Engagements
Engagements are proving to be a more popular part of personal agendas in the year ahead, with home and housewares as popular gifts.
The event is becoming a more diverse public affair. The current engagement party isn’t necessarily a formal event held by the couple’s parents but an affirming, often casual gathering that includes family and friends and is very much a gifting occasion.
In this year’s Occasions Survey, 10% of consumers responding said they are very likely and 15% somewhat likely to be involved in a family or friends-related engagement event over the upcoming 12 months. Then, 16% of survey respondents said they expect to become engaged over the next year, including 6% very likely. In contrast, in last year’s survey, 21% of respondents, very and somewhat likely, said they expect an engagement event among family and friends and 11% for themselves.
For the year ahead, more consumers, at 9% very likely and 15% somewhat likely, have an intention of purchasing a housewares engagement present than was the case a year earlier. In 2022, the total was 19%.
Organization and home décor products lead the housewares categories consumers would consider as engagement gifts, each at 12%, followed by bedroom products at 10%, bathroom products at 9%, kitchen products at 9% and cleaning or home environment products at 7%.
Although gender disparities tend to be slight or nonexistent when purchasing housewares engagement gifts, men are several points more likely to choose bathroom or personal care products and cleaning or home environment products.
For your friends and family, how likely is it, if at all, that engagements will take place at least once in the next 12 months?
For an engagement, are you more likely to buy a gift card or a specific gift?
Gift cards are a major consideration for engagement gifts with 45% of consumers likely to give one, just two points short of choosing a specific gift.
More consumers expect to purchase a housewares engagement gift in the April to June timeframe, 24%, than any other period. The second most likely period is October to December, the period including the holidays, when the big question is most likely to get popped, with Valentine’s Day another likely occasion.
What general product categories of home and housewares gifts would you be likely to purchase for an engagement? (Select all that apply)
Consumers 18-34 are the most likely to give a housewares gift across the board but with a particular difference in the bathroom category, where they have nine points over the second most enthusiastic group, Millennials.
For yourself, how likely is it, if at all, that an engagement will take place at least once in the next 12 months?
In the next 12 months, how likely is it, if at all, that you will purchase a home and housewares gift for an engagement?
Final Thoughts
The engagement as a gifting occasion may need to be considered in two lights, given The Knot’s annual wedding study, which notes that the overwhelming proportion of people in North America and Western Europe live together before marriage and that the average age for people getting married these days is the mid-30s. So, home-related gifts are likely to be upgrades for basic products to help recipients improve their domestic inventory or commemorate. Retailers want to help. Consumers can shop for engagement gifts on Amazon.com, for example, and get results appropriate for the occasion. Much of it is customized for the occasion, such as Mr. and Mrs. wine glasses and woodblock decorative wedding countdown calendars.
