Consumers loyal to the Cuisinart brand now will be able to extend that look in the kitchen to the trash bins, as Lifetime Brands has recently released its new waste-management system at retail.
“It’s the first time someone has applied a major brand to this category,” said Tom Seyfnia, senior category manager for Lifetime Brands. “There hasn’t been any real proven name in the category, so we have a leg up.” Lifetime has had the Cuisinart license for almost two years, for which it already has collections in cutlery, cutting boards, dinnerware, flatware and pantryware.
Divided among three design styles—Cuisinart I, II and III—the trash bin line retails from $79.99 for a 30-liter round style to $189.99 for a 50-liter item. “These are competitive price points already established in the category,” Seyfnia said. The biggest sellers so far are the 35-liter space saver, he said, and the 40-liter half round. “We’ve found that $129 to $139 is the sweet spot in the category,” he said.
When developing the line, Lifetime looked at the competition to see what it “was missing,” Seyfnia said. “There’s not a lot of innovation in the category.” The result includes a number of “special features” in Lifetime’s line, he said. Liner vents on the inside of the cans allow both the bag “to fit perfectly and be easy to pull out,” for example, he said. In addition, the Cuisinart II 35-liter space saver can has a handle in the back of the can, the same as the competition’s, but also wheels and a handle in front, so it’s easier to get in and out, he added. Ninety-five percent of the cans are of stainless steel, which is fingerproof, he added. Some of the new cans have 15 features, and “we’re trying to make that standard,” he said.
The initial five shapes—30-liter round, 35-liter space saver, 38-liter oval, 40-liter half round and 50-liter rectangle—are “the meat and potatoes of the business,” Seyfnia said. “We want to get a foothold.” But the next step in expanding the line will be to add recycling cans and sorters, trash bags and carbon odor blocks, he said. “The category will continue to grow,” he said. — Andrea Lillo