American consumers hoping to take control of their home and their finances are focusing on modern homesteading, home remodeling and healthier eating habits in 2013. Perhaps prompted by the lingering economic downturn, some Americans have begun searching for ways to become more self-reliant at home. Others that are more optimistic about their financial future are re-investing in their home and are spending on major home improvement projects. Still others are moving toward healthier eating habits for their families by cooking from scratch more and incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into their daily lives.

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These trends are all good signs for the housewares industry. Hundreds of new products highlighting these trends will be on display at the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show, March 2-5 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The International Housewares Association’s Consumer Advisory Council, a subset of the 100-member HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIPsters) established by Riedel Marketing Group, is at the forefront of many of these trends. The HIPsters were created to identify cutting-edge, home-related trends and a small group of HIPsters comprise a focus group each year for IHA.

“For the first time in four years, a larger percent of HIPsters is less worried about money than they were the previous year,” said A.J. Riedel, senior partner of Riedel Marketing Group. Almost one quarter – 23 percent – of respondents to the June 2012 survey reported they are less worried about money and what the future may hold now than they were a year ago, up from 13 percent in 2011.

“Regardless of how secure consumers are feeling about their financial future and the economy, they are being very cautious and careful in how they spend their money,” Riedel said. “Consumers are not going back to their pre-recession free spending ways.”Homesteading is Where the Heart is

The economy may be partially responsible for the increase in homesteading activities among some Americans. Homesteading, defined as a lifestyle of self-sufficiency by Wikipedia, has transformed into modern or 21st century homesteading in the past decade or so.

The concept of modern homesteading incorporates small-scale, sustainable agriculture and home-making in urban and suburban settings. According to Wikipedia, aspects of urban homesteading include environmentally-conscious alternatives, such as solar energy or harvesting rainwater; composting; food preservation such as canning; community food-sourcing; raising animals; and “edible landscaping” such as growing fruits and vegetables.

Homesteading, especially in urban areas, has continued to become exceedingly popular among HIPsters and to some degree, mainstream Americans. Many have become involved in farmer’s markets, have access to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s), have fostered their own gardens and choose to purchase locally grown produce. Basic concepts such as canning have also increased, with nearly one-quarter of HIPsters canning their own fruits or vegetables.

Several media sources agree that urban farming and homesteading are among the forecasted trends for 2013. A November 2012 article for QuickEasyFit on 2013 gardening trends, predicts an increase in urban farming activities among Americans such as growing their own vegetables, canning their own fruit and keeping honeybees.

“Consumers are digging deep and realizing that they hold the key to their own economic recovery,” according to a trend report on consumer products and colors for 2013 by Diamond Vogel, an Iowa-based paint manufacturer. “These consumers are resourceful and have adopted an ‘I can take care of myself’ attitude as they brace for a possible extended period of economic uncertainty. There is a real emotional connection to products made in the USA and by local artisans. They are realizing the strengths of our culture and take comfort in that which looks to be handmade, vintage or reclaimed. Authentic products that are home-grown, home-made or home-preserved are cherished.”

Colors from farmer’s markets and nature are the color inspiration for this “reshaping our heritage” trend, Diamond Vogel predicted.

One HIPster has begun making her own granite cleaner. “I’m more aware of opportunities to save money and I have the resources and time to do it,” she said. “By making my own cleaning product, I can put the money I am saving in the bank. I am aware of what I am spending and where I am spending it.”

Another HIPster reported she has begun freezer canning jams and pizza sauces. “We are trying to find things we already eat,” she said. “We are moving away from frozen items to things made from scratch because we want to save money and because they are healthier.”

All of the HIPsters participating in focus group for IHA last fall have their own vegetable gardens and some have livestock on their property. “It nice to know where the food comes from,” one HIPster said. “It tastes better.”

“Even in suburbs, we are more aware of what’s in foods,” another HIPster said, noting consumers are becoming more educated and are taking control of their food supply. Some HIPsters report their some of their friends have begun homesteading activities for expense management and cost control reasons, while others report they have begun growing their own food because of a general distrust of what is in the food they purchase.

Shopping at the farmer’s market has become a family activity, much like going to the grocery store. “Our kids enjoy picking out what we are going to eat,” one HIPster said. “We can get meat, vegetables, milk and eggs.”Healthier Eating Habits Increase

Some aspects of modern homesteading may be more associated with the consumer’s desire to eat healthier than with a search for self-sufficiency. Growing their own fruits and vegetables, shopping at local farmer’s markets or participating in CSAs might be triggered by a desire to take control of the foods their families are eating.

In the past year, Riedel reported, more than half of the HIPsters made major changes in the types of foods they and their families are eating. More than 60 percent have made those changes because they want to eat healthier, she said.

Riedel noted HIPsters are participating in healthier cooking habits such as grilling more, cooking from scratch more and using slow cookers more. Forty-five percent of HomeTrend Influential Panel members are cooking from scratch more often than they did last year, Riedel noted, and 39 percent are grilling more often.

As a result, they are reporting using their stovetop and conventional ovens, slow cookers, blenders and steamers more often and using their microwave ovens less than they were last year. “The increased usage of slow cookers, steamers and blenders is related to the trend toward the preparation of more fresh foods, using scratch cooking techniques,” Riedel said.

