Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The irons market has registered seven consecutive months of value growth since the turn of the year.
According to GfK, irons were the poorest-performing “must-have” small appliance sector throughout the recession, struggling with a downturn in demand that saw a decline in volume and subsequent struggle for value growth.
Now, though, says GfK, irons have enjoyed a 4.3% rise in value in the 12 months to August, valuing the total market at over £133m.
This was despite a 3% decline in volume, indicating that the average price of an iron was 7.6% higher than in the previous year.
The irons market, though, remains less valuable than it was two years ago, suggesting that there is still potential for continued growth.
A key area that has driven value growth is the continued success of the premium ironing systems segment, dominated by the steam generator. This market has grown by 9% in the last year to nearly £35m while only growing in volume sales by 0.1%, as those opting to buy a steam generator pay more.
Steam generators now account for 26% of the total irons market value and, says GfK, looking ahead, it seems that the trend towards the premium generator segment is set to continue: steam generators could close in on 30% market share by August 2011.
