The biggest turnaround we have seen in responses to any survey question over the past four reporting cycles came in February, with that question being about the backlog of existing orders. Only 18 percent of respondents claimed a “decrease” in their order backlog compared to 50 percent previously. This is a 32-percentage point swing that indicates a strong start to the 2025 shed season.
Part of this reversal can be attributed to more respondents claiming “increase” in their order backlog. 29 percent of respondents indicated an increase in order backlog which is a full 20 points higher than previously reported.
Significantly less of a reversal but still 11 percent higher than the previous survey, 53 percent of respondents claimed their backlog of orders had “stayed the same”. The truth behind these current numbers is that improvement to order backlog is making up for previously reported declines dating back to the October 2024 survey results. However, even with this look back to October 2024, the current increases to order backlog surpasses those survey results significantly, by 9 percent.
New orders, month to month, had almost double the responses to “increased” at 33 percent and far fewer selected “decreased” than in the previous survey. New orders, year over year, showed only minimal positive changes. 1 percent more respondents claim “increased” and 1 percent fewer responded “decreased”. See the complete breakdown in the charts below.
Responses By Region:
| Region | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Northeast | 18% |
| Midwest | 28% |
| South | 38% |
| West | 11% |
| Canada | 5% |
Notable Comments
“January was a record month for us. Highest sales since we started 2 years ago”
– from West region
“Twp. Ordinances are getting out of control. We need to lobby for back yard freedom vs control and regulation. They’re sheds …. not permanent structures. The kings and queens of township rule will deny yours while enjoying theirs. They are making it difficult.”
– from Midwest region
“Things will start to improve around mid-summer of 2025”
– from Northeast region
“Need to pay truckers more money to compete with the trucking industry”
– from Midwest region
“Seems to slow down this past year. This year seems like and feels like it is going to get worse”
– from Northeast region
“January sales were lower largely because my competitor is offering up to 24% off trying to stay in business”
– from West region
“The Shed Industry is FLOODED…. They are sitting by the thousands of unsold sheds with no roofs on them and no paint just to push the smaller guys out to falsely inflate the market…”
– excerpt from Midwest region
