26.09.2022

The major trends in the cookware and homeware industry were reflected at the booths of Russia’s biggest trade fair, HouseHold 2022, which took place from September 13 to 15 at the Crocus Expo exhibition centre in Moscow. Traditionally held in autumn, it sets the main market trends for the next year. This year, the leading manufacturers of cast and stamped aluminium cookware in Russia took part in the exhibition: Aluminium Metallurg Rus (Kalitva), Kukmor Plant of Metalware (KUKMARA), Landskrona (VARI), Neva Metalware (NMP) and SCOVO. The innovations presented by the members of the Aluminium Association and the interest shown by the professional community prove that the focus of 2023 in the cookware world is on aluminium.

HouseHold Expo 2022

THE MARKET IS WARMING UP
The 2020 pandemic and the subsequent border closures and supply chain disruption have significantly slowed down the development of the aluminium cookware market in Russia. While it grew by almost 17% in 2019, in 2020 the market volume remained at the same level as last year, at 46,300 tonnes. What is important is that the share of domestic production has increased in the face of shrinking imports. Russian manufacturers of aluminium cookware now own half of the entire market. ‘The pandemic years have come as a shock to us. We were expecting a sharp drop in demand, but in fact sales increased. The year 2020 ended with a profitability of 11.7%, and the next year already with a figure of 13.6%. In money terms, KUKMARA sold products worth about 5 billion roubles in 2021,’ Rainur Salimgarayev, Commercial Director of Kukmara, said.

It is too early to summarise the results for 2022, but market participants have noted a growing trend in the online sales segment. According to the Association of Internet Commerce Companies (AKIT), in the first five months of this year the total volume of online sales amounted to 1.9 billion roubles, and of these, household goods accounted for 16.9% of purchases. Direct sales by cookware manufacturers on marketplaces are the realities of 2022. ‘The share of online sales is growing. The pandemic has shown us that it is possible to trust the quality of goods from an online description and that delivery can be fast, safe and convenient. This trend will only grow in the coming years,’ Konstantin Pirogov, Managing Director of Scovo, says.

The advent of marketplaces such as Yandex.Market, Ozon, Sbermarket, Wildberries, and others has significantly shortened the chain between the manufacturer and the end customer. But it is too early to say that this direction has become a priority, as Dmitry Paslavsky, Sales Director at Neva Metalware, notes: ‘Marketplaces are one important direction, but chain retail and wholesale retain a lot of weight. It is important to develop some sales channels without neglecting others.’

‘We have been present on the marketplaces for three years now and continue to expand our presence. However, the discounters — Svetofor, Magnit and others — still have the largest share. They will hold the lead for a long time to come,’ Valeria Smagina, Head of Consumer Goods Marketing Department at Aluminium Metallurg Rus JSC, believes.

NOT A MINUTE OF DOWNTIME
HouseHold Expo 2022 proved to be an eventful one in the world of aluminium cookware, including the presentation of new production equipment. The VARI Group of Companies has introduced a new line of non-stick and decorative coatings, which has no equivalents in Russia. The new equipment makes it possible to work with innovative, high-quality coatings that meet high requirements and quality standards, as well as to perform virtually any pattern on cookware, particularly for OTM.

The abbreviation OTM stands for ‘own trademark.’ It is owned by a retail chain. By creating private labels, a company gains greater control over production, product quality, pricing, and distribution.

VARI rolling line

After working out a layout (creating a pattern), a special roll is made, on which a pattern is applied, and then the aluminium discs are sent for rolling. ‘The line, which opened in 2022, can produce 2,500 items per hour or 1.5 million per month. Thus, the output of finished stamped cookware is around 500,000 units per month,’ Anastasia Sarafanova, Product Manager at Landskrona (VARI cookware), says. The new collection is called The Shining. Available in gold (Southern Lights) and silver (Northern Lights), it features unique ‘star’ patterns and a wide range of sizes and types of cookware. The novelty will be available in the coming months.

