacturers of specialty products in the smaller product categories to gain mind share with distributors when they will naturally focus more of their attention on the products that provide a much higher percentage of their sales.

PRODUCT MIX
(as a percentage of electrical wholesalers' sales) 2002 National AverageResidential lighting fixtures 3.9Commercial/industrial lighting fixtures 9.0Outdoor lighting fixtures, landscape lighting 3.0Lamps 10.4Ballasts 3.4Building wire 7.2Portable cords and cables, cord sets 2.0Power cable (including service entrance) 2.1Busway 0.6Specialty wire (fiber optic, electronic, voice & data) 1.3Voice & data, telecommunications equipment 1.2Terminations, lugs, connectors and accessories 1.1Tapes and insulating materials, heat-shrink tubing 0.8Fasteners, hangers and accessories 0.7Pole line hardware, utility supplies, watt-hour meters 1.6Metal conduit (rigid and flexible) and EMT 3.5Raceways, wireway, cable tray 0.9Nonmetallic conduit 1.9Conduit and cable fittings, including bodies, couplings, locknuts, elbows, nipples, etc. 2.7Boxes 1.7Enclosures 2.1Panelboards and load centers 4.5Switches (disconnect, isolation, high-voltage, transfer, etc.) and switchboards 2.1Switchgear 2.9Circuit breakers (including GFI) 4.3Fuses 2.4Transformers (except ballasts) 2.4Motor controls, starters and relays 6.2Programmable logic controllers 1.3Industrial computers 0.3Motors and drives 3.3Wiring devices (including GFI types) 2.9UPS, computer power conditioning and surge protection equipment 0.3Energy management systems, controllers, occupancy sensors 0.2Construction site equipment (ladders, diggers, benders, ground rod drivers, etc.) 0.4Safety equipment (lockouts, gloves, helmets, signs, padlocks, etc.) 0.2Hand-held instruments, metering and test equipment 0.5Tools (power and manual) 0.8Electric heaters 0.5Air conditioners 0.1Fans and ventilating equipment 0.8Sound, signal, alarm and communications equipment 0.3Electric generator sets 0.1Electric appliances, air conditioners, housewares 0.3Other 2.2For full-line electrical distributors only; excludes specialists