Health and wellness products are leading consumer purchase intentions across the home and housewares market, according to new research from the International Housewares Association (IHA).
The IHA’s 2026 MarketOutlook report found that at least half of consumers surveyed were either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to make a purchase across the majority of core housewares categories during the next 12 months.
Cleaning tools recorded the highest purchase intent at 67 per cent, followed by home healthcare products at 65 per cent and grooming and beauty products at 60 per cent.
The findings form the second instalment of the IHA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report and are based on research conducted by Morning Consult among 2,201 US adults.
Derek Miller, President and Chief executive of the IHA, said: “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.”
Replacing an ageing or broken product emerged as the biggest reason for making a purchase across all 15 categories covered by the research, while consumers aged between 18 and 44 showed stronger purchase intent than those aged 45 and above.
The findings also suggest shoppers remain prepared to spend more on certain housewares products despite inflationary pressures.
Some 63 per cent of likely kitchen electrical purchasers said they were willing to pay more, while the figure reached 66 per cent for outdoor living products and 64 per cent for both luggage and travel accessories and home environment products.
Brand was particularly important for kitchen electricals. Of those surveyed, 75 per cent said a preferred brand would encourage them to pay more for a product.
Other features attracting a potential premium included non-stick surfaces on parts requiring cleaning, cited by 71 per cent, lower energy consumption by 69 per cent and a longer warranty by 68 per cent.
For cookware, 40 per cent of consumers planning a purchase said replacing an ageing or broken product was their main motivation. However, 23 per cent were motivated primarily by the prospect of new product features – one of the highest figures among the kitchen categories studied.
Food storage remains a significant area within the storage and organisation category, with 40 per cent planning to purchase food storage products. Closet organisers followed at 38 per cent, hampers and laundry baskets at 35 per cent and kitchen and pantry organisers at 29 per cent.
Convenience also remains influential when consumers choose cleaning products. Despite growing availability of environmentally friendly alternatives, 40 per cent of respondents said they planned to buy cleaning tools using disposable cloths.
The MarketOutlook research forms part two of the IHA’s three-part State of the Industry Report. The first instalment, MarketScope, examined US housewares sales and retail channels, while the forthcoming MarketWatch report will explore the values and trends influencing consumer purchasing behaviour.
The MarketOutlook survey was conducted online by Morning Consult during the first quarter of 2026 and has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
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