Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The average US household spent $609 on housewares in 2008 – a 0.7% increase from the previous year.
The finding, which appears in the new 2009 International Housewares Association State of the Industry Report, means that US homes spent more on housewares than on dairy products and just slightly less than on fruit and vegetables.
Other key findings from the report include the fact that 58% of IHA member companies produce all their products offshore, and that 65% export product to other countries.
Discount stores and supercentres remain the sales leaders in all housewares categories, yet other channels picked up market share for the second consecutive year.
Virtual retailers distributed 13% of 2008 housewares sales, which was slightly down from 2007, but gains were seen from manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer websites.
The report points out that housewares manufacturers looking to advertise may need to follow their audiences closely as they “migrate from the traditional print media to online options”.
It also says that today’s consumer is likely to experience less densely-packed aisles than in the mid-90s, when stores emptied one less time per year and retail space was 10 sq ft smaller per person.
The 2009 SOI Report is available at www.housewares.org. Non-members can purchase a copy of the report for $500.
