NEW YORK— Consumers on the hunt for cookware in 2017 will be looking for durability and versatility followed by style and design, vendors told HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®. Customers are demanding cookware that can be used in more than one way as well as those that provide a solution in the kitchen.
“The consumer is currently looking for solution- sbased functions built into individual cookware items, such as measurement marks inside pots and pans to eliminate the need for a separate measuring cup, or pour spouts built into pots and lids that eliminate the need for a colander,” said Jeffrey Kruskall, vp/business and e-commerce development at Meyer.
The oven-to-table and stove-to-table trends are helping drive cookware sales in 2017. Gibson recently debuted cookware from both its Pioneer Woman and Crock Pot lines that allow the products to serve as both the cooking vessel and a conversation piece on the table. Viking, too, debuted a stainless steel roaster with a lid that can be used as an au gratin baker and serving vessel.
“I believe that multi-function pieces will continue to be strong. They are value-added and offer the home chef more cooking options using fewer products, making clean up faster and easier,” said Jeff Malkasian, president, licensed brands, Clipper Corp. “The concept of one-pot cooking can be applied to different open stock products that allow the home chef to multitask in the kitchen. People want to cook at home, but convenience and productivity are important.”
“Cookware that doubles as individual serving pieces is poised to grow. It speaks back to the social media factor— if you can prepare and present a dish in the same vessel, and that vessel lends itself to photography, then you’re going to hit a home run,” noted Will Copenhaver, director of marketing and communications at Le Creuset.
And, said Web Browning, director of sales at Swiss Diamond, consumers have done their research about what goods will meet their needs, regardless of brand name.
“Consumers are well informed about the technical aspects of cookware as well as specific cooking styles. They are looking for products that are suitable for their unique cooking style, rather than a specific brand,” he said.
Rick Lapine, president, Hudson Home Group, also said that consumers are looking for products that are solution-based and will make a purchase regardless of brand name. “In the higher end market, innovation now is the key. The newer shopper is open to trend, quality and innovation far more than just the legacy brand on the pan,” he said.
Jason Vaske, vp/marketing for Bradshaw, which manages the Bialetti brand of cookware, noted that today’s consumer does their homework in order to make the smartest purchase decision.
“The Millennial consumer is a researcher. They search products before they purchase and if they see a bad review or blog it will influence their purchase decision,” he said.
Still Open For Business
While the open stock cookware business had been building for a while, 2015 saw a shift into increased open stock sales which gained momentum in 2016. Additionally, those in this cookware segment of the industry said that open stock sales are expected to grow in 2017. This is due to a variety of reasons, including new cooking habits and the desire for consumers to curate their own cookware sets based on their preferences.
Malkasian said that while 2016 saw a boom of open stock sales, which helped bring consumers in, the purchasing model won’t be going away anytime soon.
“Key open stock pieces were used as kickers to entice consumers to expand their collections. I think people are becoming savvier in the kitchen and choosing different substrates to help them deliver the best results. People are putting together a more specific collection of cookware by leveraging the open stock promotions versus buying a traditional set with pieces they may not use frequently. I have to believe that the increase in exposure to cooking techniques through social media and television cooking shows and competitions have an impact here,” he said.
Industry experts have said that meal delivery services are changing the way people cook and, in turn, may be a growth spot for the industry moving forward, especially in open stock sales.
“We continue to see this trend continue in 2017,” Kruskall said. “The consumers, being helped by meal kits, online recipes, and the desire to entertain at home continue to respond to specialty pieces, as they are becoming more creative in the kitchen. Grill pans, chef pans, stir frys and woks are some examples of key specialty pieces that are trending.”
Meal delivery services help consumers overcome their fear of cooking at home or trying a new dish. While these services often call for the basics when it comes to cookware, it allows consumers to feel more confident in their kitchen and use their cookware more often.
“The meal kit delivery market is also growing rapidly, allowing consumers to have fresh ingredients delivered to their doorstep to make healthy, gourmet meals from their own kitchen, such as services like FreshRealm,” said Brian Melzer, president, Epoca International. “Since these recipes require certain kinds of cookware or bakeware, open stock purchases are getting a boost, and saving money on eating out, creating healthy meals for the family and spending quality time in the kitchen together as a family.”
Patrick O’Conner, president of Range Kleen which manages the Berndes and Moneta lines of cookware, also predicts that open stock sales are going to grow as consumers can purchase one piece at a comfortable pricepoint and get used to the cookware instead of making a commitment to an expensive set.
“Open stock is an easy try me decision to test drive a quality level from a specific cookware series,” he said. “Sets represent a big commitment that many consumers are not ready to make until they have tried or gotten credible feedback from others who have.”
Healthy Living
While healthy living has been top-of-mind with consumers, manufacturers and retailers alike have said that the trend is seeing a second life as there are more tools and cookware available to make healthy living and cooking easier.
