Francesca O’Connor i7957464 Design Business Management Table Top BBQ Trends in Outdoor Leisure Geoff Bell Market Research for Design Introduction Generally, the market opportunities for barbeques could be considered small. Nevertheless, barbeques are the biggest seller in the outdoor living range of products. The barbeque concept has been around for a very long time even mentioned in the Bible. Historically barbeque design technology continues to improve and develop to the present day as well as the expanding market advantages, such as the type of barbeques fuelled from gas and electric. Market Opportunities Globally, the market for portable barbeques continues to increase, it was recorded in 2007 that the monetary value of barbeques was increasing by around 17% (Utku Tansel Aug 2009). The increasing demand also attracts some potential benefits. Energy costs and raw materials demands are continuing to rise. Lifestyle changes in many countries like Turkey are switching from cooking inside to the outdoors; this has increased demand specifically of portable barbeques (Utku Tansel Aug 2009). In hot climates such cooking is also an added benefit as air conditioning and extraction is not needed in the house. Barbecues are also a traditional and lifestyle choice for cooking in countries such as Australia and in the South America (Cruz del Barrio Dec 2012). Therefore, reflecting an international market demand. The purchase cost of portable barbeques is fairly low due to the low costs involved in manufacture and production. The materials used to make a barbeque include steel, aluminium, ceramic or a combination of each material. Portable barbeques are designed to be light and compact as possible. Portable barbeques are generally sold (flat packed); this being beneficial in keeping transport costs lower but also in terms of storage in shops, warehouses and homes. The portability of such barbeques is also a positive characteristic of the product. It can be used for a range of events and not restricted to home use, thus being more beneficial to the consumer as the product is multi-functional in its usage and can be used in the home, camping or at festivals. The increasing popularity of festival events has also seen a positive increase in demand, further supported by the effects of weather due to global warming taking its toll, generally meaning longer and warmer summers (Euromonitor International 2006). The increasing strength of the barbeque market can also be seen to be having a negative effect on restaurant profits which were down by around 4% in 2005 (Euromonitor International 2006). Barbeque sales figures are also strengthening due to the desire for people to be eating at home and spend less time dining out. Monetary expense is another factor in the recession where a meal may cost up to three times more in a restaurant than if prepared at home (Euromonitor International 2006). The popularity of barbeque eating also boosts the sales of barbeque related foodstuffs, which include meats, salad and barbeque sauces (See Figure 1) (Euromonitor International 2006). $ per annum per capita 2005 Denmark 2.8 Germany 2.4 USA 1.9 Canada 1.6 Austria 1.5 United Kingdom 0.4 Ireland 0.3 Spain 0.3 Portugal 0.2 Colombia 0.1 New Zealand 0.1 Saudi Arabia 0.1 Figure 1 Consumption of barbeque sauces Source: Euromonitor International from national and trade sources Another asset to be noted is the culinary skills learnt when experiencing another approach to cooking. There is also an appeal to the social side of barbecues; it is noted that just over 4 out of 10 people like to use the garden space for entertaining and socialising. This opens an opportunity to 7 million households spending more on outdoor living furniture (Utku Tansel Aug 2009). The UK has very much been in the recession for some years. Nevertheless, the market is optimistic that demand for barbeques will rise noted by the market strengthening for outdoor living furniture in beginning of 2009 (Utku Tansel Aug 2009). Generally, people are cutting back on holidays or weekends away to spend more leisure time at home therefore reducing leisure expenditure. Market Research The shift to smaller barbeques has occurred due to the declining market for larger barbeques. A significant influence on the barbeque market is the expenditure per household dependent on location. In 2011, the highest sales of $37m in the barbeque market were in Australasia in comparison with Western Europe at $11m (Cruz del Barr Dec 2012) (See Figure 2). This gives robust data to undertake this research. Likewise, the trends are influenced by the different cooking attitudes. Figure 2 Household Expenditure on Barbeques and Forecast Market Growth by Region Source: Euromonitor International Figure 3 Preference of type of barbeque according to region Source: Euromonitor International Additionally, each region has a preference to which type of barbeque to use being charcoal, electric or gas. Australasia and North America spend the most money on barbeques but actually taking a strong preference to the use of gas barbeques. This is in contrast to Asia, Western and Eastern Europe who have a stronger preference for charcoal barbeques (part of the portable barbeque market). It is noted that there are electric and gas portable barbeques. However, in conclusion, 50% of sales are actually still in the charcoal market (See Figure 3). It is important to understand the preferences of these regions to ensure profit growth. Gas barbeques are more expensive. North American and Australasian households may be more willing to pay these higher prices due to the use they get out of their barbeques. This is in comparison to most other