Sinead Trainor, kitchen category manager at LochAnna Kitchens, gives us an insight into consumer buying habits drawn from the company's sales trends over the past six months.
A desire for premium styles
Research into the top 10 LochAnna Kitchen collections sold over the past six months has revealed that mid-to-premium tier collections made up more than 40% of their bestsellers, with consumer habits revealing a real desire for high-end, painted kitchens. Feedback from our retailers has revealed that order values have increased due to a demand for high quality, premium cabinetry, as customers look to create a showstopping central hub in which they can entertain and socialise as doing so at home has become more commonplace.
Investing in longevity
Investing in quality materials in key areas of the home is now more of a priority for homeowners. With both longevity and sustainability solidifying as a key consideration, many are moving away from the trend of overconsumption and instead aiming to invest once, postponing the need for future renovations in the home. Consumer habits around investing in more premium collections shows the willingness to invest in long-term solutions. There has also been increased interest in smart storage solutions that allow consumers to gain more out of their kitchen space while adding a sense of ease to their daily routines.
The ongoing trend for personalisation
Out of LochAnna’s top 10 selling colours in the last six months, four were in the green and blue colour families, with sales demonstrating a clear and steady upward trajectory for green kitchens in comparison to more traditional shades such as grey which saw a decline. Interestingly, greens made up more of a percentage of colours sold than blues, making up a significant 23% of all kitchens sold. This recent trend has been pushed by the surge in self-expressive design in the home, with bolder design choices being celebrated and encouraged in both traditional and social media. Due to this, there has been a strong demand for more variation when it comes to colour.
Return to the natural
Interest in timber and timber effect kitchens has peaked in recent years, as the desire for more sustainable materials as well as the warm, natural, appeal a wooden kitchen can bring to the home has become hugely popular with trends like Scandi, Japandi and Farmhouse. LochAnna’s timber painted kitchens made up 40% of their sales volume over the last six months. Interestingly, as recently as 2020, painted kitchens would only have made up around 15% of their volume, which indicates a strong upward trend in consumers seeking to bring an element of the outdoors in, leading to real timber kitchens currently taking precedent over glossy or wood imitation kitchens.
