The U.S. Tabletop Market
May 1, 1998
181 Pages - Pub ID: LA504
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Abstract Table of Contents Search Inside Report Buy By the Section Related Reports

  1. Executive Summary
    • The Products
      • Scope of Report
      • Dinnerware
      • Glassware
      • Flatware
      • Classification by Department and Price
      • Place Settings, Sets, and Open Stock
    • The Market
      • Retail Sales Top $3.5 Billion in 1997
      • Projected Market Growth
      • Table 1-1: U.S. Tabletop Market: Retail Sales by Category, 1993-2002 (dollars): Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware
      • Market Composition by Category
      • Figure 1-1: U.S. Tabletop Sales by Product Category, 1997 (percent): Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware
      • Mass Merchants and Department Stores Claim Largest Shares
      • Factors Affecting Market Growth
    • The Marketers
      • Hundreds of Marketers
      • Industry Trends
      • Tabletop Advertising Tops $63 Million
    • Distribution and Retail
      • Major Marketers Sell Directly
      • At the Retail Level
    • The Consumer
      • The Consumer
      • Functionality, Price Drive Dinnerware Purchases
      • Consumer Brand Recognition: Oneida Tops List
      • Most Brides Plan to Acquire Tableware
    • Scope and Methodology
      • Scope of Report
      • Report Methodology

  2. The Products
    • The Products
      • Scope of Market
      • Only Durable Products
      • Focus on Retail Market
      • The Three Product Categories
      • Dinnerware
      • Ceramic Dinnerware
      • China and Porcelain
      • Fine China and Bone China
      • Casual China
      • Stoneware
      • Earthenware, Ironstone, Semi-Porcelain, and Pottery
      • Glass and Glass-Ceramic Dinnerware
      • Plastic Dinnerware
      • Two Main Dinnerware Design Categories: Formal and Casual
      • Formal Dinnerware
      • Casual Dinnerware
      • Glassware
      • Glass
      • Crystal and Leaded Glass
      • Plastic and Acrylic Glassware
      • Beverageware, Stemware, and Barware
      • Flatware
      • Most "Silverware" Is Stainless Steel
      • Stainless Steel
      • Sterling Silver
      • Silverplate
      • Gold Electroplate
      • Other Materials
      • Classification by Department and Price
      • Place Settings, Sets, and Open Stock
      • Glassware Sold as Suites, Sets, or Open Stock
    • Government Regulations
      • Lead Safety
      • Import Quotas and Duties

  3. The Market
    • Figure 3-1: U.S. Tabletop Market: Estimated Retail Sales, 1993-1997 (dollars)
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Market Difficult to Measure
      • Retail Sales Top $3.5 Billion in 1997
      • Dinnerware Sales Reach $1.7 Billion
      • Glassware Sales $950 Million
      • Flatware Sales Leap to $870 Million
      • Table 3-1: U.S. Tabletop Market: Estimated Retail Sales by Category, 1993-1997 (dollars): Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware, Total
    • Market Composition
      • Dinnerware Generates Half of Tabletop Sales
      • Figure 3-2: U.S. Tabletop Sales by Product Category, 1997 (percent): Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware
      • Bridal Market Accounts for 30%—35% of Sales
      • Dinnerware: Housewares and Mass Market Lead
      • Casual Growing as a Percentage of Upstairs Dinnerware
      • China and Ceramics Account for 70% of Dinnerware Sales
      • Glassware Outsells Crystal Three to One
      • Stainless Steel the Largest Flatware Segment
      • Share of Tabletop Sales by Retail Channel
      • Mass Merchants and Department Stores Claim the Largest Shares
      • Table 3-2: U.S. Tabletop Sales by Retail Channel, 1997 (percent): 6 Types of Retail Channels
      • Sales by Region
      • Sales by Season
    • Factors Affecting Market Growth
      • Demographically a Mature Market
      • 105 Million Households by 2002
      • Household Composition Changing
      • Marriages a Critical Factor
      • But Declining Proportion of Adults Are Married
      • Table 3-3: Percent of Adults Never Married: Women vs. Men, 1996 (percent): From Age 20 to Age 44
      • Americans Marrying Later
      • Number of Marriages Expected to Rise
      • Casual Lifestyles Turning the Tables
      • Dining Trends Negatively Impact Tableware
      • "Category Killers" Have Positive Impact
      • Different Configurations Help Build Sales
      • Targeting the Gift Market
      • Tableware an Infrequent Purchase
      • Glassware Benefits from Replacements
      • Crystal Plagued by Deep Discounting
      • Silver Affected by Commodities Prices
      • Figure 3-3: U.S. Tabletop Market: Projected Retail Sales, 1997-2002 (dollars)
    • Projected Market Growth
      • Retail Sales Will Approach $4.1 Billion in 2002
      • Table 3-4: U.S. Tabletop Market: Projected Retail Sales by Category, 1997-2002 (dollars): Dinnerware, Glassware, Flatware, Total

