By Keri Algar

SYDNEY, NSW: The small appliance category is prepping itself for the prime retail selling period of the year, Christmas, with suppliers encouraging retailers to recall last year’s encouraging growth.

The most recent GfK figures indicate that time saving kitchen tools are experiencing the highest growth in units, including can openers (46 per cent), slow cookers (29 per cent) and bench mixers (16 per cent).

The data indicates small appliances represent four in every 10 Christmas purchases in electrical retailer stores, according to Dave Gubbin, Breville Australasia brand director.

“The biggest unit sellers in kitchen smalls this Christmas are expected to be novelty, kettles and toasters,” said Gubbin.

“On current trends, the other high volume category that we expect to drive consumers into store this year is slow cookers, the fifth most purchased small appliance category last December and showing no sign of fading in 2010.”