Understanding the consumer — how they live and their pain points — and thinking beyond the transaction to empathize with them will offer retailers and suppliers a platform on which to create new experiences that can drive growth beyond their pre-pandemic business cores, panelists said.

Salamah noted the pandemic contributed to a breakdown of traditional retail channel silos. She pointed to how increasing housewares purchases at supermarkets during the pandemic created a new profit center for such retailers.

New safety considerations changed consumer mindsets about how they shopped, where they shopped and how many places they wanted to go, Salamah added.

Mirabile tied this shift to the pandemic being a shared experience, and he said it created a mandate for treating others as one wants to be treated. “The pandemic is a universal experience that we all are experiencing at the same time…our kids, our neighbors,” he said.

Empathy — which begins with listening to the consumer — can spark innovation, said Derochowski. Everyone in the industry is a consumer and thinking differently about how to solve consumer problems will open opportunities, he said.

Housewares is an interpandemic business serving a consumer and marketplace in constant flux, Mirabile said. “Normal” can change in a week, and retailers and suppliers have to remain sharply tuned to such change. Target, for example, is forecasting three months out, not three years, he said.

The difference between selling to and connecting with consumers leans into empathy, Derochowski noted. He noted how before the pandemic, consumers lived in a selfie world marked by showing off. Now selfies are a way to reengage and reconnect with family and friends, he explained.

How we mark and celebrate occasions (if they were celebrated at all) has changed over the course of the pandemic, creating an opportunity for the home product business to help create new occasions, Mirabile said. “People are committed to making good memories. There is no history to the pandemic, but it is the perfect environment or reimagination,” he said. “We will be part of history. We will make memories out of our pandemic experiences.”

Mirabile emphasized the increasing value of the “currency of emotion.”

The panelists noted how a home + housewares business at the forefront of consumer needs during the pandemic now confronts how to sustain the urgency of such demand. Derochowski said he was encouraged by the potential of the industry to innovate across the board — from supply chain and operations to product development and marketing — to engage the consumer as other experiences once again begin to vie for a share of the wallet.

“Our industry is at that table,” Mirabile echoed.

Today’s episode looks at Safety & Security.

With home security and personal safety at a premium, products that address these needs are highly desirable.

Watch the Video

Revealing Insights by the Market Watch
2021 Authors

Each Market Watch 2021 episode includes a special showcase of new home and housewares innovations that demonstrate efforts by the industry to address key trends and serve evolving consumer needs and preferences.

Featured products for Safety & Security:

• UV Light Sanitization Storage For Personal Items, Patrick Skertich, Honey Can Do 
• AG600 Air Purifier, Ralph Rathburn, Airgle 
  
• Sensor Dispenser, Julie Wyrick, Port Style
• Infuse Multi-Surface Floor Spray Mop, Pippa Peterson, Casabella 
  
• Cakelet And Bundtlette Pans, Christine Petersen, Nordic Ware 
• Anti-Bacterial Copper Placemats, Pia Contreras-Sanchez, Via Deco Home

Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and IHA’s color trends expert, in a Connect SPRING keynote presentation, revisited Pantone’s 2021 home+interiors forecast to present four updated palettes that remain most meaningful and relevant.

Eiseman — in the session entitled Extended Color/Design Trends: How Past and Current Events are Shaping the Future —  offered a detailed overview of the four renewed palettes: Terra Cotta, Composed, Folkloric and Vivify. She also showed fresh interpretations of the 2021 Color of the Year, a pairing of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow.

Eiseman highlighted additional hues and combinations that will infuse newness into trends for 2022 to offer color design direction for the home and houseware industry as it moves to the future and remains focused on innovation.

“Challenges of the past year have caused consumers to regroup, relocate and reconfigure as their lives have been put on hold,” Eiseman explained. “Delays in production or deliveries for makers of home goods, along with the vulnerability of retail, inspired this practical framework for our guidance for home and housewares manufacturers and retailers extending into 2022.”

