Home and housewares products remain reliable general merchandise producers at retail, with the strongest consumer purchase intent concentrated in categories central to grocery and drug GM sets, according to the International Housewares Association’s 2026 MarketOutlook report.
Cleaning tools topped all 15 categories measured, with 67 percent of consumers very or somewhat likely to buy in the next 12 months, followed by home health care products at 65 percent and grooming and beauty at 60 percent — a top three the association notes is united by health and wellness. At least half of respondents reported purchase intent in a majority of core housewares categories.
“At a time when many shoppers are re-evaluating and refining their spending, MarketOutlook offers detailed insight into what kinds of home and housewares products consumers expect to purchase in the coming year – as well as where, why and for how much,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of Rosemont, Illinois-based IHA.
Key findings
- Replacing an old or broken product is the top purchase motivator in every category, and purchase intent runs higher among adults 18-44 than those 45 and older.
- Consumers are willing to pay more in select categories despite inflation, led by outdoor living (66 percent), luggage and travel accessories (64 percent), home environment (64 percent), floor care electrics (63 percent) and kitchen electrics (63 percent).
- In storage and organization, food storage continues to dominate purchasing plans at 40 percent, ahead of closet organizers (38 percent) and hampers and laundry baskets (35 percent).
- Convenience sometimes beats sustainability in cleaning: 40 percent said they plan to buy cleaning tools with disposable cloths.
- For kitchen electrics, a preferred brand is the top attribute motivating consumers to pay more (75 percent), followed by easy-clean nonstick surfaces (71 percent) and Made in the USA status (70 percent).
The report, the second installment of IHA’s three-part 2026 State of the Industry Report, features data commissioned from Morning Consult among 2,201 adults surveyed in the first quarter, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. It includes category-level detail on likely shopping channels, top products and preferred materials, and is available free at HomePageNews.com. The third installment, MarketWatch, arrives in early fall.