markets who are not willing to pay this higher price as usage is lower. This lower expenditure is closely linked with the weather conditions. Leading UK supermarkets have also witnessed the increasing demand for portable barbeques. Tesco claimed that the barbeque season now no longer peaks in the warmer months of July to August but now starts much earlier in the spring (Tesco PLC May 2012). This is based on the assumption that any ‘hot’ weather the British experience is utilised by being in the garden and making the most of “barbeque” weather. The general design of the portable barbeque has not significantly changed from the 1950s. The portable barbeque generally uses charcoal and there is little difference between designs. The Telegraph created an article on the top 5 voted portable barbeques in the UK (See Figure 4). Figure 4 Top 5 barbeques by the Telegraph Source: The Telegraph These grills are portable except one. They are simple in design and do not use advanced technology. These products are not gadgets and have been designed to meet the needs of the consumer. These needs include portability, ease of cleaning, ease of storage and disassembly. The fourth grill from the left is a slightly newer design where the moat can be filled with seasonings or wine to infuse the food and is dishwasher safe. However, this grill is run on fuel in contrast to the portable barbeque typically being charcoal. In the last year (2012) barbeques have been a popular product for the spring and summer regards outdoor living. During the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics, portable barbeque sales soared including the instant and disposable barbeques with many leading supermarkets selling out. During the recession period it has been reported that barbeques are the least affected product in the Do It Yourself (DIY) category. It is projected that the sales for barbeques will increase by around 110% (Utku Tansel) globally this is mainly due to the increasing sales in Western Europe. Figure 5 Leading Company per Country 2011 Source: Euromonitor International Figure 5 illustrates the leading brands in each country in the world. The Weber barbeque was one of the first brands to sell various designs of the barbeque on the market. In 2011 Weber was still the leading barbeque brand in the North America and Australia. Both North America and Australia are noted to be the two countries where barbeque cooking is more common. USA account for 40% of barbeque sales in 2011 of which Weber accounted for 22% of the total value of sales. Market Sectors Barbeques are a desired product in many leisure activities, as in camping, at beaches, festivals, socialising events, fetes, and during public holidays. Open fires were originally used for cooking in camping. However, the uses of open fires are no longer an option on many campsites in the UK due to safety and practicality reasons. Barbeques emit a poisonous gas namely carbon monoxide. Over the last few years during the recession many households have chosen not to holiday abroad, due to this there has been the biggest boom in UK camping holidays since the 1950s. Furthermore this has boosted barbeque sales. The British love to enjoy the most of the sun and the beaches during the hot weather. Many people like to spend the long weekends and even public holidays at the beach. Some beaches do restrict the use of barbeques such as Bournemouth beach which restricts the use of barbeques in the summer months before 6pm. Portable barbeques are the most favoured way of creating warm food at festivals. This varies from festival to festival but this is probably one of the only ways of cooking and warming food unless food is purchased from festival stalls which can be fairly costly. These portable barbeques are fairly easy to light, distinguish and carry. They can also be left behind at the festival; most portable barbeques taken to festivals are for one use only (disposable barbeques). It has been reported than around 1 million people attend a festival in the UK every year while 20 years ago there were actually only 2 festivals held per year in the UK. However, Neil Greenway founder of eWebsites.co.uk in May 2008 claimed that festivals reached their peak in 2005 and have started to decline due to cancellations and the poor weather. However, it does not go unnoticed that the popularity for festivals in the rest of Europe is increasing suggesting that the use of barbeques in festivals will continue. Portable barbeques are often used by UK households due to ease of use. Some households have their own static barbeques set up in the back garden but the disposable barbeques which are readily available in major stores are easy to ignite and dispose, therefore, the main barbeque does not need to be set up or cleaned. Consequently, it is time efficient and can be more effective as it can be easily moved to eradicate wind blowing issues which can cause igniting issues. Impacts on the sales trends There have been periods where sales of portable barbeques began to slow because of poor weather. However, in the UK in 2012, a longer period of warmer weather prompted the British to make the most of this weather and increased the sales of barbeques. Specifically the sales of disposable barbeques increased due to their low cost and their adaptability with the British weather. If inclement weather arises the disposable barbeque can be stored and used at a later date when weather is more favourable. This is a positive selling point for disposable barbeques. Dining out is not as evident in the recession. Outdoor living has been a good compromise as an alternative and creative way to enjoy food but also providing