IHA News Release

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

Trend-Setting Consumer Panelists Discuss Favorite Housewares Products

CHICAGO, IL (March 13, 2006)—Convenient, easy-cleaning, multi-purpose housewares products that make one’s life easier ranked high on a list of five consumer panelists during a discussion of “What’s Hot, What Not: The Consumer Speaks” today at the 2006 International Home & Housewares Show.
 
Owned and operated by the International Housewares Association (www.housewares.org), the Show is being held March 12-14 at McCormick Place here, and features 2,100 exhibitors from around the globe, including more than 400 new companies, including thousands of new products.

Today’s discussion featured 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.

“Here are real, living and breathing consumers who adopt new products faster than the mainstream population and set the trend,” said moderator A.J. Riedel, senior partner, Riedel Marketing Group. “They’re a great bellweather.” The panelists were all women, in their 30s and 40s with young children, who live in the Chicago area, the Pacific Northwest and Orange County, Calif.

“These women are homeowners who have undertaken renovation projects in the last year or plan projects in the near future,” Riedel explained. “They’ve also tried new housewares products, cooking or cleaning or whatever, and recommended them to friends. These panelists are trend-setters, who are sought out for advice on products and home décor.”

At one point, asked how they decide which housewares products to buy, the HIPsters responded by saying they wanted items that saved time and work. “If it saves me 20 minutes of cleaning floors, and also helps me with organization, I’m willing to pay whatever the price,” said one panelist. Another said that she is influenced by what her friends like, and researches products on-line and in Consumer Reports. “If it’s just replacing a small item like a toaster oven,” she added, “I’ll just buy it on impulse.”

“I’m really into cooking and baking,” remarked another, “and I want things that are easy to clean and easy to store. I’m a junkie for all kitchen stuff, and watch the TV cooking shows. The products also have to be multi-functional, and nicely styled.”

Asked by Riedel what the women considered to be “cool” products, one panelist mentioned a chocolate fondue fountain for the backyard. “It’s a great conversation piece,” she noted, “although I’m a little leery of the clean-up.” Others listed robotic cleaning devices that sweep and wash floors (“especially good for busy Moms with young kids”), pull-out kitchen drawers that facilitate easy organization and serving bowls for Christmas entertaining that don’t take up a lot of storage space.

The panelists began by describing current or planned projects in their own homes, from fashioning a home office and crafts room to remodeling a master bathroom (complete with a low-flush toilet), installing five different types of carpeting with various colors and textures, re-doing both a front and back yard and putting in wiring for outdoor Christmas decorations.

In the past year, the HIPsters have purchased such products as a phone system that doesn’t need jacks, decorative mirrors and candlesticks, ice cream scoops and flannel sheets for children’s beds. Asked to name their “top three favorite” kitchen products, they gave a variety of answers, from toaster ovens to coffee makers to non-stick Sautee pans to measuring cups (“especially one with a ¾-cup measure”). They also said they have become more concerned with the environmental effect of products, especially cleaning items. “I’ve gotten away from the strong chemical smells,” said one. As for their favorite colors, they ranged from deep red to eggplant to purple-and-green.

When a member of the audience asked how involved the women’s husbands were in their renovations and housewares purchases, one panelist answered: “I’ll mention it, but he works hard and generally couldn’t care less. He won’t go shopping with me.” And another confided, “He has input into plans for a septic tank, but he doesn’t necessarily care about what cleans glass shower doors the best.

The International Housewares Association is the 68-year-old voice of the housewares industry, which accounted for (US) $265 billion at retail worldwide in 2004. The not-for-profit, full-service association sponsors the world’s premier exposition of products for the home, the International Home & Housewares Show, and offers its 1,700 member companies a wide range of services, including industry and government advocacy, export assistance, State-of-the-Industry reports, point-of-sale and consumer panel data through Housewares MarketWatch, executive management peer groups, a unique community at www.housewares.org and group buying discounts on business services.