2.1 million

Number of stand-alone freezers shipped in 2008 in the U.S., according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, a 5.2 percent increase over 2007 shipments. The gain suggests that consumers need increased freezer space as they buy more in bulk and hope to save money. Either that, or people have been bagging lots of game during hunting seasons.

The rise in freezer sales might not sound impressive, but freezers were the only major appliance to post positive year-over-year results. Shipments of all major appliances declined 8.9 percent for the year.

Essential information: Read our report on freezers and visit our appliances hub to access information on other appliances.