Sales of home-related products – including small appliances, non-electric housewares and home fashions – increased 3 percent in 2013, reaching $46 billion in sales, according to The NPD Group.
The majority of the sales growth came from small appliance categories, which grew 7 percent in 2013, while non-electric housewares increased 1 percent.
“Consumers are spending more on their homes, from adding items to spruce up the appearance, to upgrading with better quality, performance or convenience in mind,” said Debra Mednick, executive director and home industry analyst for Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD.
All three major segments within the small appliance industry experienced dollar growth in 2013. Blender/mixer/chopper systems, specialty stylers, juice extractors, espresso makers and bare floor cleaners are among the strongest-performing categories. Increases in the average price paid for products played an important role in the growth of both small kitchen appliances (up 5 percent) and personal care appliances (up 4 percent). Online is also playing an important role – while in-store sales of small appliances grew slightly (up 1 percent), and still account for the lion’s share of industry dollars (72 percent), online sales grew an impressive 20 percent, now representing 20 percent of total dollar sales.
“The small appliance trade-up trend continues. Consumers are willing to pay more for the effective do-it-yourself solutions, simple pleasures, added convenience and better quality benefits that new and innovative product offerings are delivering,” said Mednick.
The star of non-electric housewares products in 2013 was cookware, which saw sales increase 3 percent to $2.1 billion (37 percent of the total market). The tabletop spotlight was on dinnerware, as the average spend has increased over the last two years. Overall, online sales brought in 17 percent of non-electric housewares dollars in 2013, and grew 16 percent from the previous year.
“Infomercials and celebrity chefs are touting the benefits of cast iron and nontoxic cookware, addressing the healthy and easy-to-clean sweet spots that many consumers are seeking,” said Mednick. “The small appliance trade-up story extends to dinnerware, as consumers are gravitating toward quality casual options in more expensive materials.”