socialising opportunities during garden parties with family and friends. This offers a cheaper, more flexible and informal alternative to dining out. 2012 was a major year for the UK. London celebrated the Diamond Jubilee in June and hosted the Olympic Games later in the summer. Barbeques were in popular demand during these event periods especially the disposable barbeques with many supermarkets selling out. Suggesting that the main design characteristics of being easy to carry, light, compact and easy disposal are appealing. Technology changes and Market Variations In all sectors technology is developing rapidly at a fast pace. Outdoor living and furniture have become more popular. The concept of grilling food on a portable barbeque has retained its popularity whether it is fuelled by charcoal, gas or electric. Therefore, designers continue to explore innovative and appealing portable barbeques to meet the needs of the user. An example includes the new Outback V5. This barbeque has five interchangeable surfaces which allow the user to boil, grill, fry and stir fry. The barbeque is collapsible so it can be easily stored in colder weather or when not in use, it is light at 17kg and therefore easily transported. It is also available in a smaller size (British Design Innovation August 2012). Historically, brick and fieldstone barbeques were not easy to build and portable barbeques became an alternative design made of steel during the 1940s. Another earlier issue was the ability to control the waste heat produced by the barbeque. To this end (See to the right), a design to solve this issue was developed named the ‘Weber Kettle’ which utilises air vents (weberbbq.co.uk). Traditionally, barbeques during this period used charcoal; however, technology changes have introduced portable gas and electric barbeques. Charcoal is still the most popular used barbeque as explained previously. There were a number of issues with the initial design of the barbeque. Designers have used design problems to create new solutions. It has been argued, that the heat of the barbeque is Figure 6 Source: Google Images just not hot enough; the ‘Cook-Air Wood Fired Grill’ uses an internal fan which then creates a cyclone of air moving over the wood creating combustion. This makes it one of the hottest grills on the market. It can also be powered by batteries or a car adaptor; features which are appealing to the consumer (Dereck Riches). The award winning ‘Weber Q-220 Portable Grill’ is large enough to cook a whole chicken and is powered by propane. Even though the barbeque is technically portable, the barbeque is viewed and perceived as a full size grill (Dereck Riches). Portability is the key feature of portable barbeques. The “Element Portable” by Fuego is relatively small but is designed to be used at the beach or a day out hiking. The briefcase size grill is held together by a silicon band and has carrying straps for a hands free carry therefore allowing easier transportation. Having everything you need for cooking in one area is always ideal. New designs are now looking at introducing refrigerators, bottle openers and beverage coolers to the general idea of a barbeque. Safety is also another factor considered in the innovation of new barbeque designs. Up right propane tank carriers with new grill that use turbo effects. Infrared grills are also a new popular design. The biggest trends of 2012 are the outdoor cooking accessories. In 2012 it being pellets which are spices used to give the grilled food flavour without soaking. The basic portable barbeque which is available widely at most major shop outlets (See Figure 7) is still one of the most popular portable barbeques because of it being disposable, light and cheap. This barbeque is often a popular option as it can be left behind and disposed of in the usual waste refuse bins after it has been cooled down. There is no need for specific disposal receptacles. Typical use of these barbeques includes festivals, other leisure activities or even at home in the garden. The drawbacks of using disposable barbeques are that they can only be used once therefore there are recycling issues. Development for the future could be providing a heat proof bag with a sturdy lid to stop the scattering of used charcoal before being placed in the bin. Likewise the outer covering, base and lid, particuarly the lid need to repel moisture as it is found that if disposable barbeques are stored for a long time in a damp area they will not ignite due to the charcoal absorbing moisture. A further devlopment could include disposable tongs being provided with the disposable barbeque to aid cooking ideally with an enitgrel thermometer which could probe meats as with chicken to check full grilling to avoid food poisioning namely Salmonella. Another development could be that the charcoal is fixed in place at the base of the tray to avoid clumping of charcoal which affects heat distribution on ignition. Similarly the grill grid being non stick coated would be an asset. Figure 7 Disposable Barbeque Source: Google Images Grilling on the barbeque has been historically been seen as a man’s job and has become stereotypical (Euromonitor International 2006) especially in barbeque related advertisements which although perceived as a negative attribute to some can be an asset. An asset, by appealing and motivating men to cook. However, this stereotype is beginning to fade as barbequing becomes more of a family cooking opportunity allowing the whole family to expand their knowledge of food and culinary skills. Similarly, the process allows for more collective involvement in the food preparation process and increases socialisation.