“Given that HIPsters are using more whole fresh ingredients and cutting down on foods that contain preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, it’s not surprising that they are also using “healthier” cooking techniques and methods of cooking more often,” said Riedel, who noted 49 percent of HIPsters have made major changes in the way they prepare food in the past year.

One HIPster at the IHA focus group has begun making changes to the types of foods she buys and the way she prepares foods. She said she is making “mindful purchases at the grocery store” and is eating less processed foods and more whole foods. To assist her while shopping, she is using an app on her smart phone called Fooducate, an online personal grocery advisor, which allows her to track healthy food choices for her family.

Seventy-five percent of HIPsters shop at local fruit/vegetable stands and farmer’s markets and more than half of them report buying from those locations more often than they were a year or two ago, Riedel said.

Nineteen percent of HIPsers report they have joined a fruit/vegetable co-op to purchase their produce and two of the focus group participants said they purchase produce, beef and raw milk from CSA farms. In addition, a significant portion of HIPsters grow their own fruits and vegetables, with 56 percent saying they planted a garden this year and 78 percent interested in planting a vegetable garden in the future.

The increase in vegetable gardening seems to be prompting resurgence in canning. Twenty-four percent of HIPsters can and 34 percent of those are canning more now than they were a year ago.

That trend seems to be supported by an October 2012 report by Chicago-based research firm Culinary Visions Panel identifying 2013 food trends. This report predicts “canning, curing and cutting in house” will be popular trends in 2013. “As the push toward local is finding its way into almost every segment, chefs are moving toward preservation,” the report concluded. Pickling is another food trend the panel expects to be popular as well.

Breadmaking was mentioned by several focus group participants during the discussion about changes in food prep habits. One HIPster recently started making bread and now makes it almost every day. Riedel noted this HIPster bakes her own bread for two main reasons – to save money and so she can control what her children do and don’t consume.

Another change in eating patterns appears to be an increase in the number of meals Americans eat daily.

“Meal times have expanded from the traditional three to seven as snacking increases among time starved Americans hectic schedules,” according to the Culinary Visions Panel report. “Small plates are no longer a trend; they are just part of the way Americans eat today.”

The NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y., reports that increased snacking might actually lead to healthier eating habits.

“Contrary to conventional wisdom, the more consumers snack, the healthier their eating behaviors,” according to the NPD report Snacking in America, which examines long-term attitudes and behaviors about snacking. More consumers view snacking as one way to improve healthy eating habits.

“Consumers with the healthiest diets consume 36 percent more snack meals a year than the average consumer,” the report said.

The Year of Bliss – Gardening, Environment Trends Increase

Closely linked to the increase in homesteading is the rise in vegetable gardening and “edible landscaping,” which is defined as an approach to food production where ornamentals are replaced with edible or productive plants.In its annual Garden Trends Report, Garden Media Group, a Pennsylvania-based home and garden marketing company, is forecasting 2013 as the “Year of Bliss.”

“People today are searching for ways to find bliss in everyday life,” said Susan McCoy, president of Garden Media. “Connecting with nature is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Coinciding with this return to nature, Riedel reports the majority of HIPsters – 66 percent - are concerned about the environment.

Many of them have begun using natural solutions for weed and pest control. Nineteen percent of HIPsters compost, primarily since they don’t have to use fertilizer for their lawn and garden. Two of the focus group participants plan to start composting in the next year or two.Home Improvement Projects on the Rise

With the hope of an improved economy in 2013, many Americans are spending their discretionary dollars on their primary investment – their home.

“Another indication that HIPsters are feeling a little more hopeful about the economy is that they are once again spending on home improvement,” Riedel said. “A significantly larger percent of HIPsters did a major home improvement or remodeling project in the past year than in the previous year. An even larger percent, including most of the focus group participants, are planning to do at least one major home improvement or remodeling project in the next year.

“The survey of the HomeTrend Influentials Panel leaves no doubt that consumers continue to exhibit a number of frugal behaviors to make every dollar count,” Riedel said.    

“An improving housing market and record low interest rates are driving projections of strong gains in home improvement activity through the end of the year and into the first half of 2013,” according to an October 2012 report by the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. “The LIRA suggests that the seeds for what appears to be a very robust remodeling recovery have been planted, with annual homeowner improvement spending expected to reach double-digit growth in the first half of 2013.”

Social Media Activity Evolves

“The biggest news in social media is how quickly Pinterest has grown into one of the major social networking sites,” Riedel said. In less than a year, Pinterest has become a favorite social media destination, with 72 percent of HIPsters joining as of October 2012, up from 53 percent in March 2012.

The most popular Pinterest activity among HIPsters is looking for recipes, but one focus group participant reported consulting Pinterest for craft project ideas, holiday decorating ideas, directions on how to do make-up and hair for her daughter’s recitals and even how to organize a pantry.

Facebook still remains the most popular social networking site, with many HIPsters using Facebook for relaying information and getting recommendations on what to buy, providing fashion tips and to advertise if they have something to give away or sell.

One HIPster said Facebook has become a “safe alternative to Craig’s list.” Several of the HIPsters report using Facebook to buy and sell items as well as borrow items. “I feel comfortable buying from friends,” she said. “Facebook is a lot safer and it’s so fast.

Thousands of products highlighting these trends will be on display at the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show, March 2-5 in Chicago.

Contact:   

Deborah A. Teschke, Manager, Public Relations + Communications

International Housewares Association – The Home AuthorityDirect: 847-692-0110; dteschke@housewares.org