Spring/Summer 2026-27
TREND INDEX
Home + Housewares Heatmap
By The Numbers Edition Supporting data and statistics behind today's evolving trends
What's Inside
Sustainability: Consumer Realities & Priorities Modern Lifestyles: Purchase Motivators Persistent Pain Points: Time & Effort About Time: Pressures & Preferences
From the Creators The Intersection of Performance and Purpose As consumers place greater value on every square foot, every minute and every purchase, expectations for the products they bring into their homes continue to evolve. Increasingly, buying decisions are shaped not by a single benefit, but by the ability of products to solve multiple challenges at once—saving time, reducing effort, maximizing space and reflecting a commitment to more responsible consumption.
Tom Mirabile
Principal, Springboard Futures Consumer & Lifestyle Trend Analyst Curator & Author, InSight Trend Index
Convenience and sustainability are no longer competing priorities; they are becoming complementary expectations. The greatest opportunities lie where these values intersect, delivering smarter design, greater efficiency and lasting utility without unnecessary waste. In this issue of InSight Trend Index, we explore the innovations redefining everyday living—and the products best positioned to earn consumer attention, trust and long-term loyalty. Dawn Evans
and
Founder, Creative Sweet Marketing Creative Director, InSight Trend Index
2
Informed Perspectives Adrian Bredeson
Leila Reid
Co-Owner E-Power Marketing
Global Market Coverage Springboard Futures
David Mackrell
Lora Morsovillo
President, Tabletop & Foodservice Lifetime Brands
Joe Derochowski
President, Home Durables Circana
Michelle Lamb
VP, Home Industry Advisor Circana
Co-Founder The Trend Curve
Kiki Gerard
Peter Giannetti
Global Market Coverage Springboard Futures
Editor-in-Chief HomePage News
Leatrice Eiseman Director, Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute
Leigh Ann Schwarzkopf Co-Founder, Project Partners Network
Scarlette Tapp Executive Director Sustainable Furnishings Council
Sonja Schultheiss-Safer Global Market Coverage Springboard Futures
Exhibitions Index In Market Order:
3
The HomePage News InSight™ Trend Index Winter/Spring 2026/27 accepted no payment for product placement, promotion, sponsorship, endorsement or other paid advertising.
By the Numbers
Sustainability: Consumer Realities & Priorities
78%
of consumers consider
environmental reasons when choosing products.
This increases to 83% among Gen Z and Millennials, signaling that sustainability is no longer a niche preference, it's becoming table stakes for emerging generations. EcoFocus Research, December, 2025
67%
of survey respondents consider
environmental responsibility very to extremely important
when deciding to purchase from a retailer or brand.
That's a 10% increase overall in 18 months! 2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
2025 Gen Z & Millennial research found
70%
of consumers consider a company's environmental credentials important when evaluating brands.
Deloitte in Sustainability Magazine
InSight Trend Index | Spring/Summer 2026/27
4
Surveyed consumers report they are willing to pay an average premium of
9.7%
for sustainably sourced or produced products. 2024 PwC Global Consumer Survey
Durability and energy efficiency
are among the strongest sustainability-linked consumer purchase drivers in durable goods. May 2026 NielsenIQ Report
37% 80%
of North American consumers avoid purchasing products with unsustainable packaging. believe brands use too much packaging overall.
2025 Packaging Study Reported by The Wall Street Journal
5
66%
of people surveyed say governments and
large companies bear the most responsibility for making our world more sustainable ahead of individuals, environmental organizations and small companies. 2025 Sustainability Report from the Hartman Group
By the Numbers
Modern Lifestyles: Purchase Motivators
51%
of consumers surveyed said
after-meal clean-up
was most challenging/difficult for them of all household tasks.
Still more challenging for both Gen Z and Millennials at 57%. 2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
49% 57% 55% 32% Daily meal preparation was a close second at
Millennials Gen X
Boomers
60% Males 40% Females
2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
48% InSight Trend Index | Spring/Summer 2026/27
of consumers said
maintaining personal spaces
was most challenging/difficult. 2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
6
Across all generations, nearly 1/3 of consumers surveyed cited a lack of available kitchen space as their biggest challenge when preparing food and meals at home.
Expert Perspective Adrian Bredeson Co-Owner E-Power Marketing
Q: How can social media be used to identify emerging consumer trends and inform new product development for manufacturers and retailers? A: Social media is the world's largest, most honest focus group, and it's always on. By tracking hashtags, saves and search behavior through social listening tools, and watching what top creators are making, what audiences are saving, and what comments are asking for, brands can spot tomorrow's trends today. When the same aesthetic, need, or frustration keeps surfacing organically across platforms, it's not noise. It's information that needs to travel upstream, past marketing, to product development.
7
By the Numbers
Persistent Pain Points: Time & Effort
47%
of consumers surveyed chose
time limitations
as the number one obstacle to accomplishing household chores. Gen Z felt it most at 60%. 2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
age group
men
women
30's
1:25
2:17
40's
1:29
2:21
50's
1:41
2:30
60's
2:05
2:49
Average time spent daily on housework by U.S. adults in each age group. 2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
8
Other obstacles that create opportunities for innovative solutions: Across all generations, the...
too messy/unpleasant factor was the number two obstacle.
Over 25%
of those surveyed stating that both physical limitations and too strenuous make household chores challenging and difficult. 2025 Sustainability Report from the Hartman Group
Over 25% of consumers surveyed cited feeling that overall, chores are impossible to finish.
40%
of consumers surveyed said their most challenging and difficult aspects of preparing food and meals as...
2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
Led by Gen Z at 48%.
— clean up time + effort — preparation + cooking time
9
By the Numbers
About Time: Pressures & Preferences MORE THAN
60%
of consumers say they are willing to pay more for products or services that make life easier.
2026 Mintel Report: Convenience as the New Consumer Currency
ON AVERAGE:
58% 30% 42%
of people surveyed plan to
cook at home more often in the coming year.
69% for Millennials!
2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
On an average weekend day, of people spend 30-45 minutes preparing food & meals.
When asked what obstacles or pain points most hinder their desired lifestyle... of those surveyed said
time limitations.
2025 IHA Home & Living Survey
10
Expert Perspective Joe Derochowski
VP, Home Industry Advisor Circana
Q: What trends are driving consumer purchases of home and housewares products, generally speaking?
A: Consumer demand in home and housewares is being driven by three key trends: essential replacements for high-use items they purchased in 2020–2021, products that support at-home entertaining and fresh innovations. As dining out remains costly, consumers continue to cook and host at home—but routines can limit product use. Inspiring new dishes and experiences can reignite engagement. While consumers seek comfort, they also crave novelty. Looking ahead, the rise of GLP-1 medications may reshape eating habits, creating new opportunities for product relevance and growth.
11
Click the cover below to view the full Home + Housewares Heatmap Portfolio
© 2026 HomePage News. All Rights Reserved. HomePage News is a service of the International Housewares Association (IHA).