Following unprecedented demand during the pandemic years, the home and housewares industry finds itself at a unique inflection point in 2023. Suppliers and retailers are wondering how to stay engaged with customers, how to meet their quickly changing needs and what will inspire them to buy in challenging financial times. The International Housewares Association (IHA) has just released its 2023 IHA Market Watch Report, which is designed to assist the home and housewares industry with connecting to consumer values. As consumers adjust to a post-pandemic world, this report revisits five key drivers or motivating factors in consumers’ purchase decisions for home and housewares products: Wellness, Time, Space, Experience and Responsibility.

The report is based on the IHA Market Watch Survey, whose results illustrate how consumers are feeling, what they want, what they need and what motivates them to buy items for their homes. It also sheds light on what consumers learned during the pandemic, what habits or values endure and how they see their home lives evolving in the coming year. Each section of the report contains data and analysis, as well as suggestions for ways that both product developers and retailers can connect with consumers in 2023.