Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Living in compact homes is more than a trend that has inspired television shows such as HGTV’s Tiny House Hunters and FYI’s Tiny House Nation. It’s a lifestyle change.
More homeowners want to maximize their living space as they downsize or move in together, requiring organization, according to Packaged Facts’ Home Organization in the U.S.: General Purpose, Closets, Garages, and Storage Sheds, 3rd Edition report.
A focus on organization is especially popular for garages, since storage, rather than parking vehicles, is the main functionality of many Americans’ garages, according to data from Home Innovation Research Labs’ 2013 Garage Usage Study.
Consumers want storage solutions to organize their homes and make the best use of small living spaces.
Applied to Retail: If you already provide storage solutions to your customers, consider additional products they may find beneficial, beyond basic plastic tubs and under-the-bed organizers.
Find dual-functioning products that not only store and organize but also serve other purposes, such as benches or coffee tables.
Builder’s hardware is another category that is improving the storage capabilities of homes through specialty products, such as hydraulic hinges. When these hinges are installed in kitchen cabinets, they create “easy-close doors (that) fold up and out of the way with a touch of a button – making them perfect for kitchens where space is an issue,” says FortuneBuilders, which is a real estate education company.
