Bidets Hit Store Shelves: What it Means for the Future of American Bathrooms
Luxury bidet seats have hit the shelves of Target and Home Depot for the first time, breaking down barriers of entry and positioning the bidet for a surge in product awareness.
Bio Bidet by Bemis products can now be found in both retailers, making it the first luxury bidet seat sold at Home Depot and the first bidet-focused products in Target stores, the company says. Target will sell non-electric bidet attachments, handheld bidet sprayer, and a travel bidet, whereas Home Depot will offer a curated selection of Bio Bidet’s electric seats.
Regarded still as a primarily foreign product, the bidet has slowly gained traction in the United States. James Amburgey, director of business unit development at Bio Bidet, says this retail integration will likely impact American acceptance.
Amburgey says new conversations about bidets began 18 months ago at the onset of the pandemic as themes of hygiene and cleanliness were at the forefront of Americans’ minds, in addition to the great toilet paper shortage of 2020.
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But category awareness has ultimately been the largest reason why many Americans had yet to try a bidet product, according to findings by Bio Bidet by Bemis.
What This Means for Remodelers
Though American interest in bidets has grown substantially during the past six years, less than 5% of the U.S. population owns a bidet product, says Amburgey. He adds that another measure of future bidet interest can be seen in new-home construction.
“When I have the opportunity to meet with new-home builders and homeowners, I always ask about outlets in the bathroom, and we’re finding more and more builders are incorporating those outlets near the toilet space,” says Amburgey. “It shows us the direction of what’s to come.”
Now can be a prime time for remodelers to get ahead of the demand and become early adapters.
Demographics Most Interested
According to the National Association of Home Builders’ 2021 “What Home Buyers Really Want” survey, 50% of surveyed Gen X and Millennial homeowners rated bidets as an essential or desirable bathroom feature, whereas 25% of Baby Boomers thought the same. A younger interest in bidets aligns with Bio Bidet by Bemis research as well.
“In the retail offerings, which we have, which are in the $40 range, we are seeing young families, first-time homeowners purchasing these and refreshing their bathroom,” says Amburgey. “We are seeing a young interest, if you will, in bidet products, which is really great.”
On the flip side, 36% of surveyed homeowners in NAHB’s report said they explicitly did not want a bidet, and overall, 37% said bidets were essential or desirable.
Photo: courtesy stock.adobe.com
Interest in Bidet Toilets Steadily Grows
When the National Kitchen and Bath Association conducted its 2021 Design Trends survey, questioning residential professionals on a slew of design choices, 44% of respondents said they see smart bidet toilet seats growing in popularity over the next three years.
And Houzz’s just released 2021 Houzz Bathroom Study found one in five renovators added a toilet seat with a bidet, up 3% from its 2020 Bathroom Trends report and up 8% from 2019.
But Amburgey says this recent retail integration will offer homeowners a low-barrier entry point with affordable prices and non-electrical products to further bidet awareness nationwide, and eventually, might raise the bar for toilets.
“As people continue to invest in their homes and make things efficient and effective, I don’t think the bathroom will be any exception to that,” says Amburgey. “I truly believe that smart toilets are the future of the industry.”