2025 Home and Living Survey Reveals Consumer Opportunities and Pain Points

New research collaboration between IHA and Springboard Futures featured in keynote at The Inspired Home Show® 2025

While marketers have leaned heavily into cross-generational consumer research, there’s still merit in the housewares industry examining distinct generational traits when it comes to daily living and wellness goals, said Tom Mirabile, principal and founder of Springboard Futures, in a keynote presentation yesterday at The Inspired Home Show® 2025.

Hosted by the International Housewares Association (IHA), the Show is being held March 2-4 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Buyers from more than 100 countries are joining 1,600 home and housewares companies to explore new products, new insights and countless opportunities to strengthen partnerships and drive growth.

In his session, “The 2025 Home & Living Survey — New Insights on the Everyday Realities Driving Consumer Demand,” Mirabile unveiled the results of the 2025 Home and Living Survey, a new research collaboration between IHA and Springboard. The survey reveals consumers’ everyday realities, priorities and pain points from a generational perspective, exploring how these factors impact product choices and purchase decisions.

“The reason we say ‘perspectives’ is because we don't act on realities; we act on perceptions. So, a lot of the things we buy, the choices we make, the things we want to own, are a result of the generation we're born to,” said Mirabile.

The survey primarily focused on four generations that make up about 20% of the population each: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. It revealed important generational differences, as well as opportunities within these groups when it comes to meal preparation and consumption, health and wellness, and purchase intent.

Key Takeaways by Generation

Generation Z: While Gen Z encompasses those 13-28-years-old, the survey excluded those under 18. 75% of this generation rents. They are digital natives who demand authenticity, transparency and responsibility from brands, leaders and influencers, according to Mirabile.

They are highly invested in mental health and well-being, and the generation most interested in emotional wellness (56%). They’re attuned to climate change and think globally.

“If you aren’t socially responsible, they don’t even consider you as a brand,” said Mirabile. “Make recycling easy for them. Make it buyable. Sustainability is table stakes right now. Produce locally; look at all aspects of production (transportation), not just materials.”

Millennials: This optimistic, collaborative, but restless generation includes those ages 29-44, about 21.7% of the population. They prioritize experiences like travel and personal growth over material growth, said Mirabile. These digital pioneers “mentor the mentors,” leading the way for older generations with tech. They prefer access over ownership and struggle with economic pressures like student debt.

But surprisingly, even more of their debt can be attributed to the experiences they invest in, like travel, according to Mirabile. “Not only do things have to be a great experience for Millennials, but they also have to provide added value,” he said, citing the need for thoughtfully designed, multi-functional products, especially for urban dwellers.

Gen X: This generation, now 45-60 years old and 19.5% of the population, is self-reliant. Nearly 70% own a home. They lost a lot of their personal savings in the 2008 recession and are sceptical but resourceful.

These latchkey kids don’t expect a lot of stability; they’re the generation with the most disposable income and the most debt, which is one reason why they (63%) plan to cook more meals at home in 2025. They embrace alternative lifestyles, are early adopters of technology and were a bridge generation that helped Boomers adopt technology.

Baby Boomers: This competitive and driven generation is also idealistic. These 61–79-year-olds, 20.9% of the population, have the most savings and wealth per capita of the four generations. They're defined by optimism, ownership and affluence.

“In their youth, they were very idealistic; now they're moving towards nostalgia. So, you see that in products now,“ Mirabile said. “They really value face-to-face communication, and so wherever you can, bring that in.”

Meal Trends

Mirabile also highlighted other important housewares industry trends that emerged from the 2025 Home and Living Survey, including:

Cooking at Home Remains Popular: The home cooking habit established during the pandemic will continue in 2025, with most surveyed (58%) hoping to do it even more in the coming year, as people see it as affordable (61%) and healthier (59%) than eating out. But the generational differences are pronounced, with Millennials and Gen Z (69%) saying they plan to cook more at home than Baby Boomers (35%). Another group looking to cook more at home: males (65%), especially in cities.

More Homemade Snacks: One surprising finding was that a sizable group of respondents reported that weekday snacks were either semi-homemade (33%) or mainly homemade (30%). “Consumers are taking snacks back because they are expensive,” Mirabile said, especially for Gen Z and Millennials. Those generations also desire healthier snacks with less packaging.

People Taking Food from Home On-the-Go: While most people prepare food at home to consume at work (49%), many also make food to take and consume on their commute (39%), at school (38%) and at outdoor leisure/sports/events (37%). Mirabile said there’s an opportunity for the industry to create more takeaway food for these occasions.

Meal Prep Time Consistent Every Day of the Week: Another surprising finding is that respondents spend the same or less amount of time preparing meals during the weekend as they do during the week. “We’ve built an audience of people who know how to cook and enjoy it,” Mirabile said. This puts to rest the myth that people are spending more time on the weekends preparing homemade meals and instead are focusing more of their time and energy on other things, like friends and family.

Meal Clean-Up is the Worst Part of Cooking at Home: The top consumer pain point for home cooking is after-meal clean-up (51%), with the time it takes (47%) being cited as the number one reason it’s so unpopular. Mirabile said there’s opportunity for the industry to create products that help with this dreaded task, and that we are starting to see more brands address this need.

A video recording of the program will be posted on the Show’s website at TheInspiredHomeShow.com/education/#keynotes in the coming days.

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