Tableware and Cookware - UK - March 2021

OVERVIEW
Key issues covered in this Report
COVID-19: market context
Impact of the January lockdown and the vaccination roll-out
Economic and other assumptions
Products covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Disruption hits spending in 2020
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
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
Figure 3: Changes in shopping behaviour, 4-12 March 2021
Near three quarters of consumers made a purchase
Figure 4: Tableware/cookware purchases, December 2020
The majority spend £50 or less 
Figure 5: Expenditure levels on tableware and cookware, December 2020
Online pureplayers, supermarkets, discount and mixed good retailers gain from disruption
Figure 6: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
Opportunities to upscale expenditure moving forward
Figure 7: Table and cookware attitude statements, December 2020
Windfall of demand as restrictions ease, but demand could grow increasingly polarised in 2021
Figure 8: Table and cookware behaviours, December 2020
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
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
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
Disruption hits spending in 2020
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 
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
Figure 12: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 March 2021)
Learnings from the last recession
Figure 13: Consumer spending on tableware and cookware, 2009-13
Forecast methodology
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Cookware gains due to extended periods inside
As tableware sales are hit by restrictions
Opportunities for both sectors in 2021 
Figure 14: Market segmentation, table and cookware, 2020
Figure 15: Estimated cookware market, by segment, 2017-20
Figure 16: Estimated tableware market, by segment, 2017-20
MARKET DRIVERS
The impact of the 2021 lockdown 
House moves fall by 56.8% in April 2020…
…before picking up sharply 
Figure 17: Monthly UK residential property transactions, January 2019-January 2021
Increasing numbers of homeowners
Figure 18: England housing tenure, 2015-19
Home cooking and baking surges with restrictions
Figure 19: Changes to home cooking, 26 March-16 April 2020
Near half of consumers cook from scratch
Figure 20: Type of evening meal prepared most often in households, by age, September 2020
Homewares move up the gifting agenda 
Figure 21: Christmas gifts, homewares, 2018-20
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS
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
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
Supermarket launches
Lidl launches Le Creuset cookware look-alikes with prices starting at £3.99
Figure 22: Lidl spring kitchenware range 2020
Sainsbury's Home launches AW20 collection
Figure 23: Sainsbury’s Dutch Glam range, 2021
Tesco launches Spring Summer Homeware collection and prices start from £1
Figure 24: Tesco & Fox and Ivy's Spring Summer collection 2020
Morrisons launches stylish dinnerware range, with prices starting from just £2
Figure 25: Morrisons sustainable drinking glasses and water bottles from Recycled range, 2020
Non-specialist launches
PrettyLittleThing launches own homeware
Figure 26: PLT dinnerware 2020
Mango to launch new homeware line
ASOS launches its first homeware collection
Figure 27: Eclectic Luxe range, 2019
Westfield launches a “very rental Christmas” pop-up
Figure 28: Westfield’s rental pop-up shop, 2020
Sustainable launches
Aldi launches new al fresco dining range ahead of heatwave
Figure 29: Aldi’s outdoor dining range 2020
Lakeland launches biodegradable cling film
Figure 30: Lakeland’s biodegradable cling film, 2020
Biodegradable tableware
Seasonal launches
Le Creuset launches limited festive range
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
Figure 32: Asda’s Mickey Mouse range 2020
John Lewis launched a virtual Christmas shop
Figure 33: John Lewis virtual Christmas shop tour, 2020
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ACTIVITY
Total sector advertising spend falls 28.2% year-on-year in 2020
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
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
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
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
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
Anxiety eases off slightly following third lockdown spike
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
Figure 39: Changes in shopping behaviour, by age, 4-12 March 2021
The sector could be buoyed by redirected spending
Figure 40: Spending, by sector, 4-12 March 2021
PRODUCTS PURCHASED
Near three quarters of consumers made a purchase
Cookware leads recent purchases 
Tableware hit by restrictions 
Figure 41: Tableware purchases, December 2020
Figure 42: Cookware purchases, December 2020
Consumers rarely purchase four or more items
Figure 43: Repertoire of tableware and cookware purchases, December 2020
HOW MUCH THEY SPENT
The majority spend £50 or less 
Figure 44: Expenditure level on tableware and cookware, December 2020
Older consumers spend less on average
Figure 45: Tableware expenditure, by age band, December 2020
Figure 46: Cookware expenditure, by age band, December 2020
Consumer attitudes shift with spend
Figure 47: Cookware expenditure, by attitudes, December 2020
RETAILERS USED
Supermarkets lead total purchases
Online retailers see sharp gains from disruption
Non-food discounters come to the fore 
Department stores suffer 
Figure 48: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
Amazon is the standout performer
Figure 49: Retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
Consumers are more likely to shop around for tableware
Figure 50: Repertoire of retailers used for tableware and cookware, December 2020
CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS TABLEWARE/COOKWARE
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
Figure 51: Table and cookware attitude statements, December 2020
Clear opportunities to upscale expenditure
Opportunities for ‘lifestyle brand’ tableware
Figure 52: Table and cookware attitude statements, by age, December 2020
COVID-19 AND SHOPPING BEHAVIOURS
Necessity remains the key trigger to purchase
Although extended periods indoors open new opportunities
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 
Figure 54: Table and cookware shopping behaviours, by socioeconomic group, December 2020
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Forecast methodology