IHA News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Deborah A.Teschke
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
847-692-0110

CONSUMERS FOCUS ON HOME ORGANIZATION, HOME IMPROVEMENT IN 2006

ROSEMONT, ILL (January 2006) – Home comfort, home organization and home improvement are the dominant trends among American consumers in 2006 as many homeowners direct their energies toward creating a one-of-a-kind home environment. No longer are Americans trying to keep up with the Joneses: they want a home that embodies their own unique style and design. As a part of that trend, today’s consumers have moved away from a cookie-cutter approach to decorating and moved toward the development of their own eclectic mixture of color, style, design and products.

New products highlighting these and other trends will be on display at the International Home & Housewares Show, March 12 - 14, 2006 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

“American home owners are rethinking their homes and breaking the traditional rules about how their homes should look and feel and how the different rooms are used,” said A.J. Riedel, senior partner of Riedel Marketing Group. “They are making their homes fit their needs and their lifestyles.”

Among those homeowners at the forefront of these trends are members of the HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIPsters), which was created by Riedel Marketing Group to identify emerging home-related trends by surveying more than 50 consumers around the country. A subset of the group serves as a consumer council for the International Housewares Association, which owns and operates the International Home & Housewares Show.

One of the most prevalent trends is the “casualization” of America that has fully embraced today’s consumers and penetrated into the home.

During the a focus group of the IHA HIPsters in October 2005, four out of five HIPsters described their homes as “comfortable.”

One HIPster stressed “functional comfort,” stating she wants her home to feel like home. Another HIPster said having community space within her home where her friends can gather and spend time together is important to her, while a third HIPster described coming home and being able to relax as important.

“Formality is out and casual comfort is in,” Riedel said, noting for some consumers it means eliminating a formal living room or dining room, while for others it means converting a traditional room into an untraditional one, such as a hobby/craft room.

Coinciding with the trend toward creating a comfortable home is the desire to organize it. Today’s consumers want to eliminate clutter, even when it’s comfortable, as well as designate a specific place or room for everything within the home.

Hobbies such as scrapbooking, stamping and, now, knitting are growing in popularity, requiring consumers to find room for supplies that need to be stored and organized.

“Many crafters are tiring of working on the dining room table and having to put everything away every time they work on a craft project,” Riedel said. “All of this has sparked the trend toward dedicating a room to crafting or having a multifunctional room.

“Trend-setting home builders are starting to offer dedicated spaces within the home for crafting,” she added, noting two showcase homes of national significance that display the latest residential amenities and home-design trends. The New American Home 2006 in southwest Orange County, Fla., and the 2005 Southern Living Idea House in DeLand, Fla., feature multifunctional rooms with space for crafting, Riedel said.

Hipsters Desire An Organized Home

One HIPster stated organization is so important to her that she is designing a mud room, home office/craft room and kitchen in her new home that meets her needs, especially having a place for her children to do their homework and crafts as well as having a place for shoes, coats and backpacks that can be put away but are easily accessible.

“ Another big problem that is driving the home organization trend is the need to conquer the paper monster,” Riedel added. “HIPsters are buried in paper. Trying to keep on top of the mountains of bills, schedules, invitations, letters and magazines that pour in every day is one of the chores that many HIPsters really dislike.”

Looking ahead, consumers are focusing on the garage and the closets as the main areas for home organization.

A recent study by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm, anticipates that makers of modular closet and garage storage systems will rake in annual sales increases of more than 5 percent per year through 2009, topping $7.6 billion, Riedel said.

She also noted the National Association of Home Builders predicts that consumers will spend $2.5 billion on garage improvements this year. Garage storage products are selling faster than any other home-organization items. Sales totaled more than $800 million last year.

Home offices, though, still remain a top priority for many Americans.

According to the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC) approximately 23.5 million employed Americans worked from home during business hours at least one day per month in 2003. In 2010, that number is projected to increase to 40 million telecommuters.
And the U.S. Census Bureau reported 4.2 million Americans, or 19 percent, did some or all of their work at home in 2000, that was an increase of 800,000 or 23 percent from 1990.

