Tabletop Market Report 2006 —

A Consumer Insights Study of the Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware, Servingware and Tabletop Decorative Accessories Markets

The tabletop market has been on a slow growth trajectory for the past five years. It reached $9 billion in 2005, rising only 3.1 percent from the previous year. Its growth has lagged that of the housewares industry which it is a part. The housewares market grew 4.5 percent in 2005 to $36.9 billion, according to Unity Marketing’s Tabletop Market Report 2006.

Slow growth has put pressure on once prospering tabletop companies. Some of the industry’s leading brands have been acquired recently — The Pfaltzgraff Company, Lenox, Royal Doulton — and others, like Oneida, Syratech and Anchor Hocking, have fallen into bankruptcy.

People blame the industry’s disruption on many of the usual suspects, such as changing patterns of shopping, and brides registering at specialty stores, rather than department stores for their dinnerware patterns. But something more fundamental has changed.

Consumers’ Tastes Have Changed toward a Casual Luxury Lifestyle

“Consumers tastes have shifted toward a more casual, but luxurious, way of setting the table,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing. “People want tableware they can dress up and dress down depending on the occasion. This affects marketers at both ends of the pricing spectrum, as people want tabletop that is better than everyday, but more casual than formal dinnerware.”

The new report reveals the results of a survey of 1,300 recent tabletop buyers, which found that nearly 80 percent of tabletop buyers agreed with the statement, “ My lifestyle is more casual, so I prefer to set my table with more casual, less formal tableware.” And two-thirds agreed with: “When I entertain, I prefer to set my table with upscale but casual dinnerware that is easy to care for and that I can put in the dishwasher.”

“Too many tabletop companies have been slow to pick up on the shifts in consumer preferences,” Danziger concludes. “Tabletop marketers have been notoriously product driven. But they must listen to the consumer and adopt a consumer-centric business model. Unity’s new Tabletop Market Report gives them the insights they need to understand their new casual luxury consumer.”

Unity Marketing’s Study Provides Information Tabletop Marketers Can Use to Be More Successful

Unity Marketing’s Tabletop Market Report, 2006 gives tabletop marketers the most current consumer information, so that they can start to move with the consumer market, not against it. Tabletop marketers and retailers will get a new understanding of what today’s consumer wants when it comes to tableware to enhance their dining and entertaining experiences. It examines what tableware consumers are purchasing, where they shop, how much they spend, their brand awareness and usage for over 40 tabletop brands and the reasons why they shop for tabletop.

The study includes results of seven focus groups with women active in the tabletop market, including one group conducted with brides and engaged women who registered for tabletop. A quantitative survey among 1,303 recent tabletop buyers is also reported. This survey sample had an average income of $69,300, slightly higher than the national average, and male/female ratio of 36 percent/64 percent.

Special Feature: The Four Personalities the Tabletop Customer

A special feature in the Tabletop Market Report, 2006 is a psychographic study of four different personalities types that make up the tabletop market:

• Neo-Conservative Conrad/Connie is the largest consumer segment, comprising 34 percent of the market, who is as their name implies rather traditional about their use and preferences for tabletop. But make no mistake, they are neo-conservatives which means they embrace ‘new luxury’ not old luxury formality. The majority of Neo-Conservative Conrad/Connie’s agree or strongly agree with the statement, “My lifestyle is more casual, so I prefer to set my table with more casual, less formal tableware.” And unique to this personality segment is an equal representation of men and women, thus the gender-neutral name. This segment also is the youngest of all, average age 36 years. They also spent the most buying tabletop in 2005.
  
• Casual Carol makes up the second largest segment in the tabletop market, representing 25 percent of the total market. She wants nothing to do with formal tabletop because it doesn’t fit her lifestyle. Casual Carol is the second youngest segment, with an average age of 38.3 years and spent the least on tabletop.
  
• Formerly-Formal Frances , comprising 22 percent of tabletop consumers, used to be a traditionalist, but today she is marching to her own drummer when it comes to tabletop. She has relegated her formal dinnerware to the china cabinet and instead sets her table with the casual luxury styles she much prefers. For Frances, ease of use, convenience and comfort are key and formal tabletop just doesn’t fit that mold. Frances is the second oldest of the personalities, 40.4 years.
  
• Helena the Hostest with the Mostest is the smallest and oldest segment with an average age of 42.4 years. While she also lives a casual lifestyle, Helena leans toward a more formal table presentation, especially when entertaining. Helena’s primary use of formal dinnerware is for entertaining purposes, so she puts her formal collections to regular use. She also is the most likely to own holiday dinnerware to set a festive holiday table. She spent the most on tabletop last year and frequently gives tabletop as gifts.

Data included in the Tabletop Market Report

With a focus on consumers, their buying behavior, needs, desires and preferences, this research study includes research data and statistics about:

• Tabletop Market Size and Growth: What is the size of the overall tabletop goods market, as well as the key product segments (e.g. dinnerware, glassware, flatware, decorative accessories, servingware) and how rapidly is it growing? How is the tabletop market segmented by type of product? What is the size of the formal and casual tabletop segments?
  
• Demographics of the Tabletop Market: What are the demographic characteristics of people who buy tabletop products? How is consumers’ buying behavior for tabletop influenced by demographic segments (e.g., gender, age, generation, HHI, size, composition, ethnicity/race, education, etc.)?
  
• Tabletop Buying Behavior: What are the primary characteristics of the consumers’ buying behavior related to tabletop goods in general and the key product segments in particular (e.g. dinnerware, glassware, flatware, decorative accessories, servingware)? Why do they buy these goods and how do consumers’ motivations different by product category segment? Where do they shop for the different types of tabletop products; what factors influence their decision making; how much do they spend buying each of the tabletop goods product segments and across the entire tabletop goods category?; what is the role of brand in tabletop goods product selection and shopping choices? How do different demographic segments differ in their shopping and buying behavior?
  
• Psychographic Profile and Segmentation of the Tabletop Markets: A psychographic profile of the tabletop buyers is developed in this report. The profiles identify different types or personalities of consumers of tabletop goods. These profiles identify different drives and motivations found among consumers in purchasing tabletop; what factors are more or less important in driving tabletop purchasing decisions; and how tabletop marketers and retailers can better understand the hearts and minds of their consumers. In essence, we will discover “why people buy tabletop.”

Tabletop and Home Dining Market, 2006: Consumer Insights on Casual and Fine Dinnerware, Crystal and Glassware, Silver and Stainless Flatware, Servingware, Decorative Accessories and Other Dining Accoutrements

(April 2006. 190+ pages)

Published Price: $2,995

Major Findings

Table of Contents (PDF)

Research Methodology & Survey Questionnaire
(PDF)

Brands Included in the Report

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