Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Irish people love their gadgets – with a quarter admitting that technology has made their homes happier places, according to new research by technology brand Bush at Argos.
The independent study, carried out for Bush by Opinion Matters using a sample of 502 people, shows that the TV (67%) tops the list of people’s favourite tech items within the home. This is closely followed by the laptop (60%); mobile phone (60%); radio (30%) and music player (28%).
Almost half of those questioned (49%) said that entertainment tech is ‘very important’ in their homes, while a quarter said that their homes have become ‘happier’ since the introduction of household technology.
Technology is most important in the living room (81%), followed by the kitchen (32%).
The survey also reveals that the nation is investing more than ever to make its houses and apartments as comfortable as possible. With an average of five rooms per home, the average person spends €183 a year furnishing their living room, €171 on the kitchen, €157 on the bedroom, €128 on the dining room and €112 on the bathroom.
The review also found that most Irish people started thinking about buying homeware – as opposed to spending on clothes, entertainment and so on – at around the age of 25, with 24% saying the ‘switch’ took place then.
The research for Bush suggests that over three-quarters say the switch came when they first became a home-owner or were allowed to decorate their home without parental input. Another influencing factor was when they became parents and wanted the home to be suitable for their new arrival.
Irish consumers look for a variety of outlets to help research their homeware decisions. Over half say they use their gadgets on a daily basis but shop at department stores (53%), high street stores (20%) and supermarkets (11%) too.
People in Ireland have also made some interesting style decisions through the years when it comes to interior decoration. The most embarrassing choices are: fake flowers (27%), ‘bad’ family photos (24%), ornaments (24%), net curtains (18%), outdated music players (17%) and outdated TVs (16%)
But despite admitting to owning outdated technology 22% of people said they only update when it breaks, while others only modernise it at Christmas or during the New Year sales.
Bush is a consumer electronics brand owned by Argos’ parent Home Retail Group. Bush products, that range from retro radios to 4k HD LED TVs, are sold exclusively at Argos.