Consumers have adjusted to working from home, homeschooling and new ways to relax and take advantage of every nook and cranny. Closets converted into home offices introduced the term “Cloffice” for desk areas with doors to hide clutter; and desks are tucked into attic corners and under staircases, Eiseman noted.

At the same time, consumers are looking for ways to refresh the colors and surfaces of their homes. “Conventional wisdom suggests neutral tones for workspaces, but a wall of bold color and artful objects alleviate visual boredom from the overuse of neutrals,” Eiseman said. “Recent studies show that art in the environment improves the mood, relieves stress and enables people to work more effectively. Everyday objects and housewares products can be arranged as objects d’art — such as decorative plates arranged on a wall with or sculptural plants in colorful, textured ceramic containers — to provide visual variety at affordable prices.”

Adding three new colors to each of the four updated palettes enhances the options for manufacturers and retailers as they innovate new offerings, Eiseman said.

Terra Cotta

Terra Cotta is rooted deeply in history and features shapes and textures from many cultures, she noted. Comforting and reassuring, the inherent warmth of baked earth tones reach beyond ceramics to fabrics and painted surfaces.

The palette includes these colors: Terra Cotta, Pink Sand, Pheasant, Shrimp, Woodrose, Oyster Mushroom, Lilac Sorbet, Dusky Citron and Brunnera Blue. New textures and substrates and new hues in combination strengthen the palette with Brown Patina, Faded Rose and Chive Blossom.

Composed

In these days of healing, Eiseman said, people want to create a place of quiet refuge that calms and soothes the senses. Composed orchestrates a blended harmony of classic neutrals and subtle pastels to support both contemporary and casual styling.

Grays are fundamental to the group: Glacier and Silver Cloud are underscored by a firm foundation of Granite, Infinity Blue, and Skyway, while Greige spans into Vanilla and Parchment. A synchronizing Ballet Slipper Pink adds a humanizing nurturing note, she noted, and Crème de Peche, Frappe, Iced Aqua substantiate the mood.

Folkloric

An energized form of folk art with handmade, natural and genuine authenticity, Folkloric responds to the need to be creative and inventive, Eiseman explained. She encouraged the audience think of these words: Reclaimed, Reworked and Resourceful.

Folkloric includes indigo-infused Dark Blue, Wood Ash, Cardinal Red, Yellow Green Fern, Warm Olive, Glazed Ginger and Grape Jam bolstered by Celosia Orange and Fuchsia Purple. Additions include the deeply saturated and eye-arresting Confetti, Blue Danube and Ceylon Yellow.

Vivify

Eiseman set the stage for the fourth palette, Vivify, by discussing how films for children influence attention to moods and colors. She showed images from soon-to-be-released films, “The Willoughbys”, “Elcanto” and “Vivo.”

“Animated films are important in predicting trends in visual and emotional perspective for the millions of kids worldwide and the parents who watch with them,” she explained. “New digital technologies enable color effects that open consumers’ minds to a greater use of color and combinations.”

“Bearing these thoughts in mind, Vivify features vibrant colors that mirror what is seen in entertainment and the more adventurous area of design,” Eiseman continued.

A cheerful group that plays well with delicious and whimsical hues, Vivify includes a clean sugary white opposite an intense black. The names of the colors help to identify the mood: Yellow Meadowlark, Hot Pink Morning Glory, Delectable Raspberry Sorbet and Tangy Wild Lime—all agreeably cooled by Easter Egg Blue, Aquarius and Spearmint Green. Adding Desert Flower, Cattelya Orchid and Cyclamen will make this palette seem even more ebullient and alive, she added

2021 Color of the Year: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow

The combination of these two colors ties to insight, innovation and intuition, along with respect for wisdom, experience and intelligence, and inspires regeneration to press us toward new ways of thinking, Eiseman said.

In these challenging times, she continued, this pairing of the two independent colors of gray and yellow come together to symbolically express strength and encouragement needed today and in the future.

