-By Jennifer Strailey

We've heard the industry forecasters say that consumers are returning to the kitchen -- eating out less and preparing meals at home more. Of course, making meals at home requires having the necessary tools for the job in one's kitchen. Perhaps this is why, in spite of economic blues in early 2009, specialty retailers are telling us that for the most part, sales of small electrics are on track. While some retailers are saying that sales in 2009 are about the same as last year, others are seeing an increase.

What do consumers want most from a small electrics purchase? Retailers say that features, price and quality trump design and color. With this in mind, retailers also report that demonstrating small electrics is the key to selling them.

Snapshot in Small Electrics
According to the NPD Group, the category of waffle irons/sandwich makers is leading the pack. In addition to showing an increase in unit sales for the 12 months from June-May 2009 vs. June-May 2008, the category also grew in dollar sales, indicating an increase in average selling price. Waffle irons/sandwich makers were up 7.2 percent in unit sales for June-May 2009 vs. June-May 2008, and dollar sales for that period were $83,952,000 -- up 16.6 percent from June-May 2008.

The NPD Group reports that the opposite is true for electric grills/griddles and food processors, where units grew faster than dollars. Unit sales for the electric grills/griddles category were up 3.8 percent for June-May 2009 vs. June-May 2008, while dollar sales showed only a 1.1 percent increase, up from $199,008,000 in June-May 2008 to $201,228,000 in June-May 2009. Food processors showed a 2 percent increase in unit sales for the 12 months ending May 2008 vs. the 12 months ending May 2009, but only a 0.7 percent increase in dollar sales from June-May 2008 to June-May 2009.

Despite a 4.3 percent decline in unit sales in the 12 months ending May 2009, blenders saw a slight increase in dollar sales compared to last year, which NPD says also points to a growth in average sales price. Dollar sales for blenders were $411,482,000 for the 12 months ending May 2008, and rose to $412,022,000 for the 12 months ending May 2009.

Coffee/Espresso Makers
The NPD Group reports that while the total unit sales of the coffee/espresso makers category is down, unit sales of espresso makers alone are up by 2.5 percent for the 12 months ending May 2009 vs. the previous 12 months. That said, dollar sales are down for the category across the board. NPD finds that sales for the total coffee/espresso maker category went down from $981,597,000 for the 12 months ending May 2008 to $937,188,000 for the 12 months ending May 2009.

About NPD
The NPD Group provides comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries, including: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com.