Consumers are gifting housewares products more than ever, new survey shows

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Home and housewares products are gaining steam with consumers, according to new reports from the International Housewares Association (IHA).

The IHA recently released two new survey reports – the 2026 IHA Occasions Survey and the At-Home Entertaining Survey – detailing how consumers are seeking out and planning to use more housewares products in the coming year. According to the Occasions Survey, home and housewares products are becoming more preferred as gifts for key life events such as engagements, new home purchase, college-bound students and even new pet owners.

In fact, 42 percent of consumers said they would consider giving a home or housewares item as an engagement present – up significantly from the 21 percent reported in 2025. When consumers are gifting to college-bound students, 38 percent said they were likely to give a home or housewares gift compared to 17 percent a year ago.

“In the midst of economic uncertainty and dissonance in the larger world, our homes are becoming an even more valued refuge,” said Derek Miller, IHA president and CEO. “These surveys demonstrate the increasing appeal of hosting at-home gatherings, and how home and housewares are becoming more prominent as gifts to celebrate key moments.”

The 2026 At-Home Entertaining Survey shows the continuance of the home gatherings trend already on the radar. According to the survey results, 28 percent of respondents anticipate hosting more at-home gatherings in the new year, while 50 percent plan to host the same amount of gatherings as 2025.

But what’s driving the desire to suddenly host more? Consumers wanting to spend more time with family and friends, according to the survey. More than half of all respondents (51 percent) ranked that as their top reason for hosting, while specific celebrations ranked second at 37 percent.

Other key findings from the two reports include:

• New pet celebrations are becoming part of American life. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they were likely to attend a friends-and-family new-pet event in the next 12 months (up from 31 percent in last year’s survey).
• Whether it’s optimism or based on actual pending home purchases, all income groups – except the highest earners – are more likely to celebrate a housewarming or new-home occasion in 2026.
• Kitchen items remain the top housewares category for wedding gifts (selected by 51 percent of respondents). That’s followed by organization and home décor (34 percent) and bedroom items (33 percent)
• Clean-up is the biggest challenge for at-home hosts (31 percent). That’s followed by preparing everything at the same time (22 percent), cooking (15 percent), planning (9 percent) and keeping food warm (7 percent).
• Half of consumers say they occasionally purchase products to create a certain aesthetic. (23 percent said usually, 15 percent said always, and only 10 percent said never.)
• When asked what would inspire them to host more at-home gatherings, budget-friendly party ideas or tips topped the list (46 percent). Recipes were almost as popular (45 percent), with party-specific theme ideas (32 percent) and general entertaining tips (30 percent) coming in next.

The 2026 IHA Occasions Survey was conducted by Morning Consult among a sample of 2,200 U.S. adults. The 2026 IHA At-Home Entertaining Survey was also conducted by Morning Consult among a sample of 2,226 U.S. adults. The full reports can be found here.