Eiseman showed examples of the paired colors in women’s fashion and menswear, fashion accessories (even masks), nails, cosmetics and hair, home furnishing and interiors and the auto industry. The two colors come together in traditional or modern settings. In home goods, this combination can move closer to gold and silver, and can be used creatively in decorative and abstract wall art, candles, stationary. The pairing, she said, can be utilitarian or playful, even campy, and stylishly or unexpectedly done.

The selection of materials in product development impacts consumer comfort and safety, manufacturing processes and measurable sustainability goals, experts from Material ConneXion (MCX) advised during a session of IHA’s Connect SPRING.

MCX is a global agency that advises manufacturers, brands and retailers on materials selections for specific applications, discussed how innovative materials can inspire new directions for housewares suppliers.

Tom Mirabile, founder of Springboard Futures and consumer trend analyst for IHA and, Allison Zisko, HFN editor-in-chief led the Connect SPRING discussion with Material ConneXion (MCX) executives Dr. Andrew Dent, executive vice president of research, and Dr. Gayatri Keskar, vice president of research. The group also announced a micro-series to debut soon — a collaboration of IHA, MCX and HFN that will provide information and inspiration on material innovation to the housewares industry.

Dent explained that MCX works with clients in all industries and product categories to help brands solve problems with their existing products and guide them in exploring possibilities for new products. “As a resource partner to brands in fashion, architecture, furnishings, automotive, electronics and consumer products, we educate our clients with our library of 10,000 materials in physical samples and our online database,” he said.

The MCX global team of researchers identifies providers of materials to submit 20 to 40 new items from several industries each month for evaluation and selection based on such factors as quality, innovation, multiple applications and sustainability.

“Our 20 years of experience has shown that cross-pollination of ideas among industries delivers benefits and exciting new possibilities,” Dent continued. “We can show you unfamiliar materials used in other areas that could work for your needs.”

Mirabile asked why companies come to MCX. “They may need a material that can sustain a certain temperature range, can be used in a dishwasher or microwave, injection molds well or is transparent,” Dent replied. “Or perhaps they want to investigate new trends in sustainability.”

Keskar added, “Other clients are doing their due diligence and need to verify that their in-house research has no gaps. Since we are industry-agnostic, we can expand their conventional research model to look outside their usual supply chain; we can provide a more comprehensive overview of their space.”

Mirabile asked how materials could be a point of differentiation in the housewares market. Keskar replied, “Since our library includes materials that range from in-development, ready-to-deploy and commercially available, an early adopter can access technology to work with the manufacturers to optimize the material to their own needs and be first to market.”

What kind of consumer problems are being solved now? Sustainability has moved front and center alongside price, performance and appearance as the main drivers, Dent said.

“Sustainability has become a total viewpoint on how to make an item more efficient and more enjoyable, he said. “Now it’s the general perception of a product, its performance and how you feel about the product, use it and dispose of it.”

“We focus on quantifiable (sustainability) attributes: low carbon footprint, 100% recyclable or recycled materials, every drop of water in your manufacturing process is clean inbound and outbound,” Dent continued. “Such terms are marketable competitive advantages. Consumers must be well-informed on the benefits and overall footprint of the product.”

While circularity has become a very popular word in the sustainability discussion, Dent reminded that there is no product or process that is fully circular, and there is always some impact and waste.

Zisko asked if MCX helps companies prioritize sustainability goals. If a housewares company can consider one thing, she asked, what would it be?

“Determine the one thing you do that has the largest impact— water or energy use or waste produced. Concentrate on that.  Chipping away at many things can’t achieve much. Solve one large impact first,” Dent advised.

The MCX executives introduced several new materials in several of the following five trends:

• Experiential materials
• Plant forward solutions
• Waste is the new black
• Newcycling
• Manufacturing of Tomorrow.

As consumers have spent extended time in their homes this year, many have turned to DIY projects to improve their living spaces. Home improvement and organization solutions are just some of the do-it-yourself products featured below.