Turning 60 In ‘06

2006 will bring new challenges for an entire generation of consumers as the first baby boomers turn 60. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2005, there will be an estimated 78.2 million baby boomers, who represent the generation born between 1946 and 1964. And in 2006, 7.918 people will turn 60 each day this year.

In addition, younger generations are now faced with the challenge of caring for aging parents. The “sandwich” generation, a term coined by Carol Abaya, M.A., a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, describes those people sandwiched between aging parents who need care and their own children.

One IHA HIPster converted the basement of her home for her aging mother to live in, while another HIPster is building a ground floor guest suite to accommodate the special needs of aging parents.

These demographic groups will have an impact on the housewares industry as aging baby boomers enter retirement age.

“ Right now, the bulk of the Boomers are still in the life stage where they are focusing a lot of energy and spending a lot of money on their homes but that is going to change as they reach retirement age,”

Riedel said. “As they grow older, they will do less remodeling and redecorating; they will cook at home less often; they will do less housecleaning because there are fewer people in the house making it dirty.”

But while aging baby boomers may be cooking and cleaning less, Riedel noted four in 10 HIPster households are spending more time on meal preparation and household cleaning than they did two years ago.

“Changes in the time spent on meal preparation, house cleaning and garment care are directly related to changes in family size or household composition or household dynamics,” she noted.

“Just because they are cooking from scratch less often does not mean that the HIPsters who participated in the focus group are eating at home less often. One of the most surprising things that I have learned in the research I have been doing with HIPsters over the past two years is how important family dinners are to this group of consumers. On average, HIPsters eat dinner at home 5.4 times a week. In the 38 HIPster households that are couple or family households, the couple or the family sit down to eat dinner together an average of 5 nights a week.”

According to NPD National Eating Trends Survey, 60 percent of all in-home dinners are made fresh or from scratch. Nearly half of consumers (49 percent) say they planned to cook more meals at home from scratch in 2005, Riedel reported.

Following is an overview of new products that buyers will be seeing at the 2006 International Home & Housewares Show.

CLEAN, CONTAIN & OUTDOOR DOMAIN EXPO

• Licensed cleaning tool line featuring antimicrobial properties to help inhibit the growth of bacteria on the cleaning surfaces of products. The line includes dish sponges, grout brushes, butterfly mops and brooms.
• Patented, transportable, modular wine storage system that can be customized to match the storage space and bottle collection
• Corner broom with a built-in scuff-eraser that quickly erases tough scuffs without having to bend down to clean them by hand.
• Cabinet organizers that come with an easy to install track to make it easy to pull out drawers and access cleaning supplies and pots or pans.
• Sweeper set with a dustpan that flips up for easy storage and a broom that snaps onto the dustpan.
• Cleaning supplies such as disposable wipes for stainless steel appliances, electronics and countertops as well as scrubbing pads for cook-top surfaces.
• Leather cleaner and conditioner designed to reduce the appearance of scuffs, scratches and stains.
• Furniture care products such as stain removers, furniture repair and fabric and leather cleaners.
• 12” stainless steel barbecue skewers adorned with lava rock drilled through the top.
• High-quality barbecue tools and accessories such as a tongs with an LED bulb attached to light up the grill surface while you work or a garlic bread griller that can toast a whole loaf of bread and keep it a comfortable distance from the fire.

