OXO Good Grips

Although the inspiration for the Good Grips range was his wife’s arthritis, entrepreneur Sam Farber was convinced from the outset that he wanted his products to have mass-market appeal. “We wanted to appeal to the broadest possible market, not just a very specific market of arthritics and the infirm,” he explains. “Why shouldn’t everyone who cooks have access to comfortable, attractive tools? Farber could see an opportunity to not only help those with limited dexterity, but to create more comfortable tools for everyone to use.

There are an estimated 66 million arthritis sufferers in the US (Arthritis Foundation research 2002) and 8 million in the UK (BBC Health), which, combined with even greater numbers of the elderly and infirm, represents a sizable potential market for easy to use products. But OXO International, the company that Farber established to develop his idea, could see from the outset that the real potential for Good Grips lay in creating universal appeal for the tools.

OXO approached Smart Design, a New York based industrial design firm and commissioned them to develop a range of kitchen tools that were comfortable in the hand, dishwasher safe, high quality, good looking and affordable. Smart Design was keen to demonstrate that attractive design could be ‘multi-generational’, easily used (and enjoyed) by people of all ages, including those with limited dexterity.

This lasting partnership is still as important today as it was 17 years ago, and the two companies continue to work together developing innovative solutions to everyday consumer problems.

OXO’s commitment to design for all has turned out to be a financial masterstroke. By refusing to limit the market appeal of the range, Good Grips has become an internationally recognised, award-winning brand. And the financial results are impressive. In 1991, just two years after product development began, the company achieved sales of $3 million, a figure that has increased by 50 percent each year since.

Although OXO International has diversified its product offering, and now produces a complete range of household and garden solutions, the company is still focused on the guiding principles of innovation, quality and universal design. In addition, OXO International’s work has brought the concept of inclusive design into the mainstream, proving that design for all can be innovative, appealing and profitable. How has the company been able to grow –  and expand its market reach – without compromising on the values that consumers have come to appreciate and expect from the brand?