C&B Product, LLC

NeverMeasure

The NeverMeasure device was designed to make it easy for consumers to easily level and place all of their projects. The auto-centering feature, locking screw for precise transfer between wall and frame and leveling vials come together to make this multipurpose DIY tool.

Contact: Brian Blasey, brian@nevermeasure.com

Delta Cycle

Slim Floating Shelves

An alternative to bulkier wall shelving, the Delta Cycle Slim Floating Shelves come in a range of finishes and were created to be a solution for DIYers or design pros. The shelves’ no-show bracket design can hold up to 33 pounds per shelf, and the included Invisibolts are meant to provide fast and easy installation.

Contact: Jeff Greenstein, jg@designbydelta.com

GCK Products, LLC

GadgetKlip

GadgetKlip is an organizational product made to securely and safely organize and bundle cords, wires and cables. The industrial plastic body and stainless-steel wings allow the GadgetKlip to be used indoors and outdoors.

Contact: Michael Despres, gckproducts@gmail.com

JEJ Astage Co., Ltd

Drawer Blocks

These drawer organizers come in six different sizes to allow consumers to create storage solutions that suit their needs. Drawer Blocks can be connected securely via rear clips. The neutral colors and simple style were created to fit any interior style.

Contact: astageglobal_contact@jej-astage.co.jp

Jobar International, Inc.

Stick and Slide Drawers, Set of 2

Jobar’s Stick and Slide Drawers were created to store up to six pounds of daily cleaning and cooking supplies. The drawers can be placed within cabinets or on walls in a few steps using adhesive backing with no hardware or nails required.

Contact: Vanessa Meininger, v.meininger@jobar.com

Jobar International, Inc.

All-in-1 Furniture Repair Markers

These furniture repair markers were made to rejuvenate wooden furniture by filling, scraping and coloring with one marker. Large and small filler sticks are used for correspondingly sized cracks, and the built-in scraper can remove excess material for a smooth finish. The repair marker tip touches up the color. Seven color options are available.

Contact: Vanessa Meininger, v.meininger@jobar.com

Jobar International, Inc.

Cable Outlet Organizer

This cable organizer from Jobar installs into an existing wall plate and organizes excess cables that are plugged into the same outlet. The built-in notches were designed to make each cable easily identifiable.

Contact: Vanessa Meininger, v.meininger@jobar.com

Mepal BV

Modula

Built to organize kitchen cabinets and drawers, Modula’s container sets were designed to turn dry food stocks into clear, neat and organized works of art. The sets come in five or seven pieces, and they have a transparent lid and white rim.

Contact: Lesley Green, lesley@portstyle.com

Mira Design Corp.

TEPRA Lite

TEPRA Lite is a compact, palm-sized, battery-powered label printer that can be operated from a smartphone. The TEPRA Lite app provides a wide range of pre-designed templates, and specialized tapes can be purchased in different colors and patterns.

Contact: Lily Tsubouchi, lily@mirajapan.com

Spectrum Diversified Designs/Tovolo

HEXA Refrigerator Bins

These refrigerator bins from Spectrum Diversified Designs come in a variety of sizes to fit many organizational needs. The stackable design promotes vertical storage to allow for a maximization of space. The removable inserts help keep produce fresher longer, and the front opening cutouts were made for easy access to the bin’s items.

Contact: Ashley Marochino, amarochino@spectrumdiversified.com

Honey Can Do

Accordion Triple Laundry Sorter

Honey Can Do’s Triple Laundry Sorter holds three standard loads of laundry, allowing clothes to be sorted by household member, clothing color or type. The accordion design has a collapsible frame that folds up for storage.

Contact: sales@honeycando.com

The pandemic has remade consumer emotions around fourth-quarter holidays, Michelle Lamb, founder and editorial director of The Trend Curve, discussed in the “Harvest, Halloween & Holiday” session of IHA’s Connect SPRING event.

Although consumers should be able to celebrate with others for the holidays this year, safety concerns will still be nagging in 2021 and 2022. This could trigger a wave of nostalgia for what are perceived to be simpler and safer times, Lamb said.

