Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Tea-loving Brits have flicked the switch on kettles in favour of an alternative way of making a cuppa, according to Homebase.
The appeal of instantaneous boiling water is winning over traditionalists at the home improvement retailer, with sales of hot taps up 87% year-on-year for the chain.
With 165 million cups of tea drunk each day in the UK, the hot tap is now seen as a must have for kitchens to meet demand for a cup of tea, a Homebase spokesperson said.
“Hot taps not only provide customers with an easy and convenient way of getting hot water but for many, they’re a style decision for kitchens as they look so great,” the spokesperson continued.
“The phenomenal popularity of the hot tap looks set to sound the death knell for the kettle. If you are working or studying from home, having a hot tap can save precious minutes. This could end the surge in the national grid during advert breaks as it only takes a few seconds to get a drink, so you can get one whenever you like.”
Homebase sells around 38,000 products for the home and garden at 271 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland and through www.homebase.co.uk. In the financial year to February 2015, Homebase sales were £1.5 billion and it employed some 17,000 people across the business.
Homebase is part of Home Retail Group.
