For appliance dealers focused on the Affluent Audience™, February isn’t just another month—it’s the start of the peak buying season for premium and luxury appliance shoppers. While the calendar may say otherwise, luxury homeowners enter the new year ready to start planning renovations, new homes, and appliance purchases long before flowers bloom.

Here’s the reality: Appliance dealers who begin their marketing efforts in February are the ones who capture these high-value buyers. Wait too long, and you will miss out on those sales—and your competitors will claim your share of the market.

Spring Comes Early For The Affluent Audience

Compared to mass-market consumers, high-end homeowners take a longer journey to purchase. Once the new year starts, they start planning their kitchen build or renovation. They have meetings with designers and contractors, make multiple visits to the showroom, and spend time researching before making their selection—all of which extend the timeline for their purchase decision. 

Over half of premium and luxury appliance sales occur during this critical February to May window. During this period, high-end homeowners are deep in the planning phase, shopping for premium appliances for kitchen renovations and new home builds.

By June and July, affluent attention shifts elsewhere. Family vacations, seasonal events, and leisure take priority, causing luxury appliance sales to slow.

The Industry’s Lag Hurts Dealers

One of the biggest mistakes dealers make is waiting on manufacturers to finalize budgets and co-op funds before they start advertising. This process can drag well into March, leaving advertising strategies stagnant at the most critical time of the year.

By April or May, many high-end homeowners have already made their decisions. Project timelines are in motion, and they’ve secured their new appliances. Dealers who delayed advertising while waiting for accrued funds to be confirmed missed these sales.

If you’re not advertising by February 1, you’re already behind.

Act Early, Capture Demand

Dealers who dominate their markets understand one thing: early advertising captures demand before competitors can react. These leaders are in-market by February 1, ensuring their brand is front and center when affluent buyers start planning their new projects.

How can dealers achieve this? Here’s what has proven to work for our dealers:

• Treat co-op funds as predictable. Use last year’s accruals to forecast your marketing budget. Don’t wait for your rep to send the final numbers. Start advertising with confidence in Q1 and make budget adjustments later if needed.
• Spread budgets strategically. Instead of waiting for lump sums, allocate funds annually to advertise your key luxury brands to maintain visibility and momentum.

Get The Jump On High-End Sales

We proactively plan for our top-performing dealers, ensuring their premium and luxury campaigns are ready before the new year begins. By eliminating delays, we position these thriving dealers to act early, dominate their markets, and achieve measurable growth.

The traditional industry timeline needs to be updated. Waiting to advertise until March or Memorial Day means sacrificing opportunities and revenue with premium and luxury appliance buyers.

Your Affluent Audience is ready now. The question is: Are you?