Business challenge
To investigate the path to purchase for the entire kitchen ecosystem: floors, cabinets, work surfaces and domestic appliances in four European markets. Our client needed to understand not only the decision making process for each component of the kitchen, but also the trade-offs and compromises that occur as budgets need to be met and priorities change.
Solution
We ran a multi-layered research programme which combined qualitative and quantitative approaches.We started with an anthropological and semiotic analysis to highlight the cultural differences at play in each of the four markets when it comes to the meaning of the kitchen. This step gave us and the client the confidence that we would be able to frame our insights in ways relevant for each of the markets.Our next step was to conduct a series of interviews with experts on the kitchen buying and fit out process: kitchen retailers, interior designers, architects, kitchen showroom professionals, installation companies and furniture & appliances fitters.
This step allowed us to get a contextual understanding of the topic, and how those involved in the selling and supply chain for kitchen components viewed the market, the different consumers and their buying practices. This stage was followed by a series of consumer in-home interviews in each of the markets. The sample covered both those who were in the process of refitting or extending their kitchens, and those who had recently completed their kitchen project.
This allowed us to get a longitudinal view of the purchase journey, and understand how initial considerations of brand, material, style and price came to fruition in the end.The resulting path to purchase maps were tested, touchpoint by touchpoint in online quantitative research to determine the relative importance of each of them for each market and audience.
Outcome
The resulting insights were used to devise market specific retail strategies which took into account the trade-offs consumers entertained at different stages of their kitchen journeys, consumers’ views and attitudes to the different brands operating in the kitchen space, the touchpoints with biggest impact on the journey and the specific pain points for purchasing and installing all the elements of a new kitchen.
To find out more and how Bryter can help provide key insights into the decision making process for kitchens and domestic appliances get in touch with guy.smith@bryter-uk.com
