Multi-cookers have been a hot segment in small electrics and that trend has continued during the holiday season, according to The NPD Group.
Over a 12 month period ending November 2017, NPD said multi-cooker sales were up 79%. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, consumers gobbled up multi-cookers with inventory at leading retailers either sold out or low, NPD added.
“Multi-cookers are hitting all of the hot buttons for today’s consumers— speed and convenience in healthy at-home meal-prep, multi-functionality and ease of use,” said Joe Derochowski, executive director and home industry analyst at NPD. “They are a great example of product innovation meeting consumer needs— multi-cookers are not a fad.”
In addition, NPD officials said American’s continued appetite for fresh ingredients in meals and less of a reliance on packaged and frozen foods is also having a positive impact on sales of multi-cookers.
“In the past, we saved time by using frozen or ready-to-eat meals. Now we’re eating more fresh foods that require more preparation and cooking,” said Darren Seifer, NPD’s food and beverage industry analyst. “The time savings for many of us are built into how we source the foods or which kitchen tools we use. Kitchen items, like multi-cookers, help with meal preparation conveniently and quickly.”
Household penetration of multi-cookers is still relatively modest at 11.5%, but NPD’s Derochowski said that penetration will go up significantly during the holidays.
