Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Disruption hits spending in 2020
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on tableware and cookware, 24 March 2021
- The market
- Spending drops 1.2% amid wave of restrictions
- A windfall of demand moving forwards but demand could polarise
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- Figure 2: Consumer spending on table and cookware, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 March 2021)
- Cookware outperforms tableware in 2020, but remains the smaller sector
- Companies and brands
- Specialists’ pivot to e-commerce and brand extensions amid disruption
- Affordability and sustainability the key trends in sector innovation
- The consumer
- COVID-19 has seen a fundamental shift in shopping behaviours
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- Figure 3: Changes in shopping behaviour, 4-12 March 2021
- Near three quarters of consumers made a purchase
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- Figure 4: Tableware/cookware purchases, December 2020
- The majority spend £50 or less
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- Figure 5: Expenditure levels on tableware and cookware, December 2020
- Online pureplayers, supermarkets, discount and mixed good retailers gain from disruption
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- Figure 6: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
- Opportunities to upscale expenditure moving forward
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- Figure 7: Table and cookware attitude statements, December 2020
- Windfall of demand as restrictions ease, but demand could grow increasingly polarised in 2021
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- Figure 8: Table and cookware behaviours, December 2020
Issues and Insights
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- The short-term impact from COVID-19
- The long-term impact from COVID-19
- Opportunity for clothing retailers to expand into tableware
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- COVID-19 disruption hits spending
- A windfall of demand moving forwards
- But demand could polarise
- Cookware outperforms tableware in 2020, but remains the smaller sector
Market Size and Forecast
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- Disruption hits spending in 2020
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- Figure 9: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on tableware and cookware, 24 March 2021
- Spending drops 1.2% amid wave of restrictions
- Restrictions hit tableware sales
- Despite new opportunities amid the surge in home cooking and baking
- Before recovering growth in 2021 onwards
- The release of pent-up demand
- An opportunity to upscale expenditure
- But a risk of polarising demand below this
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- Figure 10: Consumer spending on table and cookware, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 March 2021)
- Figure 11: Consumer spending on table and cookware, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 March 2021)
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 12: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 March 2021)
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 13: Consumer spending on tableware and cookware, 2009-13
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Cookware gains due to extended periods inside
- As tableware sales are hit by restrictions
- Opportunities for both sectors in 2021
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- Figure 14: Market segmentation, table and cookware, 2020
- Figure 15: Estimated cookware market, by segment, 2017-20
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- Figure 16: Estimated tableware market, by segment, 2017-20
Market Drivers
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- The impact of the 2021 lockdown
- House moves fall by 56.8% in April 2020…
- …before picking up sharply
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- Figure 17: Monthly UK residential property transactions, January 2019-January 2021
- Increasing numbers of homeowners
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- Figure 18: England housing tenure, 2015-19
- Home cooking and baking surges with restrictions
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- Figure 19: Changes to home cooking, 26 March-16 April 2020
- Near half of consumers cook from scratch
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- Figure 20: Type of evening meal prepared most often in households, by age, September 2020
- Homewares move up the gifting agenda
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- Figure 21: Christmas gifts, homewares, 2018-20
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Specialists’ pivot to e-commerce and brand extensions to offset COVID-19 disruption
- Non-specialists ramp up cookware credentials and tap into affordable multi-purchasing opportunities
- Affordability and sustainability the key trends in sector innovation
- Sector advertising spend falls nearly-30% year-on-year in 2020
Competitive Strategies
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- Loyalty scheme and collaborations help Lakeland return to growth
- Portmeirion Group adjust to COVID-19 disruption with virtual showroom and brand extension
- Heritage brand Le Creuset pivots towards direct-to-consumer business
- Supermarkets target budget-conscious buyers with prices starting at £1
- Amazon strengthen cookware credentials and destination appeal with MasterChef tie-up
- John Lewis aiming to be the number one destination for cooking with mini-store concept in Waitrose
- Wilko tapping into home movers’ kitchen essentials multi-purchasing opportunity
Launch Activity and Innovations
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- Supermarket launches
- Lidl launches Le Creuset cookware look-alikes with prices starting at £3.99
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- Figure 22: Lidl spring kitchenware range 2020
- Sainsbury's Home launches AW20 collection
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- Figure 23: Sainsbury’s Dutch Glam range, 2021
- Tesco launches Spring Summer Homeware collection and prices start from £1
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- Figure 24: Tesco & Fox and Ivy's Spring Summer collection 2020
- Morrisons launches stylish dinnerware range, with prices starting from just £2
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- Figure 25: Morrisons sustainable drinking glasses and water bottles from Recycled range, 2020
