This market report is an abridged version of the JKMR UK Major Domestic Appliance report and contains top line data relating to sales of integrated Major Domestic Appliances (MDAs) in the UK, as well as the overall fitted kitchen product market.
Kitchen installations reached a new high point as consumers continued to seek out products that up-graded on their existing kitchen. JKMR calculates the total UK fitted kitchen products market was worth £6.45 Billion in 2016, up 6.6% on 2015.
MDA product value is expected to rise 7%, despite only a 2% rise in new kitchen installations. This increase is driven by more sales of higher priced products and an on-going shift in the mass market towards integrated cooking as a standard choice.
Integrated MDA’s are out-performing fitted unit growth and current provisional 2017 figures show integrated MDA volumes up 4.4%, compared to an expected 2.35% rise in new kitchen installations.
Overall value growth was driven mainly by volume growth and not increased spend levels. This was due to the ever-greater proportion of UK kitchens retailed via outlets where price is a key factor and volume leverage allows appliances to be effectively ‘discounted’.
Ovens and Hobs have, however, seen an on-going improvement in price, with a value increase of 36% compared with a lower volume increase of 24%, making integrated cooking the best performing sector over the last five years.
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About JKMR
JKMR was established by Jayne Barber in 1998 as the UK’s only business-to-business research company specialising in the fitted kitchen product industries, providing a range of multi-client reports and consultancy services to meet the day-to-day needs of those supplying the market. JKMR clients include major names in all sectors of the UK and European fitted kitchen markets, as well as global names in the financial investment and business analysis.
JKMR is a Corporate Member of the KBSA and lead supplier of market figures to the Association. JKMR data is regularly cited in the KBB trade press, and Jayne also provides articles for the wider broadcast and published consumer interiors media.
Jayne has three decades of experience researching the kitchen market. Prior to establishing JKMR Jayne was Senior Research Analyst for the Kitchen Information Service, and has worked both for KBBReview and Emap, publishers of the Kitchens Magazine. Jayne ‘cut her teeth’ on kitchen matters back in the late 1980s as Staff Writer for the Kitchen, Bathroom & Bedroom Industries Yearbook & Directory.
This report investigates consumer expectations for kitchen worktops in terms of performance levels and the attributes influencing the purchase of their next kitchen worktop.
The growing importance of worktops in kitchen design has resulted in new materials, colours and textures coming into the market and consumers are now faced with an increasing array of worktop products to choose from.
Consumer expectations in terms of how a kitchen worktop should perform in today’s multi-functional kitchen are complex and often tied into daily habits and household circumstances rather than product knowledge or the price tag.
For this purposes of this research, TREND-MONITOR was pleased to partner with WILSONART a leading manufacturer of laminate, quartz and solid surface worktops.
This partnership has resulted in a focused piece of industry research that is directly relevant to manufacturers and retailers in this fast growing market sector and answers some important questions in terms of consumer purchase decisions, product usage and the performance versus price ratio.
This report identifies consumer needs and expectations with regards to the performance levels of worktop, assesses worktop usage within the kitchen, and evaluates the price versus performance ratio for worktops
The research collected and analysed data in order to understand four key aspects of kitchen worktops:-
• The type of worktops currently in kitchens and utility rooms • Worktop purchase influences • Worktop performance levels in-situ • Attributes which influence future worktop purchases
Key Findings
The popularity of laminate worktops is highlighted in this research with half of the householders surveyed having a laminate worktop in their kitchen.
Over half of homeowners surveyed hadn’t changed their worktop since moving into their current home. Laminate worktops are kept for the longest, a third are over 10 years old.
40% of homes have a separate utility room, although 14% of these utility rooms don’t accommodate a worktop.
Aesthetics (colour and finish) and heat resistance are the key purchase influences for kitchen worktops.
Worktop practicality is more important than price when choosing a new worktop, with 3/4 of householders prepared to pay more for greater worktop practicality.
Methodolody
The research was undertaken via an online consumer survey with a representative sample of UK householders.
The survey was conducted online during April 2018 and targeted a response rate of 1000+ respondents.
The survey consisted of 34 multi-choice questions, plus qualifying and status questions
For the purposes of the research, the different worktop types are categorised as follows:- – Laminate – Compact Laminate e.g. Zenith – Solid Wood – Solid Surface e.g. Corian – Quartz e.g. Silestone – Granite – Porcelain e.g. Neolith*
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Our new Interactive Insight Partner Plan is about to go live.
Subscribers to the Interactive Insight Partner plan are able to interrogate and analyse the data behind our consumer insight surveys to gain specific insights for their brand.
