The impact of the recession on housewares is clearly shown by 2.5 million fewer adults buying housewares in 2009 compared with 2006, with purchases such as curtains and lighting among the most affected.
Among retailers it is the supermarkets and Wilkinson's who have gained the most ground since 2004, but Argos remains the number one choice with over a third of adults (18 million) making a housewares purchase from them.
Housewares buyers are increasingly price conscious, with nearly three in ten shopping around more at different stores to get the lowest price (15 million) and a similar proportion browsing more online to get the best price (14 million).
The impact of the recession on housewares is clearly shown by 2.5 million fewer adults buying housewares in 2009 compared with 2006, with purchases such as curtains and lighting among the most affected.
Among retailers it is the supermarkets and Wilkinson's who have gained the most ground since 2004, but Argos remains the number one choice with over a third of adults (18 million) making a housewares purchase from them.
Housewares buyers are increasingly price conscious, with nearly three in ten shopping around more at different stores to get the lowest price (15 million) and a similar proportion browsing more online to get the best price (14 million).
There is a desire for keeping up appearances and more than four in ten adults (21 million) think it is important that their home looks good for visiting guests.
Cooking and home entertaining are high on the agenda, with a third (17 million) spending a lot of time preparing and cooking foods and three in ten (15 million) regularly entertaining friends.
With a quarter of adults (12 million) having redecorated a room in the last two years there exists a significant opportunity for driving more sales of home accessories.
The DIY market has been hard hit by the recession because it has come on top of a declining trend that has been evident for the last five years. Nor is there any short term prospect of recovery. Consumers’ incomes are likely to be squeezed both this year and next and the housing market could well see a second fall. It may not actually be a double dip recession, but that is what it will feel like for
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The impact of the recession on housewares is clearly shown by 2.5 million fewer adults buying housewares in 2009 compared with 2006, with purchases such as curtains and lighting among the most affected.
