According to the latest Retail Barometer survey of independent cookshops and housewares stockists – published in Progressive Housewares’ March/April 2022 – glassware was the category enjoying the highest percentage growth in 2021. An unprecedented 61% of respondents reported an upturn in sales in the category.
Following significant growth in 2020, bakeware sales continued to grow for 45% of independent cookshops and housewares stockists in 2021 and remained stable for a further 50%. Even more remarkable is that 60% of respondents saw their knives sales increase in 2021, following strong sales growth in 2020 – indicative of the continuation of home cooking.
Barware has continued to be a strong sector, with 81% of indies seeing growth or stability in 2021, compared with a total of 86% in 2020.
Cookware sectors also held up well in 2021, with 50% of independents experiencing growth for stainless steel (building on the 41% that experienced growth in 2020), and a further 45% seeing stability. Non-stick cookware grew for 48% of indies (as it did in 2020). Notably, cast iron has continued to see a resurgence, having previously been a sector that was tracking declining sales in pre-pandemic Retail Barometers. In 2020, some 39% saw growth in cast iron, the recent responses show this product area has surged for 47% in the last year.
Textiles is another sector that performed well in 2021, with 55% reporting growth – perhaps due to washing up with tea towels after home cooking, investing in oven gloves to get a hearty casserole out of the oven, or dressing the dinner table with attractive tablecloths.
To read the full results of the Retail Barometer 2022, see Progressive Housewares March/April pages 25-33.
Top: Cubic Glasses by The DRH Collection.
