Key Trends In Kitchenware Industry Post-Pandemic

The months of lockdown and isolation due to the coronavirus-induced pandemic has made it evident that instead of pivoting back to “normal,” after the easing of restrictions and reopening, the world will forge ahead by building a new future. As a matter of fact, COVID-19 has drastically altered every day, daily aspects of one’s life, in turn, also resulting in a dramatic change in consumer behaviour over the last two years. One such pointed change has been the transformation of the home into a multifunctional hub—becoming a space for living, working, learning, shopping or even playing. Moreover, post-pandemic, several people are expected to sustain the pandemic habits they have cultivated—such as remote-working, leading a healthier lifestyle for mental and physical well-being, cooking, amongst other things.

Rise of cooking during the pandemic

Being confined indoors has also prompted several people to come up with a family activity to bond or simply a hobby to pass the time. This, combined with the closing of restaurants and eateries, motivated several people to try their hand at cooking together or attempting to cook various recipes.

Increasing awareness about health-consciousness

In addition to cooking picking up, the pandemic has also driven people to become more health-conscious, and this inclination to adapt to a healthier way of living has led to critical lifestyle changes.

The growing health-consciousness and the newly imbibed habit of cooking at home have collectively given way to increasing demand for innovative products in the kitchen such as Premium Wrap, Cooking Sheet, Zipper Bag, Aluminium Foil, and more for a convenient cooking experience without compromising the nutrition value. Apart from that, kitchenware products—designed for hassle-free cooking while helping people maintain healthy eating habits—have witnessed a boost in demand as they enable many to still keep up with a fast-paced life.

Furthermore, with consumers constantly exposed to their phone and laptop screens, new-age digital marketing and advertising has played a vital role in sustaining and boosting this demand for kitchenware products during the pandemic and even after.

Hosting an in-house ecommerce Store

While the pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital, it is likely to stick since consumers view e-commerce as a safer option than physical stores—additionally being efficient and less time-consuming. Moreover, as social distancing and protective measures will be the new norm, shopping from home tends to become even more convenient.

Moving one’s brand online means tapping into an audience and increasing one’s consumer base beyond a limited geographical area. Evidently, a crucial emphasis on e-commerce and digital channels, including consideration of direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce channels, ensures that the brand is only a click away from the consumers and has the potential to increase sales.

Automated email marketing

As opposed to a one-size-fits-all marketing campaign, automated emails or drip emails are unparalleled in personalising marketing tactics—even helpful in influencing the customer’s decision-making process as they can target consumers at a number of different stages, ultimately guiding them towards making a purchase. For instance, emails can be sent to consumers when they first sign up, add products to their carts but leave without purchasing, or when the purchase has been made, and so on.

Automated emails sent when consumers “abandon” their shopping carts are particularly effective because it subtly pushes the consumer to complete their purchase. Not only that, but consumers who have purchased a brand’s products in the past are more likely to do so again in the future—and automated emails help the brand retarget these consumers.

Creating a social media presence

To support the e-commerce channel as well as new-age digital marketing efforts, brands must integrate various social media channels for maximum impact. A clutter-breaking presence on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook go a long way in nurturing brand recall and loyalty.

Customer-centric content marketing

Travel and other lockdown constraints had made communities much more vital than before for people. Leveraging this, kitchenware brands can build a robust community that can develop into a loyal consumer base by creating user-centric, informative content that drives conversations and brings value to consumers’ lives, alongside establishing the brand’s authority in the space.

Moreover, traditional ads could establish only a one-way contact with their consumers. But through shareable content, new-age marketing and advertising efforts can generate user engagement, help the brand stay relevant and foster a strong presence in the consumer’s life.

Increasing appeal through influencer marketing

Influencer marketing allows brands to tap into an influencer’s countless followers to increase consumer awareness about its products. Plus, with consumers becoming more informed and educated about their purchase decisions, they are more likely to believe a brand to be credible when it is a relevant influencer they trust that recommends it to them.

Due to the shift from brick-and-mortar to online—in addition to the rising drive to lead a smoother and healthier lifestyle—consumer buying behaviour has changed, resulting in a thriving kitchenware industry.

While personal health and well-being are becoming a top-of-mind concern for people, parallel to this, new-age marketing and advertising is changing the landscape for kitchenware brands—allowing them to create impactful strategies and accelerate their growth further.


*The author is Luve Oberoi, Senior Marketing Manager, Asahi Kasei India

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Luve Oberoi

Guest Author Sr. Marketing Manager, Asahi Kasei India

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