“At the beginning of January 2017, two of the top five bestsellers on Amazon were heath/diet related. There is also continued strong demand for devices that help people be more healthy like personal health trackers,” said Tom Wien, Gibson’s director of marketing and licensing. “This year, the focus on healthier living will expand. Consumers want cookware that allows them to cook with less oil/fat and that are portion controlled.”
Additionally, he said, the influence of social media and food-based blogs have also helped to revive the healthy eating trend as more people have access to recipes that help them stick to their healthy resolutions.
“If you take time to peruse through cooking blogs and social media posts you will definitely see a focus on healthier cooking that looks and tastes great. Right now there is a lot of focus on gluten-free, Paleo and other alternative diets that require special ingredients and cooking prep,” said Wien.
Bobby Griggs, vp/Hammer Stahl, explained that he also believes that healthy eating will drive cookware sales as people are looking to healthy, albeit easy, meals for their families.
“I see an increased demand for larger one-pan meal concepts. The consumer wants to avoid pre-packed food items so the concept of cooking ‘real’ ingredient meals ahead of time that store and re-heat easily appear to be on an upward trend. We are seeing strong evidence tracking social media and recipe sites behaviors,” he said.
Sharing Is Caring
Consumers, especially Millennials, are increasingly getting new cooking ideas from popular bloggers, brand ambassadors and social media. BuzzFeed, a site that is focused on virality, recently launched Tasty. The site not only seeds out food-focused articles, but it has become known for its short videos that show how easy new recipes can be to try. This, like meal delivery services, will influence the growth of Millennials cooking at home, and many in the cookware segment are already seeing the effects— and potential effects— it could have on the industry.
“The consumer encounters so many visual recipes from social media, digital media, television and the like and they wish to replicate the recipe. Consumers are looking for cookware that can accomplish a few different ideas,” said Griggs. “They are seeking simple, easy solutions that incorporate real ingredients as well as authentic, original flavors that the cooking/dining process becomes an experience.”
Melzer agreed. “There will be a major shift in the market due to social media videos and recipes gaining popularity. Millions of people are looking at social media influencers, such as Cooking Light, to create healthy recipes at home for a fraction of the cost of going out to eat and with accessible recipes and a video showing exactly how to do it,” he said.
John Anthony, president of Columbian Home Products, explained that not only is social media influencing people to cook at home, but he said that sites are making it more like an experience and are encouraging consumers to take risks in the kitchen, something that many Millennials are after.
“Cooking shows and social media videos are adding a new interest to the home kitchen unlike ever before. More people are trying different types of food and really broadening their palates. It is almost a sense of adventure; people want new flavors and dishes that are healthy, fresh and created just for their tastes. With more than half of Pinterest posts being food related, consumers are turning to their smart phone or tablet in the kitchen rather than cookbooks and recipe cards,” he said.
While social media is helping to drive more people to the kitchen, Malkasian said the ability of home cooks to share their finished products on a variety of social media sites also plays a role in recipe sharing.
“Social media users are sharing their experiences on Instagram and Snapchat. I think that Millennials use social media as a form of search in a different way than previous generations do,” he said.
Ethnic Cooking
Meal delivery kits and the social aspect of cooking at home have helped get consumers out of their comfort zones, and now ethnic cooking is poised for growth in 2017.
“We see a steady growth in our ethnic cookware— Japanese Tamago pans, woks, crepe pans, American breakfast griddles, low-height stew pots for paella and more,” said Swiss Diamond’s Browning.
Jennifer Dalquist, director of sales and marketing for Nordic Ware, noted that she has seen social media and the connection of people from different parts of the world via the Internet influence ethnic cooking as well.
“Interest in ethnic cuisine is strong, fueled by international bloggers from a variety of backgrounds, themed cooking shows on television, and tons of new restaurants across the country offering foods that test people’s comfort levels and expose them to cuisines that they would otherwise not know of,” she said.
Dalquist noted that younger generations are not only more open to trying new foods, they go to great efforts to seek them out.
“We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the international interest in some of our more unique ethnic pans, such as our egg waffle pan and our Ebelskiver,” she said.
Gibson’s Wien has also noticed a growth in ethnic cooking, but said this could also be due to the versatility of the goods used, specifically woks and steamers for Asian cooking.
“There is a growing influence of international— in particular Asian— cooking that has resulted in more retailers carrying woks and steamers. Woks are great for one-pot meals and this convenience is popular with consumers who don’t want to take a lot of time preparing meals or cleaning up afterwards,” he said.
Wien also said that Hispanic cooking is also continuing to grow as Millennials enjoy experimenting with new spices and flavors.
Manny Gaunaurd, CEO of Creative Home & Kitchen, which manages the Victoria brand of cookware, said that he predicts ethnic cooking is going to grow throughout 2017 as it has already begun to sow the seeds in American cooking culture.
“I think, in the coming years, you will see the final transition where these will be mainstream dishes in the U.S. household. You have already seen Mexican food reach this point where a Taco Tuesday is now just like eating meatloaf and mash potatoes,” he said.
