Here today, gone tomorrow – fast fashion for furnishings

With the May bank holiday traditionally a key time for decorating and DIY, latest research from MINTEL finds Brits now up-dating their home decor as often as they up-date their wardrobes. Fast fashion is moving into the housewares market as today just one in four (25%) British adults believe it is worth paying more for housewares that last. What is more, fashion beats functionality, with fewer than one in five (18%) buying kitchen and housewares items for function rather than style. ” It is clear that the British are now taking a more ‘throw-away’ approach to decorating their homes. Indeed, housewares are replaced not because they are old or worn, but simply to get a new look. This lifestyle has been made possible by falling prices in the housewares market, with Britain now enjoying more choice and better value for money than ever before. This is very much a trend from the clothing fashion world, where people are buying high fashion items at rock bottom prices, so that they can afford to up-date their wardrobes as often as they desire. This trend is epitomised by the fact that many of the most dynamic fast fashion clothing stores, are now entering the housewares market, ” comments Richard Caines, senior retail analyst at MINTEL.