This video explains Trend-Monitor Interactive in more detail
The data from our consumer insight survey is broken down into a series of online dashboards which focus on the different aspects of the research and have a number of ways to filter and analyse the relevant data.
Track the purchase journey for your target market from their purchase motivations, their research resources prior to purchase, through to their choice of retail outlet. Find out why they chose one retail outlet type over another. Investigate the factors which influence product choice, filtered by age grouping, gender, household structure, income or budget, and build up a demographic profile for each product category.
Filter and compare the data, before downloading and embedding charts into your marketing plans and presentations
Approximately 7.3 million tons of food was wasted in the UK in 2015, which equates to £13 billion in monetary terms.
This isn’t new, we’ve been throwing away food for years, but most consumers have been unaware of the amount of food that they have wasted.
Until now ….. in July 2016 an official House of Commons food waste enquiry was launched and this has estimated that the average UK household lost £470 a year because of avoidable food waste.
The household is where the highest percentage of food waste takes place. Households in economically developed countries are responsible for about 38% to 47% of their country’s food waste. According to research from WRAP, a UK-based Waste & Resources Action Program there are 10 main reasons for food waste at home.
As a result, the big food producers like Heinz and Bird’s Eye have reacted by developing packaging that allows food to be kept fresh for longer.
And the major supermarket retailers are all updating their shelf-life guidelines and storage information, as well as relaxing their quality standards so that ‘wonky vegetables’ are allowed in their stores,
The message out there is not only is this food waste causing huge environment problems with the account of landfill its using, it’s also hitting consumers where it hurts; in the pocket.
And this in turn is creating a culture change in how we respond to food waste which has impacted on our grocery shopping habits. The 2017 Waitrose Food and Drink Report says that consumers now treat supermarkets like walk-in fridges with two-thirds of Britons nipping to a supermarket more than once a day, and one in 10 people decide what to buy for an evening meal just before they eat it – often stopping to shop for it on the way home from work.
Longer opening hours and more convenience stores combined with a drive among shoppers to waste less and stop themselves “over-buying” has led to a new trend that Waitrose is calling “as and when shopping”.
Waitrose said the changes in the way we shop and eat are bringing some unexpected changes – like the trolley downsizing – just a few years ago, an average Waitrose would open with around 200 big trolleys and 150 shallow ‘daily shopper’ trolleys lined up outside. These days the tables have turned, with 250 shallow ‘daily shoppers’ and just 70 big trolleys needed.”
Eurocucina is the international showcase for all that’s coming next in kitchens. A key element of Milan’s Salone del Mobile fair, this year’s edition hosted more than 100 kitchen companies. And among the large number of exhibitors, there were some distinct trends on view.
Here’s a snapshot of these kitchen trends …
Kitchen Trend #1. Storage gets flexible
Manufacturers were taking a fresh approach to storage, making the best use of space, including turning the splashback – an otherwise underused area – into a flexible storage solution.
Rossana and Scavolini both combined open shelving, compartments and glass storage that ran the whole width of the prep and sink area, while Valcucine’s Genius Loci kitchen featured a dedicated area of illuminated storage that can be concealed when cooking’s finished.
This emphasis on flexibility shows how manufacturers recognise that the best cooking happens when people aren’t constrained by kitchen layout. Keeping some items on display and others hidden means we can tailor our kitchens to our own cooking preferences.
The HD23 kitchen from Rossana was shown with storage that made practical use of the splashback area.www.rossana.com
Snaidero’s new Link kitchen features I-Wall, a functional storage system that sits between worktop and wall units. www.snaidero.com
Kitchen Trend #2. A new take on frosted glass
Open shelving has become a popular look, as it means we can put favourite pieces on display. However, when those pieces need almost daily cleaning, the look becomes less practical. The solution? Ribbed, embossed or patterned glass that keeps shelves feeling open but items dust free.
This look was everywhere at Eurocucina, including on the stands of TM Italia, Poliform and Ernestomeda. Designers have incorporated it into wall units to mid- and full-height units, and as everything from frosted to painted-on lines (Elam) and even backed with fabric (Cesar and Rossana).
Including lighting within the storage is another nod to practicality. Items can remain either in shadow or fully on view in a display that also brings mood lighting to the kitchen.