Southern Lights is the new VARI cookware collection

This is not the only new VARI product — in March, the company launched the first Italian Cities line of cookware, available in three colours: bronze, grey, and black stone. The Florence and Venice series include frying pans (with a diameter of 22–28 cm), Wok frying and roasting pans (28 cm), sauté pans (24 and 26 cm), a ladle (16 cm), a pancake pan (22 cm), 350/300/200 trays and a 3-litre stamped cooker. The VARI booth also showcased the cookware that had been awarded Novelty of the Year (2nd place) at HouseHold Expo 2021. The Power of Nature and LIFE ranges are made from environmentally friendly materials that can be fully recycled at the end of use. This cookware is wrapped in kraft paper.

VARI’s line of products, dedicated to Italian cities

FROM PITER TO MOSCOW
Neva Metalware from St. Petersburg has not exhibited at HouseHold Expo due to the pandemic for two years. This year, the company showcased its best products, focusing on induction cookware. A particular highlight is the SCANDI line of pans, designed in a Scandinavian style.

‘The SCANDI frying pan is a product with a lightweight body, but still made by injection moulding. This step allows us to offer the consumer a quality alternative to forged and stamped cookware. At a lower cost than other cast cookware, the frying pan is not as prone to warping under the influence of temperature as forged and stamped products, which is an undeniable advantage,’ Dmitry Paslavsky explains.

The SCANDI line of products by Neva Metalware

During HouseHold Expo, NMP JSC unveiled its Cast Induction line, which was met with great enthusiasm by buyers of induction cookware during 2022. ‘This is one of the broadest lines of our company. In addition to traditional frying pans, this includes pancake pans, grills, roasting pans, pots, and pans, and even a tall sauté pan — a shape that only Neva Metalware offers on the market,’ Dmitry Paslavsky says.

Induction products from Neva Metalware are made using Full Induction technology. ‘We are the market leader in this segment and are ahead of the competition in terms of capacity and value-for-money ratio,’ Dmitry Paslavsky explains.

The base of the Full Induction pan is equipped with a solid ferromagnetic disc that is detected by all types of induction hobs and ensures fast heating up to the ideal temperature for frying.

The company also introduced the Natural Minerals series, combining modern technology with the elegant design of a non-stick coating with a natural stone effect. The Baikal, Karelia, Altai and Kavkaz lines are suitable for electric, gas, and glass ceramic hobs and are also dishwasher safe. The cookware of Altai line can be used on induction hobs.

The Baikal line by Neva Metalware

THE TOWN IS A FAIRY TALE, THE TOWN IS KUKMARA
The city of Kukmor in the Republic of Tatarstan is known throughout Russia not only for its rapid development of industrial tourism, but also for its main city-forming enterprise, Kukmor Plant of Metalware JSC, better known under the Kukmara brand. Love and respect for this cookware grows every year, and there’s an explanation: high quality, stylish design, affordable price and safety! Kukmara is a modern company that is also actively positioning itself in the digital environment.

The company regularly posts its own reviews of cookware on its social media channels, shares production processes, runs competitions and offers discounts to customers of its official online shop, for example, in the Telegram channel @posudakukmara

Kukmara’s booth

‘In 2016, we formed a three-person marketing department. There are now ten employees involved in marketing. By being present on social media and developing the website, we not only increase sales but also increase brand and product loyalty. At exhibitions, customers are increasingly telling us that they found out about us through social media,’ Reinur Salimgarayev says.

KUKMARA cookware is awarded with the Roskachestvo quality seal

One of the flagships of the domestic cookware market has a range of aluminium pots and pans, travel goods and baking moulds. At the exhibition the brand ambassador was Ilya Lazerson, a well-known chef, president of the Guild of Chefs of St. Petersburg and author of Youtube channel Lazerson’s Zone, who was cooking with great pleasure using KUKMARA cookware. Visitors to the exhibition were able to witness the unveiling of a new collection of cast aluminium cookware in bronze grey and copper black — pans, roasting pans, and pots in entirely new housings with a nanocomposite non-stick coating that is remarkably wear-resistant and has excellent non-stick properties. This line will become another collection for professional use in the same way as Titanium pro.

