Welcome to the 2018 TREND-MONITOR consumer insight report into kitchen purchasing trends.
This report unravels how today’s new savvy consumers negotiate the purchase of a complete new kitchen. Starting by investigating the motivations behind the decision to replace an existing kitchen, moving onto research undertaken prior to purchase and the effectiveness of this research, the planning methods used, plus the anticipated and actual kitchen budget. We look at how the retail outlet is chosen, highlighting the barriers and influences to sales throughout the consumer journey, and finishing by understanding how the whole process could be improved.
Report Overview
As the kitchen continues to move from a utilitarian area to the entertainment and leisure hub of the home, the decisions driving a new kitchen installation become more complicated as the kitchen space is forced to accommodate an often diverse range of activities.
Cooking is now a lifestyle statement, fuelled by TV cookery programs, the restaurant trade and overseas travel, creating the need for even more kitchen space, when in fact the kitchens in our new-build homes now are 13% smaller than they were in the 1960’s.
With the explosion of the internet as a research tool and the growth of online influencers, the balance of power has moved from the retail outlets and into the hands of the consumer who, armed with their tablet or smartphone, has access to any number of design ideas, brands, products and retail outlets.
The data for this research was collected via an online survey which was live during August 2018. The survey was completed by a nationally representative sample of 503 UK householders who had installed a complete new kitchen within the past two years.
Key Findings
1. Aesthetics versus Practicalities
The decision to replace an existing kitchen is driven more by aesthetics than practicalities, with 60% of new kitchen installations being undertaken because the current kitchen is ‘outdated’.
Charts from Trend-Monitor Interactive
2. Seeking Design Inspiration
89% of householders undertake some kind of research prior to purchasing their new kitchen, with ‘design inspiration’ being their primary research intent.
Charts from Trend-Monitor Interactive
3. Planning It Themselves
1 in 4 new kitchen installations are planned by the householder themselves rather than using an external planning service. This includes 5% of new kitchens which keep the same layout as before.
Charts from Trend-Monitor Interactive
4. Over Budget
One third of householders go over the budget they originally set for themselves, with over a quarter of householders finding ‘keeping within a budget’ the most difficult aspect of installing a new kitchen.
Charts from Trend-Monitor Interactive
5. Shopping Around
Householders are shopping around when buying their kitchens, with less than half of householders buying everything from the same retail outlet
Charts from Trend-Monitor Interactive
Contents
Methodology
Key Findings
Survey Respondents
UK Kitchen Market
Section One – Motivating Factors
Section Two – Research Prior to Purchase
Section Three – Planning and Design
Section Four – Kitchen Budget
Section Five – Kitchen Units
Section Six – Choice of Retail Outlet – Units
Section Seven – Kitchen Worktop
Section Eight – Kitchen Appliances
Section Nine – Kitchen Lighting
Section Ten – Kitchen Installation
List of Charts
Chart 1 – Purchase Triggers
Chart 2 – Previous Kitchen Dislikes
Chart 3 – Kitchen Replacement Cycle
Chart 4 – Undertaking Research
Chart 5 – Initial Intent when Researching
Chart 6 – All Research Resources Used
Chart 7 – Most Useful Research
Chart 8 – Using a Planning Service
Chart 9 – Kitchen Budget
Chart 10 – Anticipated Budget
Chart 11 – Choice of Retail Outlet – Units
Chart 12 – Reason for Choice of Units Retailer
Chart 13 – Choice of Retail Outlet – Worktops
Chart 14 – Kitchen Appliances Included
Chart 15 – Choice of Retail Outlet – Appliances
Chart 16 – Reasons for Choice of Appliance Retailer
Chart 17 – Choosing a Kitchen Fitter
Chart 18 – Difficult Aspects of Kitchen Installation