  4. The Marketers
    • The Marketers
      • Hundreds of Companies
      • Largest Marketers Publicly Owned
      • Major Privately Owned Marketers
      • Recent Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Market Share Data Are Scarce
      • Formal Dinnerware Marketers
      • Casual Dinnerware Marketers
      • Housewares Dinnerware Marketers
      • Mass-Market Dinnerware Marketers
      • Glassware Marketers
      • Crystal Marketers
      • Silver and Silverplate Flatware Marketers
      • Stainless Steel Flatware Marketers
      • Housewares and Mass-Market Flatware Marketers
      • Plastic Tableware Marketers
      • Private Label
      • Table 4-1: The U.S. Tabletop Market: Formal Dinnerware Marketers
      • Table 4-2: The U.S. Tabletop Market: Casual Dinnerware Marketers
      • Table 4-3: The U.S. Tabletop Market: Glassware Marketers
      • Table 4-4: The U.S. Tabletop Market: Flatware Marketers
    • The Competitive Situation
      • Marketers Expanding into Different Categories
      • Traditional Competition Based on Retail Distribution Channel
      • Formal Market Has Narrow Cast; Casual Market More Fragmented
    • Competitive Profile: Anchor Hocking Glass Co.
      • Another American Giant
    • Competitive Profile: Corning Consumer Products Co
      • Borden Buys Corelle from Corning
      • Corning Invents Glass-Ceramics; Introduces Corelle
      • Corning Aspires to Be More Marketing-Driven
    • Competitive Profile: Durand International
      • World's Largest Glassware Company
      • Three Glassware Lines
      • Two Dinnerware Lines
      • Durand Gets Coca-Cola License
    • Competitive Profile: Homer Laughlin China Co
      • Famous for Fiesta Ware
      • The Fiesta Revival
    • Competitive Profile: Lenox, Inc. (Brown-Forman Corp.)
      • Largest American Manufacturer
      • Lenox Pioneers Lifestyle Marketing Approach
      • Accent on Bridal China
      • Focusing on More Casual Patterns
      • Crystal Complements Dinnerware
      • Gorham and Lenox-Kirk Stieff Compete at Upstairs Level
      • Dansk: Refocusing on Retail
    • Competitive Profile: Libbey, Inc
      • Libbey, Inc.
      • A Leader in Both Retail and Institutional Markets
      • Wide Product Line; Strong Brand Recognition
      • Libbey Extends its Brand to Dinnerware, Flatware
      • Libbey Discontinues Outlet Stores
    • Competitive Profile: Mikasa, Inc.
      • Built on Outside Sourcing
      • From Fashion Niche to Traditional Marketer
      • Strong Emphasis on Bridal
      • Brand Structure Serves All Trade Classes
      • Sales Near $400 Million; Outlet Stores Account for 56%
      • Planning Growth Through Extensions and Acquisitions
    • Competitive Profile: Noritake Co., Inc.
      • Subsidiary of Japanese Ceramics Firm
      • Number Two in Formal China
      • Price, Value, Design Help Noritake Hold Its Own
      • Upstairs Dinnerware Accounts for 85% of Sales
      • Noritake Introduces Open Stock
      • More Outside Sourcing to Control Costs and Prices
    • Competitive Profile: Oneida Ltd
      • Oneida Ltd
      • Oneida Dominates Flatware Category
      • Most Flatware Manufactured Domestically
      • Flatware Dominance Extends to All Retail Levels
      • Advertising Creates 88% Brand Recognition
      • Seeking Growth in Dinnerware and Foodservice
      • Oneida in Crystal
      • Oneida's Retailing Subsidiaries
    • Competitive Profile: Pfaltzgraff Co.
      • A Housewares Giant
      • Formal China a Failure
      • Reputation for Pattern Longevity
      • Potential in Mass Channels
      • Pfaltzgraff Popular with Brides
      • Accessories Key to Sales
      • Licensing Patterns to Extend Their Reach
      • Pfaltzgraff Extends Brand to Flatware
    • Competitive Profile: Reed & Barton Corp
      • Company Competes Both Upstairs and Downstairs
      • Housewares Division Has Diversified Account Base
    • Competitive Profile: Syratech Corp
      • Building a Tabletop Empire
      • A Continued Path of Acquisitions
      • Syratech Acquires Farberware
      • Towle and Wallace Big in Bridal; International Silversmiths Focused on Housewares
      • Syratech Expands to Dinnerware
    • Competitive Profile: Waterford Wedgwood Plc
      • Two Centuries of Fine Tableware
      • Wedgwood and Waterford Join Forces
      • Waterford Wedgwood Divisions
      • Waterford Expands to Dinnerware and Flatware
      • Strong Brand Recognition
      • Johnson Brothers and Franciscan Divisions Updating Lines
    • Marketing Trends
      • Casual Lifestyles Setting Marketing and Product Trends
      • Open Stock
      • Accessories
      • All-in-One Sets
      • Licensing
      • Holiday Tableware
    • Design and Product Trends
      • No Single Design Trend
      • Mix-and-Match
      • Retro Looks
      • Handpainted, Handcrafted Tableware
      • Metal Accents
      • Specialty Barware Popular
      • Asian Influences
    • Consumer Advertising Expenditures
      • Tabletop Advertising Tops $63 Million
      • Corelle, Oneida the Leading Advertisers
      • Noritake, Lenox, Waterford Wedgwood, Mikasa Form Second Tier
      • Royal Doulton, Orrefors, Pfaltzgraff, Towle in Third Tier
      • Print Predominates
      • Television Advertising a Tabletop Taboo
      • Non-Bridal Ads Seasonal
    • Advertising Positioning
      • Most Advertising Product-Oriented
      • Focus on Practicality
      • Corelle Ads Target "30-Something Moms"
      • Waterford Dares to be Gay
      • Oneida Combines Pattern Focus with Whimsy
      • Virtually No Price Positioning
    • Consumer Promotions
      • Co-Op Advertising with Retailers
      • Brochures
      • Gift-with-Purchase
      • Specially Priced Offers
      • Rebates
      • Joint Promotions Are Common
      • In-Store Visits and Demonstrations
      • Bridal Registry Gifts
    • Trade Advertising and Promotions
      • Trade Advertising
      • Trade Shows
      • Marketers Offer Incentives to Bridal Consultants
      • Other Sales Supports

