2026
9
UK Consumer Trends, Attitudes and Spending Habits for the Home: 2026
2026-01-30T08:01:38+00:00
REPA3E2BFD2_CE11_4257_A2BF_D2CE119257C7
2195
190782
[{"name":"Home Retailing","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/retail\/home-retailing"},{"name":"Market Intelligence Reports","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/market-intelligence-reports"},{"name":"UK","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/uk-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
Household spending has dipped following the post-pandemic boom. Combined with recent economic uncertainty, market growth remains modest; nearly a third of consumers have cut back on home spending over the…
UK
Home Retailing
simple

UK Consumer Trends, Attitudes and Spending Habits for the Home: 2026

Household spending has dipped following the post-pandemic boom. Combined with recent economic uncertainty, market growth remains modest; nearly a third of consumers have cut back on home spending over the past year.

Trusted by leading global brands

Amazon logo
Deutsch brand logo
waitrose
Bauer-Media-Group
mediacom-logo-e1438678858172 (1)
VML Logo
Epsilon Logo
VocaLink_Mastercard_logo-PNG-1
Amazon logo
Deutsch brand logo
waitrose
Bauer-Media-Group
mediacom-logo-e1438678858172 (1)
VML Logo
Epsilon Logo
VocaLink_Mastercard_logo-PNG-1
4.5 stars
Source: G2.com, Inc.
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for consumer spending on the home
    • Opportunities
    • Leverage social commerce to inspire and drive purchases for the home
    • Cultivating the home as a sanctuary for wellness
    • Resale is the future of the home sector
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Market factors
    • UK housing market adjusts amid stamp duty changes
    • Graph 1: number of property transactions with a value over £40,000 completed in the UK, 2019-25
    • Autumn Budget pressures high earners’ spending
    • Consumers remain discerning as home inflation eases
    • Graph 2: annual rate of inflation, 2024-25
    • Modest growth expected for spending on the home
    • Consumer spending is projected to rise by 13% between 2025 and 2030
    • Graph 3: consumer spending on the home, 2019-2030
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Spending on the home
    • Higher earners more inclined to spend on the home in the future
    • Consumers are spending less on the home
    • Home shoppers look to prioritise function
    • Renters are spending under £500 on the home
    • Graph 4: amount spent on the home, by living situation, 2025
    • Shifting home shopping behaviours
    • Value and quality take centre stage
    • Homeware brands tap into style-conscious shoppers
    • Younger consumers want flexibility and convenience
    • Sustainability is not front of mind for consumers, but is a growing concern
    • Home as space for wellbeing
    • The home is seen as a sanctuary
    • A tidy home boosts productivity for women
    • Tidiness is key for families
    • Women see their homes as a haven
    • Social media’s influence on the home
    • Age shapes enjoyment of entertaining at home
    • Younger consumers like to entertain at home
    • Higher earners seek to impress guests
    • Home retailers are teaming up with Pinterest
    • Graph 5: reasons to invest in the home, by social media app usage, 2025
    • Social media is a key driver to home purchasing
    • Cost-conscious choices for the home
    • Renters seek out second-hand items for the home
    • Digital product passports can ensure proof of quality
    • Family dynamics influence spending
    • Graph 6: triggers to purchase for spending on the home, by lifestage, 2025
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • How retailers are connecting with home shoppers
    • The home can help better support sleep health
    • IKEA focuses on accessibility with smaller stores
    • Zara turns flagships into lifestyle destinations with new ‘Apartamento’ concept
    • JW Anderson continues its transformation as a lifestyle brand
    • Amanda Holden teams up with DFS for exclusive sofa collection
    • Convenience when it comes to home shopping is key
    • Pottery Barn launches debut UK pop-up in West Elm’s Tottenham Court Road store
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of consumer spending on the home
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
    • Market segmentation
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – EMEA
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Abbreviations and terms
Download Report Summary

"A surge in house sales in early 2025 boosted interest in functional upgrades and renovations, while decorating saw a dip in demand. Looking ahead, consumers will continue to seek value, focusing on both price and quality."

Bridget McCusker, Research Analyst

Bridget McCusker, Research Analyst

UK Home Retail Market – Consumer Trends and Insights

  • Household spending has dipped following the post-pandemic boom. Combined with recent economic uncertainty, market growth remains modest; nearly a third of consumers have cut back on home spending over the past year. Interior decorating has been hit hardest, dropping nine percentage points since 2023. Conversely, investment in more practical home improvements saw a slight uptick, encouraged by changes to Stamp Duty in early 2025.
  • Broad economic pressures continue to dampen consumer confidence. Although this affects the home sector, many people still intend to spend, as items bought during the pandemic reach the end of their lifespan and require replacing. When making these purchases, consumers are increasingly prioritising price, quality and long-term product guarantees.
  • Social media is now a vital part of the buying journey, particularly for younger shoppers. Most 16-24s admit their home decor choices are influenced by social platforms. Given this age group’s comfort with social commerce, brands like Primark and DFS are capitalising on the trend through targeted campaigns and exclusive ranges on Pinterest.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • The size of the UK market for consumer spending on the home and key opportunities in the sector
  • How much consumers have spent and are expected to spend on their homes, including the items they have invested in over the past 12 months
  • Changing shopping behaviours for home spending, as shoppers focus on price and quality over the next year
  • The key drivers behind home spending, from replacing old items and boosting property value to reflecting personal style
  • Consumer attitudes towards home spending, including the emotional value of the home and the influence of social media on purchasing behaviours

Report Scope

This report looks at consumer attitudes towards spending on the home. This Report is an overview and looks at consumer priorities of buying for their homes and delves into the triggers for purchase. Broadly it will take in: furniture, carpets, decorating, the garden, energy (savings), security, home extensions, and smart home developments.

£ 2,195 excl. Tax
Secure direct checkout
Instant PDF download
Portal access included
Need help deciding? Get in touch

Trusted by global industry leaders

4.5 stars
Source: G2.com, Inc.
Wincanton logo

When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.

They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.

So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.

Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Tenth Wave logo

Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.

When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.

The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.

Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
VocaLink logo

We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.

As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.

We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.

 

Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
Jackman logo

At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.

Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Bauer Media Group logo

We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.

They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.

Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
VML logo

We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.

Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.

Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
Mediacom logo

Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.

It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.

Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Waitrose & Partners logo

We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.

Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.

Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Abacus logo

There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.

However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.

Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Deutsch logo

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Amazon logo

Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.

Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.

Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Epsilon logo

We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.

By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.

For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.

Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon