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10 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | July 2015 Consumer Buying Trends { Demographics & buying patterns for the home } NASHVILLE, TN — They are interested in the new and diferent, and unafraid of products that are bold and unusual. At the same time, they don't buy the same way other consumers do, will spend for genuine value and want their homes to be both technologically well-connected and truly representative of who they are. That, in a nutshell, describes the buy- ing preferences of Millennials, the 80-million-strong generation whose po- tential buying power promises to fuel the kitchen/bath, new construction and remodeling markets for years to come (see Editorial, Page 5) . According to market analysts, Mil- lennials, currently aged 14 to 34, difer signifcantly from the other generational cohorts that defne today's market, in- cluding Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1979) and Ma- tures (born before 1946). For one thing, although most Millen- nials say they'd like to purchase a home within the next fve years, many have had to postpone those plans. Hamstrung by a lack of post-college job opportunities and burdened by weighty student-loan debt, many are delaying – by as much as fve years – traditional milestones of adult- hood: careers, marriage and parenthood, as well as homeownership. Kitchen & Bath Design News , through its popular seminar series "Art + Science," has closely examined the unique buying preferences of Millennials, with an eye toward providing kitchen/bath profes- sionals with design and sales tips aimed at serving this emerging client base. "Art + Science," currently in its third year, is led by KBDN contributor Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS. The most recent seminar was presented last month in Nashville, TN. According to Cheever, Millennials, in general, are seeking advice from peo- ple they can trust, and who talk their language. Having come of age during a time when trust in institutions (such as government, banks, schools and church) was shaken, "they're seeking a trustworthy professional, and will often 'vet' the purchasing source by talking to others they trust," Cheever says. "They are also collaborators who like to work with mentors, partners and teams, and generally trust group decision-making, she notes. While Millennials are highly price- conscious because of their penchant for online shopping comparisons, they are also value-hungry and relationship- oriented, Cheever says, adding that "they want to buy at a great price from a knowl- edgeable designer/salesperson who they like – someone who's approachable and doesn't overwhelm them. "Millennials believe that any price is negotiable, although they're willing to pay more for something they value," Cheever also observes. "HGTV, shelter magazines and Web sites like Pinterest and Houzz have really raised the bar in terms of the sophistication of millennial consumers." Cheever points out, too, that Millen- nials "don't like cookie-cutter foor plans – they want their homes to be unique and personalized to their styles and tastes, and to really represent who they are." They are also accustomed to getting things for free (streaming music, mov- ies and TV shows being examples), and although they're generally conservative in their spending, they recognize the dif- ference between products and services, and are often willing to pay more for genuine value, according to Cheever. Additional design cues and selling tips Cheever ofers include the following: » » Millennials live a casual lifestyle, and grew up in homes with open foor plans and an understanding of the term "Great Room." They are search- ing for a kitchen that not only is open, but is designed so that they can "hang out" with family and friends in the space. » » Millennials' interest in a casual life- style goes hand-in-hand with their preference for a clean, contemporary design aesthetic. Their preferred aes- thetic focuses on "clean lines and less detail, durable and easy to maintain." » » Millennials value accessible design. Many aspire to meet the needs of young children, including such fea- tures as open foor space for children to play in, a spot for a high chair and storage for intellectually stimulating games and puzzles. » » Technology plays a key role in the lives of Millennials, who literally grew up with the Internet, conduct most information-gathering online and want technology incorporated into their kitchen/Great Room living spaces. Mobile technology, in particu- lar, has allowed them to customize nearly everything they do. High-tech amenities are not considered luxuries or accessories; in contrast, they're an everyday part of life. When it comes to servicing Millen- nials, Cheever advises designers, "Don't rush them through the sales process, and understand that they require a lot of hand-holding. Present eclectic de- sign solutions that incorporate color and texture, and mix bits and pieces of diferent things." In addition, "Be prepared to demon- strate responsible resource management within your organization, represent 'green' products and be sure to incor- porate technology into the designs you create," she suggests. Millennials Seen Possessing Unique Design Preferences Millennials lean toward open-plan designs with green sensibilities, as seen in this kitchen by Anastasia Rentzos, CKD, CBD of Andros Kitchen & Bath Designs. Photo: Courtesy of Andros Kitchen & Bath Designs SALES GROUP SALES DIRECTOR AND MIDWEST MANAGER Paul DeGrandis 724 12th St., Suite 1W Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 920-9510 Paul@SOLAbrands.com EAST/SOUTHEAST Joanne Naylor 540 Lee Court Wyckoff, NJ 07481 (201) 891-9170; Fax: (201) 839-9161 Joanne@SOLAbrands.com WEST/SOUTHWEST Reed Fry 724 12th St., Suite 1W Wilmette, IL 60091 (949) 223-1088 Reed@fry-comm.com PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE/CLASSIFIED ADS Nancy Campoli 558 Prospect Avenue River Vale, NJ 07675 (201) 690-6898 Nancy@SOLAbrands.com EDITORIAL Janice Anne Costa, Editor (516) 605-1426 Janice@SOLAbrands.com Anita Shaw, Managing Editor (631) 581-2029 Anita@SOLAbrands.com PUBLISHING SOLA Group, Inc. 724 12th St., Suite 1W Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 920-9510 Paul DeGrandis, Publisher Paul@SOLAbrands.com Eliot Sefrin, Publisher Emeritus Eliot@SOLAbrands.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Kitchen & Bath Design News Circulation Dept. P.O. Box 3007 Northbrook, IL 60065-3007 (866) 932-5904 circ.kbdn@omeda.com MAILING LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson (847) 492-1350 ext. 18 ejackson@meritdirect.com ForResidentialPros.com ®