COOKING & FOOD PREPARATION v
Even before the COVID-19 lockdown, trading conditions were hard. But as we adapted to the new restrictions, unexpected upsides emerged: for example, sales of some kitchen appliances “shot up” within two weeks of lockdown, as a nation forced to stay at home embraced the comfort of home-cooked meals, bread and cakes. Resourceful electrical retailers can benefit from this – and other emerging opportunities - as so-called “nonessential” shops open their doors to hungry customers
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obody really knows what will happen in the second half of this year. Government policy and advice are getting less clear, but with the focus now on the reopening of “non-essential” shops, it is at least clear that the economy – of which the electrical and retail sectors form a significant proportion– has to adapt and find opportunities wherever it can. It goes without saying, of course, that developing and refining an online presence to create maximum synergy with the bricks-and-mortar part of the business is an absolute necessity, now and into the postCOVID era. A report by home delivery company ParcelHero points out that “e-commerce sales soared by 60% in May under lockdown. Now people of every age group have discovered the convenience of home shopping for groceries, clothing and non-essentials.” With so many more consumers discovering online shopping, we could see a further permanent shift in buying habits across all age groups, and “‘a balanced e-commerce-physical store approach, ensuring shops complement online services, will hopefully lead to a longer-term, sustained improvement for the High Street.” But what else, specifically related to home cooking and food preparation, can retailers convert into upsides of the pandemic legacy?
UPSIDES? WHAT UPSIDES?
“It is essential that the appliance does the ‘thinking’ too” Hotpoint: an example of the strong trend in steam combi cooking
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MAY/JUNE 2020
It’s not easy for any retailer who has been forced to close their doors, and who has seen trade disappear practically overnight, to focus on positives. But alterations in the British way of life directly resulting from lockdown have created new habits and attitudes with measurable benefits to the cooking and food preparation market. This is not just anecdotal. There are figures to back it up. According to a recent report from GfK, “sales of some kitchen appliances shot up as Britain hit week two of enforced lockdown.” In the week 29 March to 4 April, purchases of deep fryers showed 76.4% growth in value compared to the same week last year; hot beverage makers were up 65.4%; sandwich makers, waffle makers and grills hit 62.1% value growth; food preparation products were up 61.5% overall, driven by value sales growth in food stand mixers of 218.6%, hand mixers of 105.3% and food processors of 43.7%. Kelly Whitwick, UK Retail Lead for Market Insights at GfK, said: “Looking across these home cooking appliances, the average price is showing an upward trajectory since lockdown started. It seems we are using the money saved from not dining out to invest in premium cooking equipment and smarter models. For brands and retailers in the small domestic goods sector, this is the time to be promoting your higher-end products, as a