- Non-specialist launches
- PrettyLittleThing launches own homeware
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- Figure 26: PLT dinnerware 2020
- Mango to launch new homeware line
- ASOS launches its first homeware collection
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- Figure 27: Eclectic Luxe range, 2019
- Westfield launches a “very rental Christmas” pop-up
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- Figure 28: Westfield’s rental pop-up shop, 2020
- Sustainable launches
- Aldi launches new al fresco dining range ahead of heatwave
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- Figure 29: Aldi’s outdoor dining range 2020
- Lakeland launches biodegradable cling film
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- Figure 30: Lakeland’s biodegradable cling film, 2020
- Biodegradable tableware
- Seasonal launches
- Le Creuset launches limited festive range
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- Figure 31: Le Creuset Christmas range 2020
- Aldi launched their latest Premium Kitchen range just in time for Christmas
- Asda launched Mickey Mouse Christmas homeware
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- Figure 32: Asda’s Mickey Mouse range 2020
- John Lewis launched a virtual Christmas shop
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- Figure 33: John Lewis virtual Christmas shop tour, 2020
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Total sector advertising spend falls 28.2% year-on-year in 2020
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- Figure 34: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on tableware and cookware, 2016-20
- Significant uptick in cookware advertising expenditure on the back of home cooking trend
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- Figure 35: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on tableware and cookware, by product category, 2016-20
- Lakeland ramps up advertising expenditure on back of a brand identity revamp
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- Figure 36: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on table and cookware, by leading advertisers, 2016-20
- Direct mail accounts for nearly a third of total sector expenditure
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- Figure 37: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on tableware and cookware, by media type, 2020
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Cookware leads recent purchases as tableware hit by restrictions
- Online pureplayers, supermarkets and non-food discounters gain from disruption
- The opportunity for fashion-led ‘lifestyle brand’ tableware
- Windfall of demand as restrictions ease in 2021
- But this could grow increasingly polarised
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Anxiety eases off slightly following third lockdown spike
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- Figure 38: Extremely worried about exposure to COVID-19/coronavirus, 8 January-12 March 2021
- A fundamental change in shopping behaviours
- Older consumers lead the shift in behaviour
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- Figure 39: Changes in shopping behaviour, by age, 4-12 March 2021
- The sector could be buoyed by redirected spending
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- Figure 40: Spending, by sector, 4-12 March 2021
Products Purchased
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- Near three quarters of consumers made a purchase
- Cookware leads recent purchases
- Tableware hit by restrictions
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- Figure 41: Tableware purchases, December 2020
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- Figure 42: Cookware purchases, December 2020
- Consumers rarely purchase four or more items
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- Figure 43: Repertoire of tableware and cookware purchases, December 2020
How Much They Spent
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- The majority spend £50 or less
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- Figure 44: Expenditure level on tableware and cookware, December 2020
- Older consumers spend less on average
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- Figure 45: Tableware expenditure, by age band, December 2020
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- Figure 46: Cookware expenditure, by age band, December 2020
- Consumer attitudes shift with spend
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- Figure 47: Cookware expenditure, by attitudes, December 2020
Retailers Used
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- Supermarkets lead total purchases
- Online retailers see sharp gains from disruption
- Non-food discounters come to the fore
- Department stores suffer
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- Figure 48: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
- Amazon is the standout performer
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- Figure 49: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
- Consumers are more likely to shop around for tableware
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- Figure 50: Repertoire of retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
Consumer Attitudes towards Tableware/Cookware
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- Gifting remains a crucial window
- Cooking and baking come to the fore as a way to unwind
- Consumers still look for reassurances prior to purchase
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- Figure 51: Table and cookware attitude statements, December 2020
- Clear opportunities to upscale expenditure
- Opportunities for ‘lifestyle brand’ tableware
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- Figure 52: Table and cookware attitude statements, by age, December 2020
COVID-19 and Shopping Behaviours
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- Necessity remains the key trigger to purchase
- Although extended periods indoors open new opportunities
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- Figure 53: Table and cookware behaviours, December 2020
- Restrictions hit spending
- A release of pent-up demand in 2021
- …but also a growing polarisation in demand
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- Figure 54: Table and cookware shopping behaviours, by socioeconomic group, December 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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