73.1% of Consumers Regret Cooking Appliance Purchases: SUUTA Survey Reveals Challenges and Growing Rental Demand

Kitchen App

Key Findings from the Survey

The survey revealed several significant trends regarding cooking appliance purchases and usage:

  • 73.1% Regret Cooking Appliance Purchases: A substantial 73.1% of respondents reported regretting a cooking appliance purchase (20.6% “many times,” 52.5% “once”). This indicates that a majority of consumers have experienced dissatisfaction after buying these products.

    Cooking Appliance Purchase Regret Survey

  • 58.3% Abandon Appliances Quickly: Among those surveyed, 58.3% (130 individuals) stated they had cooking appliances they stopped using shortly after purchase.

  • Main Reasons for Disuse: The primary factors cited for discontinuing use were “troublesome washing and cleanup” (24.2%), “infrequent use” (22.9%), “cooking range not expanding as expected” (8.5%), and “unable to master its use” (8.5%). These reasons highlight a significant discrepancy between pre-purchase expectations and actual usage.

Detailed Analysis of Disuse Reasons by Cooking Frequency

Further analysis by cooking frequency revealed varying challenges:

  • Cleanup as the Biggest Hurdle Across All Cooking Frequencies: “Troublesome washing and cleanup” was a major barrier for all groups, regardless of how often they cooked. Notably, 34.2% of those who cook once or twice a week cited this, more than 10% higher than other groups. This suggests that for those who cook less frequently or are beginners, cleanup is a substantial burden, while for daily cooks, it might be more integrated into their routine.

    Reasons for Disuse by Cooking Frequency

  • Infrequent Use Impacts Those Who Cook 3-4 Times a Week: For individuals cooking 3-4 times a week, “infrequent use” was the highest reason for disuse at 27.1%. This group, while having a cooking habit, may not cook frequently enough to fully integrate new appliances into their routine, leading to them being forgotten or becoming inconvenient to retrieve.

  • Expectation Gap for Infrequent Cooks: Those cooking once or twice a week showed a notably high percentage (5.3%) for “expectations being too high before purchase.” This indicates that less experienced cooks or those less familiar with cooking appliances may find it harder to assess actual performance and usability prior to purchase, leading to disappointment.

Consumer Anxieties When Purchasing Cooking Appliances

When asked about concerns when buying cooking appliances, the top answers were “will I really continue to use it?” (55.2%) and “maintenance and cleaning hassle” (53.4%). These anxieties varied by household situation:

  • “Will I Really Continue to Use It?”: This concern was particularly high among those living with parents/relatives (21.8%), couples without children (21.7%), and single individuals (20.4%). Changes in lifestyle or family composition likely contribute to this apprehension, as cooking frequency or types of dishes prepared may change over time.

    Anxieties by Family Composition

  • “Maintenance and Cleaning Hassle” for Families with Children: This concern was especially prominent in single-parent households (23.5%) and households with couples and children (20.5%). This suggests a strong desire to avoid increased chores despite seeking time-saving solutions through cooking appliance purchases.

  • Space Concerns for Families with Children and Single Households: “Size and storage space” were significant concerns for couples only (21.7%), single individuals (20.4%), and couples with children (17.5%), highlighting space limitations in kitchens or homes as a purchase barrier.

Rising Interest in Rental and Subscription Services

The survey also explored interest in appliance rental/subscription services. A total of 52.9% (118 out of 223) expressed interest in trying cooking appliances via rental or subscription before purchasing (‘strongly agree’ 10.8%, ‘somewhat agree’ 37.2%).

Interest in Renting Cooking Appliances

This indicates a clear demand for experiential evaluation to overcome uncertainties like cleanup, usage frequency, and functionality gaps that are hard to assess pre-purchase. The ability to try an appliance repeatedly in a real-life setting is seen as a crucial factor in making a well-informed decision.

Conclusion and SUUTA’s Initiatives

The findings underscore the widespread regret associated with cooking appliance purchases and the challenges consumers face in selecting products that genuinely fit their lifestyles. Making “try before you buy” through rental services a common practice could help consumers make more informed decisions, reduce waste, and truly value the products they choose.

SUUTA, a rental platform, aims to address these challenges by providing a safe and reliable platform for renting a wide range of products, including furniture, home appliances, gadgets, and outdoor equipment. SUUTA seeks to establish rental as a new standard in daily life.

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