When friends and family gather again, consumers will soak in every moment and take little for granted. As people visit homes again, seasonal decor will be looked at in a new way, and it will likely trend “a little bit dressier,” said Lamb, “not formal or opulent, but stylish.”

In addition to dressier holiday celebrations, “In the coming two years, sustainability will also impact Halloween and Christmas collections,” Lamb said

Michelle detailed upcoming trends for the Harvest, Halloween and Holiday seasons.

Harvest Homecoming refers to an autumn theme of harvest and bounty and sharing the bounty with friends and family again; it is a reunion, Lamb explained. Home goods will take on a more serious, well-planned tone that sits on the border of dressy and acknowledges how special it is to come back together. Words such as “grateful,” “gather” and “family” are common to express emotion, she said.

Fall Market, Lamb continued, is an evolution of the farmhouse trend “without the pickup trucks and hay bales” and with a focus on environmental responsibility, shopping local and buying organic. Warm palettes and sophisticated textures, leaves and pumpkin patch and apple orchard themes dominate this trend.

This year’s Halloween trends, while spirited, aren’t scary, Lamb said, noting the avoidance of horror and gore themes.

In Graveyard Buffet, connecting with friends is front and center. Spiderwebs, pumpkins, old candlesticks and happy skulls are popular along with individual and bite-sized foods, she said.

Vintage Halloween harkens back to a simpler and more worry-free time. Bats, witch hats, and personified inanimate objects with childlike appearances bring a lighthearted vibe to this trend, Lamb said. Colors, as if faded, present a comfortable decades-old look. 

Cool Christmas sees a return of the eucalyptus color that rose to popularity in 2019. In 2021 and 2022, eucalyptus anchors a palette that also includes sage, teal, and peacock colors. Blue-influenced greens lend to frosty, monochromatic holiday decor.

Lamb, citing an NPR report, said the rise in skiing and snowboarding signals a desire to return to the playfulness of outdoors. Snowflakes, ski scenes, and Scandinavian, retro-themed items are at the forefront for Alpine Chalet.

Coastal color stories shift to an inky, but not gloomy, color palette in the Midnight Under the Sea trend. Cobalt, navy, and teal variations are accented with emerald and aubergine. Contrast comes from textured finishes, frosted glass and velvet. Turtles, seahorses, coral and shells are also prominent.

With the pandemic causing a rise in baking, Lamb said Elves in the Kitchen trends toward a more nostalgic baking theme, “What could be more comforting than fresh-baked treats and more joyful than elves remembered from our childhood?” she asked. Elves along with red, green and white colors and cookie cutters in traditional shapes are important here.

Lamb described Cottagecore Christmas as a trend for every consumer that values a “front-porch lifestyle,” The theme celebrates a nostalgic return to simpler times along with harmony in nature and escapism from the modern world in favor of being in the comfort of home, she added. Vintage-look mixing bowls, dried flowers of all types, and nature-based materials lead this theme.

The Supernatural theme sees a rise in earthy colors and natural and organic materials, according to Lamb. Gnomes and mushrooms are seen in this trend, but with glitter accents that set them apart from the eco-sensibilities of the past with a little bit of decorative luxe.

People will return to in-home celebrations with a different frame of mind, Lamb emphasized, noting how much time they’ve had to think about the people they have been separated from and the times they once shared with them. The trends and themes Lamb outlined reflect the idea that consumers will approach upcoming holidays with a more intentional mindset.

With renewed time spent cooking the past year, consumers may be looking for items that can help make their lives in their kitchens easier. The following items assist in prep, cooking, serving and keeping foods fresh for longer to reduce food waste.

Prepdeck

Prepdeck All-in-One Meal Prep Station

Prepdeck was created to bring chef-approved mise-en-place techniques to the home cook. The Prepdeck contains more than 45 features, including eight precision prepping tools and an optional mobile device stand to help consumers prep ahead, stay organized and make cooking less stressful.