The Rua kitchen from TM Italia embraced industrial style, including ribbed glass doors reminiscent of those found in factories. www.tmitalia.com
The bronze-look, aluminium framed ribbed glass doors in this larder unit are from Ernestomeda’s Inside System of storage units and walk-in cupboards. www.ernestomeda.com
Kitchen Trend #3. Dining room
Every island unit now seems to include space for a seating area, even if it’s just a small breakfast bar. But in Milan, kitchen designers had taken this to the other extreme by adding a full-size dining table. Some of these were level with the island but others were table height and designed to seat for an extended family gathering or dinner party.
Rather than having a separate formal dining table, why not keep the dining close to the action? Dada and Porcelanosa showcased two notable examples.
From the Emotions range of kitchens by Porcelanosa, this impressive solid wood table will comfortably sit 10 people. www.porcelanosa.com
Hi-Line6 from Dada contrasts a stainless steel island with a large wooden dining area that sits offset at the end of the worktop. www.dada-kitchens.com
Kitchen Trend #4. The hidden kitchen
This one isn’t brand new for 2018 – but it’s worth mentioning because it was still very much a growing trend at this year’s show. In fact, the option to hide away the working areas of the kitchen isn’t just a good idea for small spaces but for all open-plan kitchens.
The Monolith kitchen from Comprex and Scavolini’s Box Life were two examples of the many that used full-height pocket doors. These completely conceal elements of the kitchen from the rest of the room and slide out of the way when the room’s in use. In a crossover with the frosted glass trend, Ernestomeda featured a kitchen partially hidden by full-height ribbed glass doors.
The Monolith kitchen from Comprox features tall units of eucalyptus veneer that conceal the appliances and storage behind pocket doors. www.comprex.it
Designed for open-plan spaces, the Box Life kitchen from Scavolini keeps the kitchen concealed behind full-height bi-fold doors. www.scavolini.com
Kitchen Trend #5. Everything to hand
From Cesar and Ernestomeda came a new concept in keeping everything within easy reach. We’ve coined the term ‘hanging rail’ to describe it since that’s what it is – a structure that provides lighting over the hob and can be used to hang all your favourite utensils just where you need them. You could also see it as a pared-down version of a batterie de cuisine from a professional kitchen.
Some manufacturers have extended the trend by adding compartments and shelving to create open and suspended storage. For example, Dada’s VVD handleless kitchen featured a compact steel structure of shelving down the centre of the island to define the working area and provide handy storage but maintain a sense of openness.
With no storage underneath, the table-like Williamsburg island from Cesar needed alternative solutions on its worktop – hence the hanging rail. www.cesar.it
The hanging rail in the K-Lab kitchen from Ernestomeda provides task lighting for the cooking and prep area of the island. www.ernestomeda.com
Kitchen Trend #6. Multi-functional extractors
Extractor hoods are subject to trends just as much as the rest of the kitchen. They tend to be either hidden away or decorative and meant to be seen, particularly when they’re sited above an island. But a third version was seen over and over again at Eurocucina – the large, multifunctional extractor that doubles as open storage.
Made from metal frames and glass to keep their looks light, these are also the perfect area for extra storage. Some were used for purely decorative items, but others held herbs and cooking utensils, creating another practical space. Nolte, Poliform, Ernestomeda and TM Italia all had examples of this trend.
Large, industrial-style island hoods with lighting and shelving were a feature of several Poliform kitchens. www.poliform.it
The extractor in this TM Italia kitchen holds just a plant but could be used to keep pots and pans to hand. www.tmitalia.com
Kitchen Trend #7. Real and faux metallics
Stainless steel has always been a popular material thanks to its hardwearing finish and professional look, and it was everywhere at the show – though in several guises. For example, Poliform fooled the eye with an ingenious worktop that looked and felt like embossed stainless steel, but was in fact porcelain. Warmer metallics in brass and bronze added glamour to the doors of Valcucine and TM Italia.
For the most beautiful and unexpected use of stainless steel, hats off to Xera. Its kitchens are made entirely from stainless steel, but this has been put through a process to bring out its natural nickel and chrome. The result is doors with copper and brass shades as well as more usual brushed silver tones.
Xera brings out the beauty of stainless steel in its hand-polished and moulded Lingotto island unit. www.xeraonline.com
Valcucine’s Artematica kitchen is shown here in a new distressed brass finish that complements the Antalya grey stone used for the worktops. www.valcucine.com
Kitchen Trend #8. Drawers without fronts
This might sound like an unfinished kitchen, but drawers made from just of the drawer box created an interested storage solution on a few stands. The ‘no front’ drawers created a contrast between the natural wood and whatever doors were used in the rest of the kitchen.