  5. Distribution and Retail
    • Distribution
      • Major Marketers Sell Directly
    • Retail
      • Many Types of Retailers Compete in Market
      • Mass Merchants Strong in Dinnerware Sets, Everyday Glassware
      • Department Stores Dominate High End
      • Department Stores: Upstairs/Downstairs
      • Home/Lifestyle Specialty Stores
      • Some Home Chains Run into Problems
      • Traditional Specialty Retailers
      • Vendor-Owned Stores
      • Factory Outlets
      • Vendor-Owned Showcases
      • Mail-Order Discounters
      • Virtual Stores
      • Avon Calling
    • At the Retail Level
      • Bridal Registries
      • National Retailers Enter Registry Business
      • Private Label
      • Lines and Assortments
      • Dinnerware
      • Glassware
      • Flatware
      • Department and Specialty Store Displays
      • Expensive Crystal and Sterling Often Kept in Locked Glass Cases
      • Packaging Important in Housewares and Mass-Market Displays
      • Loose Flatware
      • Margins
    • Retail Advertising and Promotions
      • Most Ads Promote Sale Events
      • Marketers Provide Co-Op Funds
      • Linens 'n Things Takes to Television
      • Club Plans
      • Price Promotions Common
    • Retailer Profile: JCPenney
      • The Nation's Largest Registry
      • Registry Marks Entry into Upstairs Tabletop
      • Many Categories Besides Tableware
    • Retailer Profile: Bed Bath & Beyond
      • The Nation's Largest Home/Lifestyle Chain
      • One of the First to Offer a Lifestyle Concept
      • Everyday Low Prices; Decentralized Organization
    • Retailer Profile: Linens 'n Things
      • A Fast-Rising Contender
      • Tableware a Growing Part of the Business
    • Retailer Profile: Waccamaw Corp
      • Home/Lifestyle Giant with Tabletop Roots
      • Waccamaw's Metamorphosis to Smaller Stores
    • Retailer Profile: Ross-Simons
      • Nation's Fourth-Largest Tabletop Retailer
      • Emphasizes Service as Well as Price
    • Retailer Profile: Michael C. Fina
      • A Tabletop Powerhouse
      • Store Features Shop-within-a-Shop Concept
      • Attracting Bridal Business Nationwide