Contact: Alexander Eburne, a@pbuilt.com

Airtender BV

Nanostopper

The Nanostopper is a vacuum stopper for bottles, glass jars and food storage bags. The Nanostopper was designed to keep food and drinks fresh and full of flavor while reducing the use of plastics and preventing food waste.

Contact: Dalibor Borjanin, dalibor@airtender.com

Firefly Books/Robert Rose

By the Book: Bringing Self-Sufficiency into the Kitchen

This collection of books from Robert Rose focuses on how to bring a renewed focus to home and greater self-sufficiency into the kitchen and pantry. The selection of books features “Dehydrator Bible,” “300 Best Bread Machine Recipes,” “Complete Book of Pickling,” “Today’s Everyday Slow Cooker.”

Contact: Brad Roberts, brad@fireflybooks.com

Jobar International Inc.

Handy Gourmet Can Strainer

This can strainer is designed to clear liquids from most canned goods. The strainer can be flipped for different-sized cans, and the multi-functional ergonomic handle doubles as a food scraper to eliminate food waste.

Contact: Ashlee Pham, a.pham@jobar.com

Kitchen Concepts Unlimited LLC

Butterie

Kitchen Concept’s Butterie is a one-piece butter dish with an attached, flip-top lid. Made for countertop use, it enables butter to remain soft and spreadable on delicate items such as pancakes, French toast or biscuits.

Concept: Joelle Mertzel, joelle@kcunlimited.com

Mastrad Inc.

m°classic 2

Mastrad describes the m°classic 2 as the first professional thermometer including a large LCD color screen. The thermometer has 45 pre-programmed cooking modes, a programmable alarm and special settings for oil, chocolate and sugar.

Contact: Jamie Grey, jgrey@mastrad.us

Microplane

Mixing Bowl Extra Coarse Grater

This bowl grater from Microplane features an ultra-sharp blade made for “ricing” vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and carrots or grating potatoes and soft cheese. The bowl is optimized to fit any size mixing bowl for grating with less mess.

Contact: Ashley Warren, awarren@microplane.com

The FRESHGLOW Co.

FRESHPAPER

FRESHPAPER food saver sheets are designed to keep food fresh longer, saving money and reducing waste. Made with organic beeswax, the FRESHPAPER line includes natural produce savers, bread savers and cheese savers.

Contact: Carrie Fisher, carrie@freshglow.co

Totally Bamboo

Baltique Colorful Birch Wood Utensils

Totally Bamboo’s colorful cooking utensils are made from layers of birch wood in an array of colors. The Baltique Collection features three styles: a bright and bold Marrakesh collection, a cool and refreshing Mykonos collection and a deep and vibrant Malta collection.

Contact: Kyle Erickson, kylee@totallybamboo.com

Widgeteer Inc.

Icebreaker Nordic POP

Widgeteer’s Icebreaker Nordic POP is designed as a new way to make and serve ice cubes. The handheld ice cube maker allows consumers to serve ice cubes with the turn of a lid. Users fill the bottles, freeze, and pop the tops to allow ice cubes to tumble out. The container is made to stack in the freezer and limit melting.

Contact: Bill McHenry, bmchenry@widgeteerinc.com

Today’s episode looks at Time:

Feeling productive, engaging in new activities and fulfilling personal and family ambitions for learning and togetherness are top of mind. This has inspired new ways of thinking about how home products can optimize time spent on today’s lifestyles.

Watch the Video

Revealing Insights by the Market Watch
2021 Authors

Each Market Watch 2021 episode includes a special showcase of new home and housewares innovations that demonstrate efforts by the industry to address key trends and serve evolving consumer needs and preferences.

Featured products for Time:

• Donut & Pretzel Popsicle Molds, Tara Steffen, Lékué 
• Brewdini, Rita Lee, Gourmia 
• Intelligent Cookware Pot, Brendan Dunne, Zega
• Ravioli Tablet, Kim Teresi, Marcato 
• Blix, Ariel Sterngold, Blix 
• Breakfast Molds & Breakfast Scrub Sponges, Fred and Friends

A year of dramatic changes in consumer needs and behaviors, along with the rapid adoption of voice-activated assistants and digital tools for accessing information, have alerted the home and housewares, food and technology industries that now is the time for innovation and collaboration to solve consumers’ needs.

