Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Housewares sales have dropped overall in the U.S., but home improvement stores have increased market share for the category.
Annual U.S. housewares expenditures slowed to 2.3-percent growth between 2013 and 2014, down from 5.9-percent growth between 2012 and 2013, according to the International Housewares Association’s (IHA) 2015 IHA State of the Industry Report.
However, hardware stores and home centers accounted for a larger share of housewares sales in 2014 than in 2013, the report says.
Below is additional data from IHA’s report that illustrates the total expenditures and growth in housewares subcategories that are sold in a large number of home improvement stores. IHA’s report includes additional subcategories less commonly sold at home improvement stores, so they are not included on the graph.
Applied to Retail: Housewares sales growth experienced in the home improvement channel and in the categories on the graph reinforces the fact that housewares remains a viable category for hardware retailers.
Outdoor equipment and furniture, for example, experienced strong growth over the past five years, which is in line with the overall trend of consumers wanting to create inviting outdoor living spaces. This growth is favorable for home improvement stores as they look to expand their lawn and garden and outdoor living departments, as well as add decor products that could be used to make the transition seamless from indoor to outdoor living spaces.
To see new products and upcoming trends in the housewares category, attend IHA’s International Home + Housewares Show, scheduled for March 5-8 in Chicago. For more information on the show, visit housewares.org.
