‘Tis the season to sell these products

The NPD Group has looked at the Black Friday data, and has checked their list of consumer trends to come up with a home-gift-giving-season category forecast.

“Products for the home are leaving their mark on holiday 2015, driven by new introductions, innovation and design -- the same things that spurred industry growth in recent years,” said NPD Group’s Lora Morsovillo, president, Home. “Consumers told us early in their holiday shopping plans that they were planning on spending more on home products this year, and now, according to NPD’s Checkout Tracking service, we also know that appliances were among just a few categories that increased their share of spend on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.”

Here’s what’s expected:

• The technology and innovation behind robotic vacuums have a fun factor that makes it acceptable to give a vacuum cleaner as a gift, not to mention the set-and-forget solution to the chore of cleaning.

• Single-serve coffee makers give consumers on-demand convenience right on their countertop, and consumers continue to demand that benefit.

• Home soda machines capitalize on the emerging ‘hand-crafted’ trend, and consumer interest could prove to be rekindled by new launches with successful marketing strategies.

• Colorful portable beverage containers (tumblers, travel mugs) allow consumers to take a sip on-the-go, and do it with a touch of their own style.

• Open stock coffee and tea mugs help consumers express their individual personalities with every design imaginable, from mustaches to messages -- and pair nicely with another hot item on the list.