HomePage News 2022 Consumer Outlook Survey

Sizing Up Housewares Purchase Intent Category By Category

The first annual HomePage News Consumer Outlook Survey, commissioned in partnership with the International Housewares Association, was fielded recently to help suppliers and retailers pinpoint home and housewares opportunities in the coming year.

Consumer home and housewares purchasing was supercharged during the pandemic as fundamental shifts in living directed unprecedented surges in traffic in stores and online for products that facilitated and enriched home lifestyles.

A big question as the pandemic inches closer to its end is how the recalibrated balance of homebound and outbound living will impact consumer purchase considerations and priorities in the home and housewares space.

Suppliers and retailers are planning now to develop and curate the right mix of products as consumer home goods purchase motivation moves from more transactional to more aspirational, to be influenced by a wider range of differentiating variables.

The first annual HomePage News Consumer Outlook Survey, commissioned in partnership with the International Housewares Association, was fielded recently to help suppliers and retailers pinpoint home and housewares opportunities in the coming year. 

The inaugural HomePage News Consumer Outlook report reveals key purchase intent findings from an online survey by Morning Consult of some 4,000 U.S. adults between November 15 and November 18, 2021. The survey was weighted based on several demographic variables to approximate a target sample of adults most likely to purchase home and housewares products. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. 

Through detailed charts and exclusive analysis, the comprehensive report reveals consumer purchase decision factors in 15 core home and housewares categories: 

  • Bakeware
  • Cleaning Tools
  • Cookware
  • Cutlery
  • Dinnerware
  • Drinkware
  • Flatware
  • Floor Care Electrics
  • Glassware
  • Home Environment
  • Kitchen Electrics
  • Kitchen Textiles
  • Kitchen Tools & Gadgets
  • Personal Care & Wellness
  • Storage & Organization

For each of these core categories, the survey reveals which housewares products consumers plan to buy; how much they expect to pay; retail channels in which they expect to shop; and key product attributes and lifestyle factors expected to influence their purchase choices.

The margin of error is shrinking when it comes to securing share in a retail market reshaped by the collision of fast-evolving product development, merchandising and marketing innovation in a global pandemic. This has tuned shoppers spanning multiple generations to their personal lifestyles and purchasing priorities like never before.

The HomePage News 2022 Consumer Outlook serves up a detailed guide that can be used in the coming year by home and housewares suppliers and retailers to bring informed insight and precision to their strategic efforts to sustain high demand, inspire purchasing and optimize consumer satisfaction in the home and housewares industry.

 

Kitchen Tools & Gadgets

 

Fueled by the desire to try new recipes and test new cooking techniques, consumers have been adding kitchen tools and gadgets to their arsenal at a steady pace.

According to data from the HomePage News 2022 Consumer Outlook Survey, 58% of respondents stated they were somewhat likely or very likely to make a kitchen tool or gadget purchase in the next 12 months. And their motivation? The majority (46%) stated it was to replace an old or broken tool or gadget, while nearly 20% stated it was to try a tool or gadget with a new feature. Both of these responses indicate consumers are ready for something new.

With a focus on convenience to tackle fresh ingredients quickly and efficiently, the industry has been focused on single-use tools that get the job done. Graters and peelers have seen a resurgence in order to tackle peeling or grating different types of vegetables for slaws and salads such as beets, asparagus and yucca.

Meanwhile, baking accessories have also seen an uptick as consumers are looking for cookie dough scoops and batter dispensers that give them precise results. Food scales have also seen growth in interest because of a focus on healthier portions and perfecting recipes. Meanwhile, growing interest in spices is driving purchase intent for a variety of tools designed specifically for grating or milling cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger and turmeric.

And while new ideas are a hot commodity, so too are classic tools and gadgets with modern updates.

Consumers reported that they were most interested in purchasing a new can opener (selected by 37% of respondents), measuring cups and spoons (31%), tongs (30%) and coffee or tea accessories (28%).

As for price expectations, the sweet spot falls within $5 to $39.99 with the majority (65%) selecting this as their preferred price range. Consumers indicate they are willing to accept higher prices on such kitchen tools as a wine opener, aerator, spiralizer or manual food chopper that satisfy their needs.

Consumers still gravitate mostly to stainless steel (52%) tools versus silicone (16%).

As with the majority of categories, consumers said they rely most on online product reviews (23%) and family or friend recommendations when making purchase decisions.

 

More Kitchen Tools & Gadgets Findings:

Click on charts to enlarge.

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