Home Consumer Insights

Trend - Gaming furniture brands are releasing desks with built-in custom computer cases. These compartments reduce cable clutter, improve aesthetics, and further protect the computer from external damage, as they cannot be knocked over or dented.

Insight - While building a custom computer was a hobby previously attributed to the gaming community, it has now become the norm for many more types of consumers, such as content creators, celebrities, professional editors, and more. With such a large market of consumers into DIY computers, brands are looking to innovate products to stand out from competitors. One such innovation targets the traditional custom computer case, instead merging both the case and desk in one with unique designs.

Trend - Luxury home furnishing brands are releasing more affordable product lines to appeal to a wider range of consumers. These products blend the aesthetics and build quality of luxury brands with more affordable materials to offer products with few compromises, thus appealing to younger consumers.

Insight - The average Millennial and Gen Z consumers may not have the amount of disposable income required to invest in luxury products in all aspects of their life. However, many such consumers are embracing the 'Micro Luxury' trend, investing in select luxury products that they can afford in areas of life they prioritize. These consumers invest in higher-end furnishings, appliances, or artworks that emulate luxury living on a budget, curbing the need for constant purchases, and leading to money saved.

Trend - Brands in the smart home space are releasing smart air conditioners designed to adapt to the needs of the residents. Some such air conditioners feature modes that monitor a user's body temperature and use AI algorithms to ensure their comfort, while others enable personalized app connectivity.

Insight - Some of the most common symptoms women experience in the perimenopausal and menopausal stages are hot flashes, or in some cases cold flashes. While these women often resort to traditional means of controlling body temperatures by using heated blankets or cooling pillows, the introduction of AI in the smart home space is making body temperature control more natural and intuitive. Brands are addressing the needs of these women with smart air conditioners that adjust based on body temperatures.

Trend - New AI tools are designed to reduce and optimize food consumption habits in the home. These tools analyze food waste patterns, grocery lists, and cooked meals, and create recommendations on how to optimize these habits. This involves purchasing different amounts of foods, altering recipes, and more.

Insight - While AI tools are continually gaining popularity in professional creative fields, such as editing photos, documents, and films, many consumers are looking to see how AI could improve and optimize their daily personal lives instead. Combining this with rising environmental concerns and increasing costs of living, consumers are turning to AI tools that optimize home management. These tools help reduce energy consumption by turning off unused appliances and minimize food waste via planning.

Trend - Designer furniture brands, sometimes in collaboration with automotive brands, are launching furniture collections inspired by popular luxury vehicles. These furniture collections are designed to blend the quality of luxury furniture with the familiarity of vehicle design notes for car fans.

Insight - When higher-income consumers consider interior design products, they consider various factors, including quality, brand recognition, status symbolism, personal connection, and aesthetics. While there are near-limitless options for interior design, there is a distinct lack of high-end branded pieces inspired by hobbies or adjacent industries. For consumers with an interest in luxury cars, furniture brands are now enabling these consumers to further express themselves with co-branded collections.

Trend - Kitchen appliance brands are releasing compact range hoods designed to sit on a countertop. These hoods are not permanent fixtures, as per the norm, and are instead portable, meaning they can be stored away when not in use. These hoods are designed for homes that are more strict on space.

Insight - As the cost of living continues to rise to crisis levels, consumers are tasked with saving money wherever possible. For homeowners, this often means investing in smaller, more affordable alternatives to full-size appliances or tools. Simple everyday devices, such as ovens or refrigerators, can be expensive and cumbersome to fit in more modest homes. As a result of this, brands in the kitchen appliance space are releasing lower-cost, more portable solutions.

Trend - Appliance manufacturers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for the next generation of laundry machines. AI machines automatically optimize the load settings, such as rotation speed, based on the type and weight of the fabrics, thus saving consumers time and effort when doing laundry.

Insight - Adults in North America are finding themselves with less free time each year due to various economic and social factors. Many of these adults struggle to balance full-time jobs with familial and home obligations. This increases their willingness to invest in smart home products that save them time or money. Home appliance manufacturers interpret this desire for time-saving as an opportunity for automation, leading to many brands turning to artificial intelligence.

Trend - Spatial computing brands are launching applications that use gamification, animations, and cameras to improve home cleaning. These are designed to integrate XR into daily tasks rather than serve as entertainment. These features aim to hold users' attention and make cleaning more engaging.

Insight - Most adults in North America are pressed for free time, and do not want to perform menial tasks, such as vacuuming, when they do have time. These consumers understand the necessity of these tasks, though, and as a result, desire help from modern technologies that could improve these experiences. Brands are recognizing these desires and launching engaging applications built on AR and XR platforms as a response.

Trend - Interior and exterior design firms are releasing collections of reeded furnishings. The reeded pattern is used to give more depth and texture to minimalist pieces without adding unsustainable materials. These pieces are designed to complement both personal and professional aesthetic trends.

Insight - Homeowners and renters looking to update their home design themes are prioritizing sustainability and versatility. This subset of consumers is most interested in keeping up to date with the latest trends, and are willing to invest in products that fit modern aesthetics while supporting their core values. As a result of this, brands are adopting the evergreen minimalist aesthetic with new notes of sustainability and personalization, adding depth to furnishings for trendy consumers.

Trend - Sanitizing devices are becoming increasingly popular across the fashion industry to address footwear-related hygiene concerns. These devices feature built-in sterilization mechanisms, such as UV-C light technology, to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and odors from shoes while preserving them.

Insight - As the cost of living crisis intensifies, consumers are seeking strategies to maximize the longevity and value of their purchases. Product-preserving devices are desired by consumers who place high value on their footwear, be it due to exclusivity or cost. This element instills confidence in buyers, assuring them that the product will remain effective and usable for an extended period. As a result, more consumers are turning to product preservation tools that promise sustained quality.