NPD: Housewares industry showing signs of growth

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. In first quarter 2010, kitchen electrics dollar sales grew by 10% over the same time last year, and unit sales were up nearly 6%, according to The NPD Group.

Kitchen electric categories like electric grills and griddles, food processors, coffee/espresso makers, deep fryers, electric skillets, and slow cookers have generated double-digit dollar and unit growth in the 12 months ending March 2010, compared with the same time in 2009.

“Consumers are continuing their cost-cutting ways by spending more time at home, and cooking more,” said Peter Goldman, president of NPD’s home division. “Alternatively, there is an increased demand for more premium-priced products such as single-serve coffeemakers, stand mixers and juice extractors.”

Kitchen housewares are also showing signs of recovery, but have been less resilient than the kitchen electrics category segment, according to the report.  While sales are not back to the levels where they were two years ago, the trend is beginning to stabilize.  In the first quarter of this year, total kitchen housewares grew 5% in dollars, versus first quarter 2009. Categories such as bakeware, cookware, and cutlery all generated strong dollar growth in this quarter. Tabletop sales began to move in a positive direction, as well, with a focus on casual dinnerware (+2%) and beverageware (+4%) driving the growth in these categories.

“The housewares industry has started to emerge from a relatively tough economic environment.  Housewares buyers are now showing us signs that they want to refresh their kitchen and tabletop items, even if it means trading down or buying more casual products for the time being,” ended Goldman.