As the technology industry continues to advance, and consumers look for solutions to make their lives easier, we’re expecting 2024 to be another big year for time saving consumer technology.
2023 saw us embrace everything from AI to wearable technology and air fryers to make our daily lives easier, but what do expect will be big in 2024?
Cooking is still in the air
First taking the internet by storm in 2021, air fryers have been on the rise ever since, and 2023 saw the biggest year yet for Google searches for ‘air fryer recipes’, and on TikTok the hashtag has amassed a huge 4.4 billion views.
In 2024, we don’t see this slowing down. In fact, 11% of UK consumers are expected to invest in one of these kitchen appliances in the next 12 months as we look to simplify our cooking at home.
Working with Russell Hobbs, we’ve seen first-hand how air fryers have taken over in 2023, from recipes to running costs – everyone is interested in exactly what air fryers have to offer. And it doesn’t look to be slowing down.
Over Christmas, the Russell Hobbs team worked on a campaign based on cooking a whole Christmas dinner in an air fryer, which has seen some fantastic coverage in the lead up to the festive season as people look for alternative Christmas dinner ideas – and, with air frying quicker, cheaper and easier it’s no wonder!
We’ve also seen major brands and supermarkets start to include air fryer cooking instructions on their packaging. Tesco, for example, announced in October that they would start including instructions on a select few own-brand products with plans to roll this out further in 2024.
Spring clean
2024 could be the year we all take the term spring cleaning seriously, as a huge 9% of us will be investing in a new vacuum cleaner and almost 6% will be revamping our floor coverings by purchasing a carpet cleaner.
While we all remember the social media cleaning phenomenon of Mrs Hinch back in 2018, the likes of TikTok have taken home cleaning from a chore to hobby for many, with a huge 108.6 billion views of the hashtag CleanTok.
The home cinema
Is 2024 the year we bid goodbye to the cinema? Well, data is showing a huge amount of UK consumers are looking to revamp their home entertainment next year, investing in everything from smart TV’s (11%) to soundbars (7%) and streaming devices (5%).
As the Writers Guild strike ended in September last year, consumers may expect a big year for TV and film with new shows on the horizon, and many are looking to embrace these from the comfort of their home.
Plus, it doesn’t stop there, in the last year Google searches for 70-inch TVs are up, with the trend of home cinemas only expected to increase in the months to come.
It’s got a good ring to it
From giving instructions to a delivery driver while you’re out, to providing an extra level of home security, smart doorbells have been on the rise in the last couple of years. In 2024 however, consumers are expected to priortise these smart home devices over any other, with almost 5 million of us expected to purchase one in the next 12 months.
But while doorbells top the list of home tech, we’re seeing more people adopting the smart home life, with 1 in 10 of us expected to switch our standard lights to Smart Lightbulbs in 2024, and over 6% expected to invest in smart plugs, thermostats and even smart smoke alarms.
Healthcare & grooming
An industry that continues to boom, consumers will be once again prioritising their health and beauty regimes in 2024, but what tops the list?
Well, it’s going to be the year of the smile, as a huge 5.8 million of us look to invest in electric toothbrushes in 2024. And while this seemingly old technology might surprise you, a survey from the Oral Health Foundation last year showed that a third of Brits are still using manual toothbrushes!
Google searches are reflecting this prediction as electric toothbrush and dental flosser are up year on year as Brits focus on their oral hygiene.
Hair styling products also make the list of priority purchases in 2024 for consumers, with 6% expected to invest in a new hair styling tool, and 7% want to upgrade their hairdryers. This comes as no surprise as we see the likes of Remington, Dyson and GHD all dominating social media trends and driving consumer interest.
To find out about consumer habits in your sector, get in touch at hello@hatch.group
