2008 May 6-8 Las Vegas |
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CONTENTS:
FEATURE: English to be Honored at Show
RETAILER PROFILE: Lisa Hartwick, Owner, Hartwick’s, Eugene Oregon
GOOD REP: Sherry Pollack, Owner, Sherry Pollack Associates, North Attleboro, Mass.
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STATS: MAKE IT SELL
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More than 90 percent of buyers attending the Gourmet Housewares Show are in charge of buying decisions. As for annual spending on products for resale:
• 28 percent of those buyers spend over $1 million
• 32 percent spend between $250,000 and $1 million
• 19 percent spend between $100,000 and $250,000
HAVE FUN!
When traveling, it is fun to get deals. And there are many ways The Gourmet Show can help make your visit to Las Vegas both a profitable business trip and a good time. Here are a few tips:
• Make show check-in easy. We’ve simplified getting show badges with our e-badge system, so look for your e-badge in the mail by April 5, or Click here to sign up for one.
• A gentle reminder to book your travel through TTG for the best deals. Here’s the contact info:
• And we’ve got tips from Las Vegas locals on how to spend your free time at this link. (Hint, it’s not just about gambling)
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Dear Friends,
My travel schedule has picked up as I visit with our vendors and retailers in preparation for the Las Vegas Gourmet Housewares Show. And I have good news to report. Despite the doom and gloom coming in from big banks and big retailers, the specialty gourmet market seems to be more than holding steady in these uncertain times. I attribute that to the fact that you tell me you know your customer; you seek out products that help you stand out; and your stores are the friendly, fun places that shoppers want to be in now.
We are happy so many of you are signing up for the Gourmet Housewares Show in Las Vegas because you will find the sharpest assortment of new products there and some great seminars to help you continue to stay smart in this market.
See you in Vegas,
Susan Corwin
vp and show manager
P.S. I'd like to publicly thank Viking for sponsoring the Culinary Center and Krups for presenting our luncheon business-related seminars.
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| FEATURE: English to be Honored at Show |
 Acclaimed chef Todd English will be honored during the Las Vegas Gourmet Housewares Show for his work with the anti-hunger group Share Our Strength.
English will receive Share Our Strength’s Humanitarian Award, which recognizes chefs who work to end childhood hunger in the United States. The award will be presented to English during the Opening Night Gala at PURE, the new nightclub at Caesar's Palace.
"Share Our Strength and the Gourmet Housewares Show have long worked together on anti-hunger issues," says Susan Corwin, vice president and show manager. “It is crucial to join in the fight against childhood hunger and we are thrilled to be able to honor a chef that is so dedicated to that cause,” Corwin says.
English, who is chef and owner of Olives in Charlestown, Massachusetts and five other U.S. locations including the Bellagio in Las Vegas, also will be on hand to host a cooking demonstration at the show’s Culinary Center on Tuesday, May 6th.
In addition to the Olives franchise, English owns Four Figs restaurants; has written three cookbooks and is the host of a television show, “Food Trip with Todd English.” He’s been named Restaurateur of the Year by Bon Appetit Magazine, and last but not least, has been recognized as one of People Magazines “50 Most Beautiful People.”
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I'm coming to the Gourmet Show because...
"I attend the Las Vegas Gourmet Housewares Show because it is conducive to order writing: I get the quality attention I need from my existing accounts and I find the vendors I need to meet to keep my business on top of the trends.
You are treated special: the little guy is given attention at this show. You walk into a booth you are greeted and you are visited with and you are taken care of. They always have a special product that you can take advantage of, and everyone at the show is very welcoming."
Julie Claton, owner
Store: Kitchen Gallery, Topeka, Kansas
Gourmet Works
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Retailer Profile:
Lisa Hartwick
Owner, Hartwick’s, Eugene Oregon
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 As owner of Hartwick’s, a 5,000-square foot specialty store in Eugene, Oregon, Lisa Hartwick uses cooking classes to attract new business.
It’s part of Hartwick’s strategy to know her customers: especially the youngest ones. Children’s cooking classes are among the most popular on Hartwick’s cooking school schedule (No wonder: the classes provide creative baby-sitting!!)
“Parents shop during the kid’s class and become loyal customers because they love the fact we are willing to take on the extra work these classes involve,” Hartwick notes. However, Hartwick has found that cooking classes are more of a marketing tool than profit center so she also schedules a 3-month hiatus for the cooking school during the store’s fourth quarter, “When we are too busy on the retail side,” Hartwick says.
Knowing her customers also means Hartwick needs to play up her strengths as a home-grown retailer. Being local is especially important in Eugene where there is a community backlash against chain stores, Hartwick says. “People who live in Eugene want to buy locally.” For Hartwick that meant one challenge was to convince the city’s shoppers that her sleek, professional store was indeed owned by a local resident, not a corporation.
“People here could not believe that we were not a chain store because of our professional appearance,” she says. That look includes a Viking demonstration kitchen, a deep assortment of culinary products and now also plenty of signage noting that Hartwick’s is locally owned: including noting the store is locally run printed on t-shirts worn by the staff.
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| Good Rep: Sherry Pollack, Owner, Sherry Pollack Associates, North Attleboro, Mass. |
Territory: New England
Pollack is a housewares industry veteran, and works closely with specialty retailers in her territory through her own rep group. One of Sherry’s pet peeves is retailers who ask for unique products and then, “When I bring them a new line, they don’t want to be the first one to try it! They claim they want something different, but then they don’t follow through.” Her advice? “Step out of the box, grab the new product and provide great customer service. Explain to your customers why this new product is the best.” |
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Hot Topics: We keep hearing grumbling about manufacturers’ reps not following through with their gourmet store clients -- e-mail me at thyra_porter@glmshows.com so we can continue our dialog about what it means to provide good service to the gourmet retail sector. We want to highlight the work of strong reps, and perhaps by doing so, inspire others.
Thyra Porter, editor, Gourmet 365 |
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To register, or for the most up-to-date info, please visit www.thegourmetshow.com
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