Europe is a market that develops ideas and themes, which can influence what consumers decide to buy elsewhere. The European cookware market relies heavily on the concept of innovation and differentiation through the use of various colors and custom collections to attract consumers attention. That is why as a cookware buyer, it’s important to stay on top of the latest cookware market trends in Europe.
A very important aspect is rappresented by the variety of material used, the shapes, the characteristics and features of cookware is very wide providing the market an extended choice of products. This helps in meeting the needs of those European cookware retailers and designers that take their inspiration for collections from the world of fashion and general lifestyle trends and, as a result, work on smaller runs that are updated often to present the buying public with more choice.
European Pots and Pan Categories and Products
Consumers in Europe find that there are plenty of options available. The number and type of retailers and shops that serve cookware is very ample. Both specialized shops and large department stores are good places to find housewares products.
When looking for cookware, European consumers can choose between the following:
Aluminum Cookware SETS
Aluminum is the most popular category in this market. Europe counts a wide number of aluminum cookware manufacturers and within this category, the type of products vary significantly, going from pressed aluminum, forged or die cast, according to the production process and the price positioning you are looking for.
Furthermore, this category also counts a relevant differentiation according to the type of fixing system used for the handles: riveting or welding.
A vast part of presses aluminum cookware in the market use riveted products and is used mainly for a more budget-friendly type of product which is generally sold in supermarkets, bazar and distribution centers. These are usually simple looking products, mainly in black or dark colors, they are perfect for daily use and are often sold in bi or tri pack and used for promotion.
Nevertheless, as we pointed out in one of our previous blog posts, Research & Development teams from various manufacturers are actively working on higher-end riveted products in response to consumer demand for a product with a professional look and feel.
Pots with welded fixing system use handles with flame-guard. This is, up to know, the most appreciated and widespread cookware category in Europe, especially for mid to top level products. Anyhow, pots with flameguard are offered at various price points according to the production process, thickness, coating and type of accessories used. The reason why pots with welded fixing system and flame guards are very appreciated is that, with this design choice, the inside of the pot is left smooth, with no rivets shown; this is highly valued from european consumer which like the internal part of their cookware to be clean and plain with no dirty that can stuck in there.
A note to point out is that the European cookware market for mid-range and luxury-level products is moving toward induction products which is becoming more and more a requirement for all product lines.
In aluminum cookware sets all items are coated, internally and externally to upgrade the product and play with colors and features. A non-stick coating is highly prized among consumers due to its benefits of non-using fat for cooking thanks to the coating properties that allows food to not stick at the cookware surface.
Moreovers, the coating let experiment different textures and colors which also play an important role as marketing features and which can be combined with coordinating handles.
Stainless Steel Cookware SETS
This type of cookware is offered mainly as part of higher-end product lines. The advantages of stainless steel cookware is its long lasting durability and in Europe is especially used for casseroles. Handles for stainless steel cookware can be made both in metal and bakelite according to the preference and need. Metal handles have a premium impact but they are generally longer, therefore occupying lot of space and they get hot very quickly while cooking, on the other hand, bakelite handles can offer the same premium design appearance while maintaining cooler temperature and so being more suitable for a domestic and safe use.
Enameled Iron Cookware SETS
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It’s very common to see enameled iron cookware especially in Eastern European countries but also in Spain and Austria. Consumers in this part of the market often have a strong preference for classic-looking products. In this case, their trigger for making a buying decision is durability over more modern appearance when buying cookware.
If your goal is to develop the best cookware for European target markets, you’ll also want to keep in mind that consumers in this broad area prefer to buy their cookware from open stock. A full set box including different types of diameters and cookware types in only one pack is not so common, as it is in the American markets.
Also, in Europe frypans are really the most sold items, if compared to casseroles with two side-handles.
La Termoplastic F.B.M. has been providing manufacturing and design services to the cookware industry for over 55 years. We have built our business on the three pillars of design, innovation and quality. With an annual production capacity of 140 million pieces, we are confident we can advise you about the best features for the European cookware. Contact us to discuss how we can help you.
