This report examines trends within the UK market for kitchen furniture, which Mintel last examined in September 2001. One of the more buoyant sectors within the furniture market in recent years, the kitchen furniture market has seen its value boosted by above-average price inflation. Indeed, consumer interest in kitchen furniture has remained relatively strong, assisted by the high level of housing transactions and the continuing importance of investment in rooms such as the kitchen.

Internally, the market continues to develop, with the profile of fitted kitchen furniture remaining strong and thus accounting for around two-thirds of sales. Flat-pack furniture, however, is seeing a slight increase in importance among consumers, assisted in part by the ever-increasing presence of DIY multiples and the need for many manufacturer/retailers to minimise costs and thus offer flat-pack. As for retailing, the sector is dominated by a few household names, of which MFI is among the more significant. At the premium end of the market there exist a large number of specialist retailers, although increasingly their numbers are falling back as the retail sector begins to consolidate.

This report has been designed to offer you a clear and practical understanding of the UK kitchen furniture market, offering the level of information you need to focus marketing activity towards demand and new opportunity. It provides a major overview of the developments that have shaped the market over the last two years, examining the category and its sectors in great detail. In addition, this report also contains exclusive insight into the consumer needs that underpin and determine the market dynamics, further bolstering your market knowledge.

Key findings include:

Fresh opportunities in a maturing market - Despite what would appear to be a mature market, opportunities are evident particularly in the increase in the penetration of fitted kitchens, for example among lower socio-economic groups. Here a degree of trading up appears to be taking place, boosted by the increase in the percentage of purchases of kitchen furniture above £3,000 being made by consumers - and this in a market where prices are relatively stable. Equally optimistic from Mintel's exclusive research is the importance of kitchen furniture purchases to those who have recently moved home, families and the young in general.

Offering you new insight into:

- Market Drivers

- Market Size and Trends

- Market Segmentation

- The Supply Structure

- Distribution

- Advertising and Promotion

- Consumer attitudes and purchasing trends

- Future trends

- Five year sales forecasts

Other related reports include:

- Fridges and Freezers - UK, Market Intelligence, September 2003

- Cookware - UK, Market Intelligence, June2003

- Microwave Ovens - UK, Market Intelligence, April 2003

- Small Kitchen Appliances - Tabletop Cooking - UK, Market Intelligence, March 2003

- Small Kitchen Appliances - Food Preparation - UK, Market Intelligence, Feb 2003

- Laundry and Dishwasher Appliances - UK, Market Intelligence, January 2003

- Furniture Retailing - UK, Retail Intelligence, December 2002

- Living and Dining Room Furniture - UK, Market Intelligence, November 2003.

Definitions

This report addresses both fitted and free-standing kitchen furniture, sold either in ready-assembled or flat-pack form, and regardless of whether installed by specialists or consumer end-users themselves. Kitchen furniture items included in this report are:

storage units such as cupboards, shelving and dressers

work surfaces

tables

chairs and

bar stools.

There is an element of unquantifiable overlap with dining room furniture in the area of tables and chairs, as increasing numbers of householders prefer a large kitchen/dining area to a traditional separate dining room.

It is not possible to exclude installation charges or other ancillary costs like design fees, as it remains the case that the majority of kitchen furniture is sold as a complete fitted package.

Plumbed-in items, such as sinks and waste disposal units, are excluded, as are specialist food-storage white goods such as refrigerators and freezers. Furniture sold for non-domestic use (ie to the catering trade), second-hand furniture and complete kitchens sold to the building trade for installation in new houses are all also excluded.