Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
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Technology continues to be a growing area of interest for homeowners—a trend that is showing up in their kitchen remodeling projects.
Houzz, an online home improvement community, surveyed more than 1,700 homeowners who completed a kitchen renovation in the past year, are in the process of a kitchen remodel or planned to start one in three months.
The Houzz research shows that 90 percent of homeowners buy new appliances during kitchen remodels, and 25 percent of the new appliances they purchase feature technology, such as touch-screen controls and built-in speakers.
Houzz also reports that one in seven homeowners adds new electronics, such as home assistants like Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa, during kitchen renovations. In addition, the data shows that wireless or Bluetooth speakers and charging stations for electronics are increasingly popular tech upgrades.
Applied to Retail
If your business hasn’t ventured into home technology yet, now might be the time to make a change.
Check with your co-op or distributor about best practices for getting started with smart home products. Consider conducting your own research to see if you can find a tech niche. Use paper surveys at the checkout counter, send short surveys to your email list or teach employees to ask customers what home technology interests them.
Selling small, portable wireless speakers and the products needed to install charging stations for smartphones may be steps in the right direction.
