When shopping for tabletop items, consumers are most motivated by appearance, followed by price, according to market research firm The NPD Group Inc. Good value rounds out the top three purchase motivators, according to NPD’s Consumer Tracking Service.
Casual tabletop remains an ongoing trend.
Some bright spots in the tabletop industry so far this year have been crystal and acrylic or plastic beverageware, accounting for one-third of the dollars in the 12 months ending August 2011, grabbing market share away from more mainstream products where glass is the primary material. Sales of wine glasses, champagne glasses and goblets, which account for 15 percent of the dollars spent on beverageware, are rising after dipping in sales the year prior.
Casual dinnerware and flatware continue to gain market share, up five and four percentage points, respectively. Serving items, such as platters, bowls, and utensils, all had a good year in the market, thanks to the continued trend of entertaining at home.
According to the NPD, share of online sales are not growing for the housewares industry overall; the in-store shopping experience accounts for 75 percent of tabletop sales. Consumers shopping for dinnerware, beverageware and flatware prefer seeing and holding the products in person as part of the decision-making process. NPD also found that the incidence of buying tabletop items as gifts has declined from 21 percent to 17 percent, indicating that more consumers are buying these items for themselves.
“With so many categories competing for consumers’ hard-earned disposable income, it will take more than a great price to attract buyers to a particular category,” said Debra Mednick, executive director, The NPD Group. “Key purchase influencers are more often newness and appealing design... There’s more focus on self-purchasing as opposed to gifting, which has additional implications for marketing and promotion. The industry has a window of opportunity to capture the attention of conflicted consumers with products that have the look and value they are seeking.”
