Future Kitchen Culture – Rethinking Luxury, Service & Relevance
“Who still buys a luxury kitchen today when there are so many great opportunities to dine out? And while younger generations enjoy cooking, they are far less interested in status symbols – they care much more about experiences.”
This insight reflects a broader cultural shift: the kitchen is losing its role as a pure status object and evolving into a social, emotional and functional experience space. Cooking, eating and hosting are no longer about representation, but about expressing values, lifestyle and personal meaning. For premium and luxury kitchen brands, this raises a fundamental question: how can kitchen culture, service and brand relevance be redefined for the future?
the CHALLENGE
Engaging new generations without alienating existing ones
Against this backdrop, an international luxury kitchen manufacturer approached us with a key strategic question: how can affluent members of Generation Y be addressed globally without losing the loyalty of Generation X, Baby Boomers and senior customers who have traditionally formed the brand’s core audience?
The task required a deeper understanding of younger consumers’ expectations across all touchpoints – from inspiration and information to purchase, service and long-term brand relationships – in order to identify future-proof innovation opportunities.
Approach
Understanding shifts in kitchen culture and buying behavior
We conducted an in-depth ethnographic study of luxury kitchens across different markets, focusing on:
- shopping and information channels
- expectations towards service, expertise and brand interaction
- generational differences in decision-making
Based on these insights, we developed four luxury consumer profiles defined not by age, but by lifestyles, values and attitudes – offering a more meaningful understanding of how people relate to the kitchen as a cultural space.
Implementation
Ethnographic depth as a foundation for innovation
Affluent, design- and quality-oriented consumers from China, the United States and Germany participated in the study. Within their everyday environments, we explored:
- how kitchen purchase decisions are initiated and evaluated
- the role of inspiration, social interaction and expertise
- which service elements are perceived as essential, expected or irrelevant
This revealed significant differences in needs, decision logics and service expectations across generations and cultures – even within the same luxury segment.
OUTCOME
Innovation driven by behavior, touchpoints and culture
The project resulted in four clearly defined luxury consumer segments based on lifestyle, values and attitudes. For each segment, we developed a detailed touchpoint map capturing needs for inspiration, information and social interaction, while accounting for local cultural nuances.
Building on this foundation, we outlined:
- relevant brand messages
- service and communication strategies
- concrete opportunity areas for innovation along the customer journey
These insights continue to inform a segment-driven service innovation and marketing strategy across the brand’s three core markets – demonstrating how luxury kitchens are shifting from symbols of status to spaces of meaning and experience.