The small appliances market is undergoing a notable transformation, as consumers increasingly gravitate towards home-cooked meals for their health and economic benefits. This shift fuels a demand for multifunctional appliances that are easy to clean, crucial factors in purchasing decisions.
Gen Z and Millennials are at the forefront, favoring advanced technology and customizable features, pushing brands towards premiumization with a focus on sustainability. In contrast, older generations prioritize straightforward, durable, and low-maintenance products that simplify their daily lives. To succeed, brands must develop strategies that cater to these diverse preferences, balancing innovative features for younger buyers with user-friendly functionality for older consumers, ensuring broad market leadership.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Small kitchen appliance ownership and plans to purchase
- Motivators for purchasing small kitchen appliances
- Purchase factors considered when purchasing small appliances
- Appliance usage occasions
- Generational differences in appliance purchasing behavior
- Innovations and marketing strategies of major brands
Demand for multifunctional appliances rises with home-cooking trends. Consumers seek tech, sustainability and user-friendly designs.
Lindsay Cameron, Analyst – Health & Wellness
Market Definitions
This Report covers household small kitchen appliances, including electrical appliances for cooking, food preparation and beverage making. For the purpose of this Report, Mintel has segmented the small kitchen appliance market as follows:
- Small cooking appliances – Products designed for tabletop cooking, heating or reheating food including toasters/toaster ovens, deep fryers, slow cookers, roaster ovens, tabletop convection ovens, indoor grills, electric griddles and skillets, rice cookers, electric pressure cookers, popcorn makers, treat makers. Microwave ovens are excluded.
- Food preparation appliances – Appliances used to prepare food prior to cooking or in lieu of cooking including food processors, stand mixers, blenders, choppers and electric knife sharpeners.
- Beverage making appliances – Products used to make beverages including drip coffeemakers, single-serve and espresso coffeemakers, electric kettles, carbonated beverage makers, juice extractors, and citrus juicers. Nonelectric coffeemakers, such as stovetop espresso/cappuccino makers are excluded and not covered in The Consumer section.
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Promote upgrades by highlighting added value
- Helping users reach their goals by making healthier eating easier
- Helping renters feel more at home
- Countertop appliances can especially enhance kitchens to reflect personal style
- Encourage acceptance of celebrating different life achievements
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- With consumer prices dropping, sentiment is improving, though many remain cautious
- Graph 1: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Graph 2: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Addressing consumer concerns on material safety
- When drinking coffee at home, most opt for brewed coffee
- Graph 3: at home coffee consumption – NET, by generation, 2024
- Tailored coffee appliance solutions
- Cutting back on dining means more cooking at home
- GLP-1 medications support the need for easier to cook food
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Small kitchen appliance ownership
- Toasters, blenders and slow cookers are among the most commonly owned appliances, seen as the most essential in the kitchen
- Graph 4: small kitchen appliance ownership, 2024
- Air fryers are the only small appliance to increase ownership since 2019
- Graph 5: small kitchen appliance ownership, 2019, 2021, 2024
- Why is small appliance ownership on the decline?
- Younger generations are in the market to purchase appliances
- Graph 6: have plans to purchase a small kitchen appliance in the next 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Leverage younger audiences research habits when purchasing SKAs
- Graph 7: have no plans to purchase a small kitchen appliance in the next 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Small kitchen appliance purchase motivators
- Replacement is a key purchase driver
- Graph 8: small kitchen appliance purchase motivators, 2024
- Give consumers more of a reason to replace appliances
- Graph 9: small kitchen appliance purchase motivators, 2021, 2024
- Older audiences are primarily driven by replacement needs, whereas younger consumers have more varied motivations
- Graph 10: small kitchen appliance purchase motivators, by generation, 2024
- Highlight the continual gratification of appliances to appeal to Black consumers under 55
- Graph 11: motivated to purchase a small kitchen appliance as a treat, by race and age, 2024
- Utilize the allure of exclusivity to interest wealthier consumers to upgrade
- Graph 12: motivated to purchase new kitchen appliance to upgrade to a newer version, 2024
- Nespresso creates exclusivity through seasonality
- Small kitchen appliance purchase location
- Convenience drives retailer selection
- Graph 13: small kitchen appliance purchase location, 2024
- De'Longhi launches its first automatic coffee machine at Target
- Connect with older shoppers via convenience-focused channels, while reaching younger shoppers through varied options
- Graph 14: small kitchen appliance purchase location, by generation, 2024
- Connect with older shoppers via convenience-focused channels, while reaching younger shoppers through varied options
- Maximize affluent consumer appeal with exclusive online offerings
- Graph 15: purchases small kitchen appliances through online-only retailers, 2024
- Reasons for using small kitchen appliances
- Most common uses for small kitchen appliances are to cook meals and reheat leftovers
- Graph 16: reasons for using small kitchen appliances, 2024
- Connect with older cooks' need for practicality
- Graph 17: reasons for using small kitchen appliances, by generation, 2024
- Explore opportunities to interest younger audiences through niche usage applications
- Graph 18: reasons for using small kitchen appliances, by generation, 2024
- Convenient and portable appliance solutions
- For hobbyists, position appliances as tools for flavor and method experimentation
- Energize men's interests through alternative power sources
- Purchase factors for small kitchen appliances
- Above all, consumers are looking to avoid difficult-to-clean appliances
- Graph 19: purchase factors for small kitchen appliances, 2024
- Making cleaning easier through solutions and features
- For older consumers, simplify both cooking and appliance ownership
- Graph 20: ease purchase factors for small kitchen appliances, by generation, 2024
- Young consumers put more effort into researching products
- Graph 21: recommendations and advertising as purchase factors for small kitchen appliances, by generation, 2024
- Give parents meal-time ideas that can be made easier through small appliances
- Engage affluent young consumers and parents interest in smart features
- Graph 22: smart technology as a purchase factor for small kitchen appliances, by age/income and parental status, 2024
- When making coffee at home, ease is the most important factor for all groups
- Graph 23: most important factors to consider when making coffee at home – NET any rank, by generation, 2024
- Attitudes toward small kitchen appliances
- Above all, consumers are using small appliances to make cooking easier and faster
- Graph 24: attitudes toward small kitchen appliances, 2024
- Promote small appliances as investments for renters' current and future homes
- Graph 25: attitudes toward small kitchen appliances, by housing situation, 2024
- Show Baby Boomers that air frying also makes cleanups easier
- Graph 26: ease attitudes toward small kitchen appliances, by generation 2024
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Fry anywhere, anytime with Ninja's portable air fryer
- Ki is bringing wireless power to kitchen appliances
- Countertop appliances makes drinking water out of thin air
- Keurig is brewing up plastic-free pods
- Breville uses innovation to reduce user annoyances
- Marketing and advertising
- Extend leftovers with Cuisinart
- LG makes home appliances exciting with its elimination-style reality show
- SharkNinja positions itself as the cure for holiday hosting stress with "Ninja the Holidays," featuring David Beckham
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Purchase motivator base sizes
- Abbreviations and terms
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