Sales of small appliances performed well last year, providing a bright spot in a picture that saw other durables categories hit hard.
According to GfK Retail and Technology UK, the UK small domestic appliances market was worth £2.4bn in 2011 - enjoying healthy value growth of 4.9% over the previous year.
GfK says the increased value is down to the availability of more innovative designs and lifestyle products, and a rise in prices paid.
Online sales have particularly helped drive premium brands and products within the SDA market, with ecommerce accounting for an increasing share of sales in some product sectors. GfK says this is especially evident within the coffee maker market, where online purchases constituting 22.8% of total sales in 2010 rose to 30.1% last year.
Over the last 12 months, SDAs have proved to be the strongest of the durable product categories. The value of consumer electronics, for example, declined 15.7% in 2011.
Sam Kelly, TSR director at GfK, commented: "In a very challenging economic climate it's great to see value growth within small domestic appliances; a sector that has shown great resilience over the last 12 months compared to many other durables categories."
Kelly will be opening the Housewares Conference 2012 next Tuesday, March 27, with more insight and analysis on this market.
Source: http://www.housewareslive.net/news/news.asp?id=7639&title=Small+appliances+put+on+value+growth