  6. The Consumer
    • The Consumer
      • Notes on Simmons Market Research Bureau
      • About 23% of Americans Buy Tableware Annually
      • Most Spend Under $100
      • An Upscale Purchaser Profile
      • Formal Dinnerware Purchasers
      • Fine China Purchasers Spend More
      • Affluent, Older Shoppers
      • Table 6-1: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Formal Dinnerware: Fine China vs. Bone China, 1997 (U.S. Adults)
      • Bone China Has Wider Appeal Among African Americans
      • Casual Dinnerware Purchasers
      • Occupation, Education, Age Mark Casual/Everyday China Purchasers
      • Stoneware Purchasers
      • Table 6-2a: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Casual Dinnerware: Casual/Everyday vs. Stoneware, 1997 (U.S. Adults) Other Dinnerware Purchasers Exhibit Downscale Profile
      • Table 6-2b: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Casual Dinnerware: Other Dinnerware, 1997 (U.S. Adults)
      • Glassware Purchasers
      • Most Purchasers Spend Under $100
      • Non-Crystal Glassware Attracts Broader Consumer Spectrum
      • Crystal Purchasers Marked by Affluence, Age
      • Table 6-3: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Glassware: Non-Crystal vs. Crystal, 1997 (U.S. Adults)
      • Flatware Purchasers
      • Most Spend Under $100
      • Sterling Silver Purchasers
      • Silverplate Purchasers Distinguished by Occupation, Affluence, Age
      • Table 6-4a: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Flatware: Sterling Silver vs. Silverplate, 1997 (U.S. Adults)
      • Stainless Steel Purchasers Upscale
      • Table 6-4b: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Purchase of Flatware: Stainless Steel, 1997 (U.S. Adults)
    • Consumer Attitudes
      • Functionality, Price Drive Dinnerware Purchases
      • Little Attention Paid to Glassware
      • Flatware Driven by Quality
    • Brand Recognition
      • Consumer Brand Recognition: Oneida Tops List
      • Corelle/Corning Also Named by Mass-Market Shoppers
      • Online Survey
      • Three Out of Four Online Respondents Not Brand Loyal
    • The Bridal Consumer
      • Bridal Magazines Do Consumer Research
      • Most Brides Plan to Acquire Tableware
      • How Brides Will Entertain
      • What Dinnerware Brides Want
      • Bridal Pattern Survey
      • Leading Bridal Patterns in Dinnerware
      • Table 6-5: Leading Bridal Patterns in Dinnerware: Formal vs. Casual, 1996 (rank, company, pattern)
      • Leading Bridal Patterns in Glassware
      • Table 6-6: Leading Bridal Patterns in Glassware, 1996 (rank, company, pattern)
      • Leading Bridal Patterns in Flatware
      • Table 6-7: Leading Bridal Patterns in Flatware: Sterling Silver, Silverplate, and Stainless Steel, 1996 (rank, company, pattern)
    • The Non-Bridal Consumer
      • Not Tracked Consistently

    Appendix: Addresses of Selected Marketers
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