Consumer Trend 2021: Make This Year Your Own With DIY Kits

2 min read 

 2020 has changed the way we socialize, work, parent, and celebrate holidays. With lockdowns and remote working, consumers have had more time on their hands than ever. Thus, instead of buying something premade, there has been a rise in DIY, or do-it-yourself kits. This trend has proved to be enjoyable with many documenting their pride in their craftiness across several social media platforms. Thus, I hypothesize that DIY kits will be popular in 2021, and for many years to come. 

Though they existed pre-pandemic, meal kits became exceedingly popular this year. Going to the grocery store nowadays is stressful and dangerous, especially for certain populations. Between maskless customers, crowded aisles, and grocery shortages, going to the grocery store has become difficult. Thus, it is no surprise that  pre-portioned, contactlessly delivered meal kits have become very popular. According to Forbes, the meal kit industry was worth 2 billion dollars in 2016. It is estimated that the value of the meal kit industry will triple to be worth 6 billion dollars in 2021.

Along with being safe, meal kits are also popular because of their flexibility, simplicity, and universality. For instance, the popular meal kit delivery service, HelloFresh, allows the consumer to choose from 23 different meals tailored to the amount of people they need to feed. HelloFresh also allows consumers to receive meal kits up to five times a week. For consumers who are focused on health and wellness, Daily Harvest offers a wide variety of smoothies, soups, flatbreads, and ice creams set up on a weekly or monthly delivery basis. Popular franchises are beginning to cash out on the meal kit boom. Chick-Fil-A has begun to sell chicken parmesan meal kits starting at just 15 dollars. 

With consumers being stuck at home with more time on their hands than ever, craft kits have also become very popular. Easily available on Amazon, miniature house kits have become in demand. These can be a cozy coffee shop or whimsical greenhouse and come with all of the teeny-tiny parts necessary to make them. Tie-dye kits have also become increasingly in demand. With sweatpants and hoodies being favored over suits and dresses, tie dying active and leisure wear is becoming popular. Uncommon Goods sells a tie dye mask kit in order to add some fashionable flair to one’s face masks. 

Craft kits were especially popular during the holiday season. Gingerbread house kits have evolved to not only include the traditional houses but to also include gingerbread RV’s, ninjas, and barns. DIY ornament kits also became very popular, allowing consumers to make their own ornaments of a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Etsy and Uncommon Goods offered a variety of different DIY wreath kits using everything from ornaments to dried flowers. 

According to the Atlantic, DIY craft kits have become popular because of the control they give us. While we may not have control over what activities we can do or the speed of the spread of the virus, we can control the colors that go into our tie dye mix. Crafting also distracts us from all of the stress and uncertainty in the world nowadays. Gluing the tiny parts of the miniature house together takes an extreme amount of focus and allows one to completely shift their attention. Thus, meal kits and craft kits’ popularity will extend into 2021 and well beyond. 

What do you think: will DIY kits be popular in 2021 and after the pandemic? Leave your thoughts below or tweet us @consumersense on Twitter.

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