Kukmara cookware

IN SCOVO THE DEED IS DONE
Non-stick coated cookware, the already bestselling series (Alfa, Expert and Consul), uncoated matt cookware (pots, pans, roasting pans, forks, and spoons, even oilcans) — the Skovo’s booth offered products to suit every need. The centrepiece of the booth was the new HI-BLACK line of non-stick cookware, developed in 2022.

SCOVO HI-BLACK line

‘The line is designed for the ‘medium’ and ‘medium+’ price segments. It is manufactured from stamped aluminium with a durable and environmentally friendly Pfluon Cookmark non-stick coating. The series is equipped with soft-touch fittings — they do not heat up and are tactilely pleasant — as well as glass lids with a silicone rim and steam release. The design of the line is modern and versatile, with all details in a single shade,’ Andrey Lakeev, Director of Marketing and Sales at Scovo, introduces, and continues: ‘We decided to launch all popular sizes — with diameters of 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28. The line includes a pot, ladle, pancake pan, frying pans, and sauté pans. The cookware is suitable for all cookers, except induction cookers — for gas, electric ones based on glass and ceramics, and it is dishwasher safe. The feedback we received at the show suggests that we made the right choice; the line will be another sales hit!’

SCOVO’s booth at HouseHold Expo 2022

While uncoated cookware, exported mainly to neighbouring countries, is produced at the Demidovsky plant in Kamensk-Uralsky, the HI-BLACK line, like the already familiar Stone Pan and Green Tree series, is produced at the Scovo plant in Stupino, Moscow Region. The Green Tree line, by the way, was expanded in 2022 — it sells very well.

Uncoated cookware items by SCOVO

‘Last year we produced frying pans and sauté pans, and now we have added ladles, pots and pancake pans,’ Andrey Lakeyev says. ‘All our products comply with GOST, undergo strict control in the quality department and are subjected to abrasion and burn-in tests in order to provide the market with a top-class quality product.’

SCOVO GREEN TREE line

Technology for checking the quality of the non-stick coating and the suitability of the paint for production: a frying pan is placed on the cooker, preheated to 160 degrees, and a chicken egg is beaten on it and fried for 8–9 minutes. The egg should come off the surface easily without sticking. The pan is then wiped clean and milk is added and heated until it turns dark brown, then washed off the surface with a jet of water. It should be removed completely. The procedure is repeated dozens of times and if the coating meets all GOST requirements, the paint can be approved for production.

COSSACK HOSPITALITY
‘Due to the pandemic, we have not presented our products since 2019 and for us, HouseHold Expo was an opportunity to hold face-to-face meetings with distributors and partners,’ Valeria Smagina says. She noted the increased demand in the summer for matt (uncoated) cookware offered by Kalitva. Seasonal harvesting of fruits, apples and jams has taken its toll. At the trade fair, the company presented the new Dream Handle series, which is characterised by even heating, and thick walls and bottom. The handy removable handle allows the aluminium cookware to be used not only on the cooker, but also in the oven.

The Dream Handle line by AMR

‘We have released several sizes at once for different kinds of cooking. It makes no sense to enter the market today with just one frying pan. The consumer has many different cooking needs and this has to be taken into account,’ Valeria Smagina says. The manufacturer emphasises that Kalitva cookware meets all the requirements of GOST 14001, allowing it to be recycled at the end of its life.

GOST R ISO 14001-2016 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organisation can apply to improve its environmental performance.

One of the new products at the booth was an aluminium manti cooker made by AMR especially for the CIS countries. Thickened and with extra stiffening ribs, it offers increased stability when assembled. The premium craftsmanship and vibrant packaging make it the perfect gift for a wedding, for example. Manti, khinkali, dumplings and other meat, dough, and vegetable dishes can be cooked in it.

Kalitva’s booth at HouseHold Expo 2022

This year, HouseHold took up more than 18,000 square metres of exhibition space. Some 320 companies from Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Belarus, and Turkey exhibited their products at HouseHold 2022.

‘Despite the difficulties faced by the cookware market, we can note the readiness of domestic companies to develop production facilities and introduce new technologies into them. In the long term, the share of domestic aluminium cookware on the market will continue to grow,’ Natalia Kudenkova, Head of Consumer Goods Sector at the Aluminium Association, says.