Ye ol’ Stepping Stool
Introductions:
No one really knows when the ladder was actually invented, with its earliest recorded existence dating back to a 10,000 year old cave painting in Valencia, Spain. The painting depicted 2 individuals climbing up the ladder to access a nest of honeybee. 10,000 years later, the ladder is still around serving the same essential functions, though with greatly improved modification in material, mechanics and designs. One of the designs adapted the ladder into a size appropriate for indoor and household uses. Thus, the stepping stool was born.
Commonly seen in kitchens and basements, the stepping stool is commonly used to give users access to objects within 3–4 feet above their reach. This use case ranges from kitchen cabinets, refrigerator tops or book shelves. Users for the stool often require a light, compact design, space efficient enough to be put away for infrequent uses. The target users for the stepping stools are typically adults living in a space with a common kitchen or private bathroom, or the occasional parent helping their child reach the sink.
On-site market research:
Target:
Target only carries 1 single type of step stool with 4 different height option, all provided by the Cosco brand which is very in-line with their model for lower-item products.
Interestingly, Target places the stools right next to a small cleaning section, as opposed to the main cleaning supplies section. This groups the 2 product categories in household appliances. We will also see that Bed Bath & Beyond employs the same placement tactics.
Bed Bath & Beyond (BB&B):
Very similar to Target, Bed Bth and beyond carries the Cosco brand stepping stool and also places the products next to cleaning and household appliances. However, BB&B also carries the plastic configuration of the product. It can be inferred that is catering to their bathroom product lines. The store also had 2 separate sections for stepping stool, with one being in the central walking isle and one with more selection in the cleaning section.
Home Depot:
Home Depot, however, doesn’t play these meaningless games. You got something you need to reach? Home Depot is there to get you from A-Z. From 12 inch stepping stools to full sized ladder, Home Depot carries dozens of stepping stool types and configurations. No hiding behind cleaning supplies, the stools are given their own very isle, ranging from the smallest possible stool to full-size industrial ladders. Home Depot, however does not carry bathroom stools.
Online Review:
With online reviews, especially for Amazon, it appears that all the top-selling products employ some amount fake positive reviews to boost their ratings. This is shown through using FakeSpot which reviews the highest authenticity score to be a “B” for the 3rd best selling product on the page (From 4.2–4.3 star). With the rest padding their ratings up into 4.5 from 2.5 or 3 star average review scores.
Benchmarking:
After reviewing the top 20 best-selling step stools, it appears that the need for step stools and designs greatly differ based on use cases for products. This difference in need also informs prices and metrics of quality for these products. These use cases manifest in 3 different main cases:
- Casual kitchen/storage space uses
- Bathroom or children uses
- Gardening/construction work uses
Adjacent products from stepping stools are also regular stools as replacements, rolling stools for sitting uses and step-ladders for larger need construction users.
Trends:
Again, depending on the user needs, user trends and metric for successful products greatly varies. Within the differing use cases named above, the need differences are as follows:
- Casual kitchen/storage space uses: These users require a light but stable step stool. Preferably foldable for easy stowing but also affordable ($15–$25 range)
- Bathroom or children uses: These users typically require plastic or non rust material with rubber soles and extra stability from a wider base for prolonged usage. These stools are typically smaller and more compact but also requires durability. Users are usually willing to pay between $10–$30 for these stools.
- Gardening/construction work uses: Typically more power users with need for reach, durability and strength, these users are willing to pay more for a stronger product. Do not generally care about weight though extremely heavy products receive negative comments. These users are willing to pay from $40 to $100+ for a well made product that ensures their safety and ease of use.
Opportunities:
To avoid the pitfall of trying to become everything for everyone which is how mediocre products are made, I chose to focus on the top use case of the 3, kitchen and casual use. These users require a light but also stable top stool with a low price range. The stools need to be portable but also strong enough to support frequent use. The designs above reflect that need to keep a foldable, light stool with enough durability while maintaining an affordable cost.
Timeline:
Wed 9/18: Finish outline. Visit Target and Home Depot for preliminary research.
Thu 9/19: Compile photos and begin blog post. Preliminary Amazon research based on brands from site visits.
Fri 9/20: Visit Bed Bath & Beyond or IKEA.
Sat 9/21: Finish up site visits if needed. Compile all data and begin finalizing the blog.
Sun 9/22: Day of rest and worship.
Mon 9/23 Compile final pieces of blog posts, potentially finish blog early.
Tue 9/24: Finalize blog post.