Dada used this treatment to create a row of drawer trays along the non-working side of an island unit. Meanwhile, Schüller broke up the painted finish of an otherwise fairly traditional kitchen with this ‘unfinished’ drawer front.
Pull-out trays were not only a useful addition to the VVD design from Dada, they also broke up the grey stone of the island. www.dada-kitchens.com
The Vienna kitchen from Schüller reinterpreted country style with the contrast between lava black paint and wooden tray drawers. www.schuller.de
This report by specialist kitchen market consultancy JKMR covers a range of key figures for luxury fitted kitchen products in the UK, including fitted units, integrated major domestic appliances, worktops, sinks, taps and associated fittings.
In the short term the UK luxury kitchen market is expected to continue to grow both in terms of sales levels and market share. Wealthy households remain even in times of economic downturn, and there is no evidence to suggest such households want to move away from fitted kitchens.
New build sales will continue to have a role in sector growth in the medium term, with rising numbers of top end family housing constructed in smaller-scale developments.
Sales continued to be driven by the kitchen as a ‘showcase’ room, and rising property prices leading householders to invest in major renovation, in order to create their ‘dream’ home.
The luxury sector currently accounts for more than 32% of total kitchen market spend. However it is not expected to exceed a 34% level in the foreseeable future.
A ‘stratospheric’ sub-sector of the luxury kitchen market has developed, where the budget is in excess of £75k. In this market, once clients make up their mind to spend serious money on their kitchen, then cost does become literally ‘no object’.
For the purposes of this report, the luxury kitchen sector is defined as client spend on fitted units at RSP (ex VAT) of at least £12,000, with a total core kitchen product budget of at least £28,000 (ex VAT). Once VAT, ancillary products and any free-standing major domestic appliances, tiling, heating, flooring, fitting & decorating costs, plus spend on additional utility or second kitchen area, are factored in, a total budget starting point would typically be in the region of £40,000.
If you are a Kitchen Category Insight Partner, this report will automatically be added to your account
About JKMR
JKMR was established by Jayne Barber in 1998 as the UK’s only business-to-business research company specialising in the fitted kitchen product industries, providing a range of multi-client reports and consultancy services to meet the day-to-day needs of those supplying the market. JKMR clients include major names in all sectors of the UK and European fitted kitchen markets, as well as global names in the financial investment and business analysis.
JKMR is a Corporate Member of the KBSA and lead supplier of market figures to the Association. JKMR data is regularly cited in the KBB trade press, and Jayne also provides articles for the wider broadcast and published consumer interiors media.
Jayne has three decades of experience researching the kitchen market. Prior to establishing JKMR Jayne was Senior Research Analyst for the Kitchen Information Service, and has worked both for KBBReview and Emap, publishers of the Kitchens Magazine. Jayne ‘cut her teeth’ on kitchen matters back in the late 1980s as Staff Writer for the Kitchen, Bathroom & Bedroom Industries Yearbook & Directory.
This report highlights a number of key global megatrends and assesses the impact these global phenomenons will have on the KBB market in the future.
This analysis of the bigger social, demographic, economic, environmental trends explains how these mega-trends interact with each other and influence today’s consumer in terms of how they live their lives and consequently the type of products they will buy for their homes
For each global megatrend, there are a number of associated macrotrends which are felt at a local level and the challenge for today’s business leaders is to analyse these major global shifts, to look at the different opportunities they represent and move their organisations to respond accordingly, at the same time as being resilient to a constantly fluctuating global landscape.
This cross-category report will be published in November 2018
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Our round up of retail trends sheds light on where retailing is going in the future and how this will influence KBB retailers.
We focus on how the different trends interact with each other and they will determine the way in which consumers will want to buy their kitchens, bathrooms and surfaces in the future.
This cross-category report will be published in October 2018
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Our kitchen brand tracker monitors awareness, perception, position and associations of a number of different kitchen brands.
Long purchase cycles and disparate routes to market for kitchen products has historically meant low awareness and loyalty for many kitchen brands. However, this is changing with the rise of ‘influencer’ platforms using social media to promote home improvement brands directly to the consumer. Our brand tracker is a valuable tool to understand how consumer awareness and brand perceptions are changing over a period of time and in comparison to competitor brands
This report will be published in January 2019
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This report tracks design and innovation trends, both within the kitchen market and the wider environments.
Our design and innovation team evaluates new innovations, designs and technology for kitchens, looking beyond the latest colour and material fads to provide a clear picture for new product development teams.
This report will be published in December 2018
If you are a Kitchen category Insight Partner, this report will automatically be added to your account
