Turning Spring Plans into Projects
Consumers are already acting on spring projects—from backyard transformations to kitchen refreshes—blending Do-it-Yourself (DIY) confidence with selective pro help and smart home upgrades.
Here’s where demand is headed, and how to meet the moment with spring shoppers.
The Spring Project Surge
Spring intent is real. 60% of shoppers are planning gardening projects, closely followed by yard planting (52%) and interior upgrades (53%). This trend highlights a dual focus that lifts outdoor categories and triggers indoor refresh buys including paint, tools, and fixtures. Homeowners lean more heavily into outdoor spaces while renters gravitate to faster, flexible upgrades such as furniture.
Options for retailers & brands: Anchor your spring storytelling in specific projects (e.g., “Weekend pollinator garden,” or “2 day bath refresh”) and map bundles to each.
DIY Confidence + Pro Backup = The New Default
Shoppers plan to stay hands-on this season. 40% will DIY projects while 38% will bring in the pros for certain tasks. Fewer than one-in four spring shoppers will fully outsource to a professional. When we look at just renters, more than half will DIY an entire project vs. 35% of owners. Landscapers and contractors are professionals that receive the first calls, especially as project complexity rises.
52%
of renters will pursue DIY projects (vs. 35% of owners.)
Options for retailers & brands: Provide decision tools (“Do I DIY this?”) with transparent cost/time calculators, and service tie-ins that make pro assisted moments seamless.
Smart Is a Spring Essential- Outdoors and In
Smart isn’t niche anymore. Energy efficiency is driving interest in smart home tech, with energy-efficient appliances (34%) and smart energy management (31%) among the top home tech trends shoppers would consider including in their projects. Outdoor smart tech like automated gardening devices (33%) and outdoor intelligence (30%) are also top considerations for spring home upgrades.
58%
of home improvement shoppers care most about lower utility bills, closely followed by safety/security and convenience.
Options for retailers & brands: Lead with benefits shoppers care about most—lower utility bills (58%), safety/security (57%), convenience (57%)—and prove the payoff with simple scenarios and before/after visuals.
Close the Spring Planning Gap with AI/AR
Despite low AR/3D awareness among spring upgrade shoppers, 68% say AI-generated design options are valuable. This ushers in an opportunity for retailers and brands to raise awareness and adoption of augmented reality or 3D visualization apps/services by offering free trials for projects or in-store usage.
Renters and pro-led projects are the most familiar with AR or 3D visualization apps or services, pointing to targeted education opportunities. FixIt and See It Done are two apps the rise to the top with renters and professional renovations.
Options for retailers & brands: Offer “try before you buy” visualizers, bundle recommendations, and “add all to cart” flows that translate designs into shoppable lists.
Win Where They Shop
The Home Depot is the top destination for renovation or spring upgrade supplies (74%), followed by Lowe’s (60%). Walmart (40%) and Amazon (36%) are also meaningful retailers that shoppers are planning to visit for project supplies, especially for renters.
Where they ultimately shop is primarily driven by price (79%), followed by reputation (51%), and familiarity (49%), indicating that competitive pricing and building trust are essential for retailers this spring.
Retail Wins on Research
Before purchasing tech-enabled home products, 62% of shoppers will research directly with retailers, both in-store and online.
What to Do Next
Recommendations for Brands and Retailers:
- Build project-based bundles (outdoor + interior) with add-on prompts for smart devices.
- Publish DIY/pro decision guides with service pathways and cost calculators.
- Launch an AI/AR planning experience with free trials and instore demos.
- Prioritize price and trust signals across product detail pages (PDPs) and retail media placements.
Ready to maximize your next big shopper occasion?
Sources
- 2026 NIQ Consumer Study – Powered by BASES
