Changing life styles influence housewares sales

? -o n\r.,rE wAnED cusrumcr I is changing. As more thqn half of the women in the U.S. work, with 6090 ofthe 18 to 35 agegroup holding jobs, buying habits are changing.

Men and women are frequently sharing household tasks. This trend plus the increase in single households and shared dwellings is turning the male into a housewares customer.

The demand for housewares which save time plus the influence of the male in the market may bring changes in the popularity of some products, but electric housewares still dominate, accounting fora third of the industry's total sales. Cook and bakeware at l09o is the second largest category of items actually involved in food preparation. Decorative accessories also claim l09o of the market.

Serving and buffet products and accessories which include dinnerware, cutlery and flatware as a category accounts for 890 of the housewares sales. Cleaning products and accessories rank at 7a/o as does furniture. Plastic ware and indoor products and accessories each account for 590. Kitchen tools and gadgets make up 390. Bath and closet accessories also average 390. All other sales in the housewares department account for the remaining 990.

In a breakdown of categories, cookware, classified as those items in which cooking takes place as opposed

Story at a Glance

Time saving electrical products dominate market. .food pre. paration equipment in second place. .white first choice color in all categories.

to baking, accounts for 890 of the sales with baking items selling only 290, reflecting changes in the national diet and the popularity of prepared foods. Closet accessories also account for a lesser volume than bath accessories in their shared category despite consumer interest in closet organization.

The male influence may account for white as the leading color at present in each of the five product categories. Primary colors such as blue, yellow and red also are more popular than in the past.

White bath accessories are favorites at 37s/o with blue close behind at 220/0. Pastel shades share with beige at 9o/o; yellow sells at 890; almond and red, both 790. For closet accessories white is first with 47s/o;brown, l79o; almond, ll9o; blue, llgo; red, 9s/0.

White is the most popular outdoor products and accessories color at 3090. Yellow and red are each23v/o; black, 169o; blue, ll9o; brown, ggo; almond, 690.

White is the color of 3690 of the serving and buffet products and accessories sold. Red ranks at l89o; brown, l49o; yellow, l39o; blue, 1290; wood tones, llgo; almond, ll9o; black,89o.

Kitchen appliances and accessory purchases are white 420/o of the time with almond close at 4190. Brown is l09o; red and yellow, 9Vo; blue, Tv/0.

Color choices are expected to continue to be much the same although yellow may be more in demand for outdoor products and accessories. White is expected to increase its lead in closet accessories and kitchen appliances. Black, influenced by designer table trends, is gaining popularity in serving and buffet products and accessories, although it is anticipated to remain the least popular color choice.

Hardwarcf Housewanes: I 985

Things You Wish You'd Thought of

Just when you think that everything possible for use in the kitchen or home is already in your housewares section, something new and different comes along. Listed below are some of the 1985 housewares your customers will find fascinating.

o Freedom line of cordless small appliances, including a hand mixer, a knife and a can opener, with rechargeable batteries that allow 15 minutes of continuous operation under heavy loads, and recharge overnight.

o Cordless, handheld rechargeable portable can opener runs up to seven days between battery charges.

o Studio Oven for countertop use has a non-stick removable interior shell. and a 1500 watt electric burner on top of the oven, with separate controls that allow the burner to be used alone or together with the oven.

o Under-the-cabinet kitchen accessories include a spice rack that holds up to 14 bottles and has a unique, all-wood mechanism that lowers the large shelf down and out into plain view and easy reach; and a bread box that mounts seven inches under the cabinet and has a slatted oak door that slides up and out of the way, allowing access to the entire bread box which holds two large loaves.

o Complete line of space-efficient microwave ovens offering 1.2 cu. ft. of cooking capacity in only 22 in. of counter space; they have front air intake and exhaust so units can be installed against cabinets and walls.

o Pushbutton-operated ice cream maker can make a quart of ice cream in 20 to 30 minutes, and has a removablestainless steelcanister that can go into afreezerwhilea second canister can begin to make a second batch of ice cream.

o Tasket, a plastic basket for use with laundry, groceries and all kinds of home tasks, folds up to less than three inches high for storage, but flips open to become a sturdy tote container that is nearly I I inches deep.

o Combination pillbox timer/travel alarm features two separate alarm systems, an easy-to-set timer that "beeps" to signal time for medication, and a battery-operated travel alarm clock that can be set for Z hours. o Goof Off is an aerosol spray that safelyremovesglue, dried latex paint drips, ink, tar, gum and other residue from home surfaces. r Chantal Royale (eight-piece cookware set) is enamelon-steel with?A karat gold plated handles, knobs and rims to give a distinct note of sophistication. o Decreaser is a compact travel steamer that features high tech design, dual voltage and adjustable nozzle, and comes with a measuring cup and travel,/storage pouch. o Bakeware Organizer provides easy access to bakeware, pot lids, cutting boards, pie plates, etc., with fully adjustable partitions to hold items that can be moved on the almond-colored base. o Home-Gard is a no-heat sensing device that plugs into a wall socket and connects to a warning lamp at a window,so that neighbors can be alerted to protect against such dangers as frozen water pipes from falling temperatures in the home. o Stereotrack ceiling fan provides sound and light as well as cooling, with a mini speaker inside the cylinder that connects to stereo player or radio, and has a three-track light system. o Comfort Seat is an electrically heated toilet seat that has fully adjustable temperature controls to provide yearround warmth in use. o Cinderella III is a designer chair that converts into an ironing board or back into a chair with a flick of the wrist; the chair frame is of tubular steel and the ironing board is of high-density compressed board covered with a foam pad and washable cover.

. Lamp fragrance discs are small circular discs that safely attach to a favorite lamp, and the heat of the bulb activates the disc to disperse a room-filling fragrance into the air.

. Four-cup electric kettle has a water level window to showamount of water in a kettle,as wellas afingertipwater gauge for the sight-impaired, and a protective steam guard on the spout lid.

Hardware Convention Program

Leaders in and out of the hardware industry will headline the 1985 National Hardware Convention Oct. 2fr-23 in San Francisco.

Co-sponsored by the American Hardware Manufacturers Association and the National Wholesale Hardware Association, it is the annual fall gathering of the nation's leading hardware manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

This year's program features J. Peter Grace, chairman of the board of W.R. Grace & Co.; Thomas J. Peters, author of "[n Search of Excellence;" Maureen Reagan, daughter of the president and special consultant to the Republican National Com- mittee Chairman; Bruce Merrifield, president of Merrifield Consulting Group; and economist Dr. Barry Asmus.

"The major speakers Portion of our convention program should prove both provocative and educational for all delegates," said William P. Farrell, exec. dir. of the AHMA.