With data analyst Global Data acknowledging that current consumer buying will have long term benefits for ecommerce (see COVID-19 Impact on Ecommerce), major housewares retailers are addressing the lockdown’s rise in home cooking and recreating a café or restaurant experience at home,
In its e-marketing at the weekend, Marks and Spencer flagged up ‘Pots and pans that look as good as they cook’ and featured cookware, as well as glasses for wine and cocktails to help consumers serve their drinks at home in style.
John Lewis & Partners’ weekend e-marketing tempted consumers to ‘Transform your daily routine with the latest gadgets,’ featuring small kitchen electricals as well as tech gadgets. It told its customer mailing list: ‘Whether you’re mastering latte art or want to ditch the whisk, our edit of kitchen appliances are designed to take the hard work out of mealtimes’. SDA prep brands included Magimix, KitchenAid and Tefal,
The department store also focused on making barista-quality coffee at home, featuring a range of machines to suit different lifestyle and budgets. Brands included Sage, De’Longhi and Nespresso.
John Lewis Partnership’s recent report on life in lockdown noted that 20% of consumers have shared a virtual cocktail or drinks party, and 51% of people have been choosing to spend increased time with loved ones cooking and baking together.
*With a view to giving a boost to Home as retailers emerge from Lockdown, Marks and Spencer has confirmed that Richard Price (hitherto at Tesco) will start as md of its home and clothing division in early July.
* John Lewis has launched a limited edition rainbow design mug a to raise funds for NHS Charities Together. The John Lewis Partnership is also donating a further £1.4m to around 3,000 local charities who are helping those most in need during the pandemic (bringing its donations to over £2.7m).
Top: Marks & Spencer’s weekend marketing to its customer mailing list featured cookware.
