New Appliances Drive Healthy Cooking

One Leigh Hunt had very rightly said that the groundwork for all happiness is good health. With the rapidly growing inclination towards eating healthy and staying healthy today's consumers are seeking out healthy food options with greater urgency.

The gradual transition in eating habits and cooking styles of Indian consumers has its impact on the demand & usage of appliances. People look for kitchen appliances that can make cooking healthier and even more enjoyable. Eating at home is well known to have many positive effects -- social and emotional, as well as physical – as it makes them able to control everything that goes into their food preparation.

While witnessing this transition on eating habits and cooking styles, Market Pulse decided to probe its impact on the rising demand & usage of appliances in Indian scenario. After interviewing a set of nutritionists and consumers in Delhi-NCR on recent changes in their diets & cooking styles, we found that the adoption of healthier cooking approach like steaming, stir-frying, grilling etc are increasingly on demand. Appliances like grillers, non-stick cookware, toasters, steamers, microwave and juicers, blenders etc. have made dishing out tasteful & healthy meals easy. Working women, who remain constantly under time pressure, are also propelling this new trend of cooking as it makes cooking effortless and healthy.

Experts also suggest healthy methods like steaming, grilling, stir-frying, to cook as these help in making a balanced meal with less or no oil. With a lot of domestic appliances in the today’s market, people can easily make tasty and balanced diet.

A glimpse of one’s lifestyle is well depicted through their habit of food consumption. A Global burden of disease study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2010 showed that the life expectancy (LE) at birth of an average Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010, while that of an Indian woman by 18 years. The improved eating habits and change in lifestyle were responsible for this increase in addition to better medical care.

So start a day where you have adequate nutrition in a smoothie or a shake, ready to eat meals from easy-to-use appliances. 

Rise of High Priced Appliances - a new mark of luxury!!

New-age open kitchen is transcending many age-old boundaries – social and cultural. Today, it is merging seamlessly with people’s living spaces – and this has given rise to a new set of choices for home makers. The open kitchen and a slew of luxury appliances therein are the latest fashion statement of modern home owners.  

As the Indian luxury market is getting more refined, just owning a luxury apartment and car seems to be inadequate and it's getting reflected in the kitchen, which is fast-moving to the living room as a mark of luxury. Much like they would do with mobile phones, cars or a home, consumers are now buying premium home appliances to make a lifestyle and fashion statement.

The consumers buying habits are now shifting from functionality to aesthetics as they are now equally concerned with showing off their appliances in their open kitchens. Companies like Philips, Westinghouse, Panasonic, Kenwood and Morphy Richards understand this and are launching premium models with advanced features that appeal to customers at the top of the pyramid. The biggest consumers of these premium products are high net worth individuals as well as young upwardly mobile couples with high disposable incomes in tier 1&2 towns. These products are also an aspiration for the growing middle class population in smaller towns.

A price segment study of the Grinders category by Market Pulse shows that the contribution of the premium category is quiet significant as it contributes 10% in the Mixer grinders' sales and 14% in the Juicer mixer grinders' sales. 

The contribution of premium category even in the class 3-4 & 5-6 towns is approximately 15% &7% respectively.

Brands like Philips, Kenwood and Westing house market premium category induction cookers priced at Rs.3500+. 

By adding unique features to its products, premium appliance makers have cut out a niche demand segment and created a distinct visibility!