Beverage Specialization Refreshes Housewares Opportunities

What’s hot and what’s not in the world of home beverage?

In the annual Home Beverage Report 2016, HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® explores the home beverage appliance and related housewares marketplace, analyzing key product segments, retail and sales performance, future growth potential and changing consumer preferences.

Housewares suppliers and retailers in the home beverage marketplace today are focused on meeting the continued lifestyle preference of consumers who want to make a variety of specialized drinks at home.

A trend that spans across all demographics, the desire for shoppers young and old to make espresso, cappuccino or a variety of unique tea flavors remains strong. This has provided electric and non-electric coffeemaker suppliers the opportunity to develop new appliances and housewares that give their retail customers a chance to refresh in-store assortments.

In addition to the changes in hot beverage categories, the on-going desire for many consumers to live a healthier lifestyle continues to be a major influence on several beverage-related segments. Categories including citrus juicing, hydration and water filtration are seeing solid sales growth as consumers look to have greater control over the beverages they consume on a daily basis.

“The younger generation of consumers are focused on beverages that are clean and natural, while the empty nesters are treating this as a health issue,” said Joe Derochowski, executive director, home industry analyst with The NPD Group. “These two groups are also focused on managing their money and tend to eat and drink at home a great deal.”

More recently, the water filtration segment has been in the forefront largely because of headline grabbing water quality issues in Flint, MI, and other communities across the U.S.

Another key market trend in the on-the-go and home entertaining thermal beverageware segment is the rise of adult drinks and cocktails. Vendors are focusing on vessels that can serve multiple purposes, including designs that can serve and transport adult beverages, such as white wine and frozen cocktails, and keep them cold on the go, mixing a fun element along with the function for the outdoor consumer looking to take their drink to the beach, pool, a picnic or tailgating, for example.

“We’re certainly seeing consumers really appreciating the benefits of vacuum insulation. We’ve seen it in coffee, we’re seeing it trend into water bottles on the market and the third area is now in this area of entertaining,” said Todd Starr, vp/marketing and product development, Ignite USA.

The annual Home Beverage Report examines the current-day trends in several categories and how changing consumer demands are serving to shape an ever changing marketplace. Rounding out the report are recent appliance introductions in each housewares category as well as a look at retail merchandising presentations.

See the May 23, 2016, issue of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® for the Home Beverage Report 2016.