DINE & DESIGN EXPO

• Patent-pending tray that allows consumers to carry up to 6 full glasses at one time without spilling any liquid
• Nonstick silicone rolling pins with contoured zinc alloy handles in a wide range of fashion colors. Also available in a smaller size for children.
• Silicone strainers and colanders that collapse into compact, flat tools. The products come in three colors: red, orange and peacock blue.
• Silicone egg cooker set that can be used to cook eggs on the stove as well as to serve them at the table. The heat-resistant silicone egg cups and stand hold four eggs while they cook.
• High-end cutlery featuring Japanese blade steel combined with stainless chrome 18/8 steel non-slip handles
• Food storage products that feature a one-way vacuum valve and airtight seal that preserves food and flavors longer.
• An adjustable scoop/cup that measures liquid and dry ingredients.
• Coffee bag clip that features a built-in measuring scoop.
• Strainer with a detachable tray that allows the user to drain food on the counter. It can also be used for cooking, serving food or defrosting.
• Freestanding rotisserie with skewers that can be used on the barbecue or can fit inside a standard oven.
• Thermal cookware that keeps food hot for up to two hours. The insulated bowl, available in orange, red, black, blue and green, functions as a trivet, a potholder and a stay-cool jacket for serving.
• Peeler that rotates to vertical, horizontal and 45-degree positions for cutting foods effortlessly.
• Brushed stainless steel kitchen tools featuring a colorful silicone edge so consumers can use their favorite tools on all of their cookware, including nonstick.
• Trio pan that features a stainless steel pan and glass lids plus an insert to hold four ramekins. It can be used to prepare crème brulee, custards and eggs Florentine.
• Scandinavian-designed tableware such as spice mills, barbecue tools, napkin rings, teapots and other kitchen accessories.
• Retro aprons made of cotton or linen and featuring designs popular from 1930-1950.
• Enameled steel kitchen storage ware inspired by the 1930s and 1940s in such colors as vintage pink, blue, green and cream.
• Ergonomic cutlery designed to reduce repetitive strain injuries while increasing comfort and ease of use
• Kitchen tools and gadgets, such as a salad spinner and wine opener, featuring sturdy, sealable and releasable suction bases to keep them firmly in place while in use.
• Bounded blankets, throws, baby blankets and animal-shaped cushions made of suede, velvet or fleece.
• Colorful, Italian-made silicone bakeware molds and accessories.
• Pine-wood wine racks, bookshelves & CD racks plus woven seat cushions made for wooden dining chairs

GOURMET HOME & FOOD DISTRICT (GOHO)

• Crème brulee mix with key lime, mango, chocolate, pumpkin, and cappuccino flavors.
• Bread-dipping set with melamine dishes and bread dipping seasonings jar containing parmesan, Sicilian & Tuscany blends.
• Hot chocolate cake ‘n cup kit that allows the consumer to bake a cake right in the cup.
• A teapot that features a filtering system that is activated once the teapot is placed onto a cup. A valve on the bottom opens, releasing tea that free of sediment, while a mesh filter retains the tea leaves.
• Grilling planks made from pure organic woods packaged with creative recipes.
• Gourmet salt blends combining all-natural sea salt with herbs and spices to complement the natural flavors of foods.

WIRED & WELL EXPO

• Small appliance that allows sparkling water and soda lovers to create their own carbonated beverages in just seconds at the touch of a button.
• State-of-the-art iron featuring patented technology that allows the iron to be left on, unattended and face down, and still avoid accidental burns. It delivers powerful bursts of steam, both horizontally and vertically.
• Home-tanning salon that features an ergonomically designed spray tanning system.
• A full-functioning toaster that also simultaneously steam-poaches an egg.
• Gourmet ice cream and frozen treat maker that allows consumers to prepare three different flavors at one time.
• Slushie-maker designed for home use that allows the user to make smooth slushies or frozen drinks in minutes, with no ice chunks.
• Soymilk maker that allows consumers to make fresh soymilk at home.
• Cordless, portable sweeper for carpets and hard floors.
• Patent-pending vacuum cleaner that is full-sized bagless upright that folds down into a canister, providing performance and convenience with flexibility and stability.
• One-touch cappuccino and latte system that automatically grinds beans, steams and froths milk, tamps and brews coffee and delivers into right into the cup.
• Digital egg-shaped egg timer that lets the user turn the base forward or backward until the digital readout reaches the desired time.
• Heavy-duty professional-quality blender featuring a new ice-crushing technology.
• Single cup beverage maker that utilizes commercial technology and individual pods for coffee and tea.
• Stainless steel can opener with one-touch operation and extra-wide base to prevent sliding or tipping.
• Panini and sandwich press maker that comes with nonstick grill plates and a recipe book.
• Juice extractor that can accommodate a whole tomato, apple or green pepper and features an easy-to-remove pulp collector.
• Cool-mist humidifiers featuring characters such as Thomas the Tank and Hello Kitty.