Prompted by moderator Peter Giannetti of IHA, a panel of industry specialists from The NPD Group — Joe Derochowski, home industry advisor; Ben Arnold, consumer technology industry analyst; and Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst — discussed opportunities for creating successful smart home products and services in The Future of Smart in the Home session.

“Smart is not a benefit,” Derochowski said, “but a tool to enable solutions.”  The kitchen is primed for transformative innovation, he added, once home/housewares, food and technology companies build partnerships to focus on solving specific in-home cooking needs.

“More than 30% of U.S. homes now use smart speakers, such as Alexa, and acceptance of connected home security systems and doorbells also show strong growth,” Arnold noted. “Consumers are further along than we give them credit for,” he added. Voice activation is the common denominator for the mass acceptance of smart home technologies, he believes, and the use case is strongest in the kitchen. The consumer is wondering: “How does my technology make me a better cook or answer the question “What’s for dinner tonight?” These are harder challenges to solve. “That’s where the benefit of the smart home lies. The missing piece here is data,” Arnold stated. “My eating habits can inform devices and appliances in my kitchen about what type of consumer I am.”

Seifer pointed out that the pandemic brought 80% of meals back into the home. In 2020, in-home meals peaked at 90% as restaurants closed. “But consumers didn’t suddenly have new time available to cook all these meals and they looked for time-saving convenience,” he said. Appliance sales soared.  “Just as I might purchase a robotic vacuum to clean my home with less personal involvement from me, kitchen appliances help to prepare meals so I don’t have to do all the work,” Seifer added.

“Additionally, digital ordering changed how we bring food and beverages to the table. Monthly online grocery ordering grew from 29% to 42%,” Seifer continued. “We became more comfortable with this technology, so next steps will be less of a leap because of this rapid change.”

In addition to convenience and information, consumers seek inspiration, competence and confidence.  “Look at the sudden increase in the use of the Echo Show,” Derochowski noted. “Restaurants want to build relationships with their customers. Maybe the “Ghost Kitchen” (delivery-only restaurant) will become our own kitchen, as chefs instruct us to cook and build our confidence.”

Seifer cautioned manufacturers and food companies that some consumers will be slow to change habits.  Younger adults may be quicker to adopt and understand new technologies but have lower incomes, so products must be more affordable. He urged industries to “be patient and persistent. Keep the drumbeat going and consumers will jump on the bandwagon.”  He suggested that solutions that don’t require major changes in behavior could have a greater chance of success if a product can achieve substitution without sacrifice, for example substituting a new method without sacrificing taste or time.

Seifer outlined the many opportunities in the “path to consumption” to plug into consumer needs.  Every step leading up to and after a meal — planning, shopping, preparing, cooking, eating, clean up and storage — can be a point of connection for a food company, tech company or home/housewares company to engage with consumers. These cross-links will build an ecosystem of products and services.

The panel addressed security and privacy concerns. As with cars or phones, updates should be done behind the scenes to reduce consumer intimidation and limit skill or time required by the user.  Recurring costs of updates and maintenance will have to be included.

Arnold summarized, “technology offers tools to connect devices and bring information to wherever eyes are. These are powerful tools for changing habits.” He predicted that the truly smart kitchen might be achieved by a startup or an existing appliance company with the DNA of a tech company, the essence of a food firm and a deep understanding of consumer needs. A clear focus on the consumer experience is key.  Arnold also noted that if a housewares brand is interfacing with its users on devices, it is already a tech company.

Seifer agreed food, tech and home/housewares companies have the appetite for cross-industry insights and must network to share insights and information.

Derochowski closed by stating home/housewares companies should learn from food and tech companies about what is possible in order to solve consumers’ “I want, I love, I hate” needs and frustrations.