Future Shows
2007 May 8-10 Orlando
2008 May 6-8 Las Vegas |
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CONTENTS:
FEATURE: Going Green At Retail
Good Rep
RETAILER FOCUS: Meet Our Advisory Board
STATS
Products to Promote |
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| Merchandising Tips: |
• Cut down on the amount of packaging used to box up products.
• Encourage use of cloth shopping bags: you can even brand bags with your store name.
• Have your cooking schools support local farmers by buying locally grown produce.
• Check out deals on post-consumer paper goods with large office supply retailers and use recycled materials where possible.
• Start in-store recycling program.
• Seek out and buy environmentally conscious products for store merchandise where possible.
• Urge suppliers to use environmentally friendly packaging products.
• If you find a manufacturer with strong environmental production policies, promote that vendor’s story at store level. |
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| STATS |
As a follow-up to our last Gourmet 365 which focused on coffee products, here’s the latest on that fast moving category.
According to the Port Washington, NY-based research firm NPD Group, sales of high-end pod machines continue to grow.
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Sales for those products, priced at $100 or more, grew by more than 90 percent in the past two years. And prices held up as well.
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The average price of a single serve machine was $85 in 2006, compared to $54 in 2004, an increase of 25 percent for the same time period.
And they're all at the Show!
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The Gourmet Housewares Show is a unique event that specifically caters to the upscale retailer. And even though the Show has celebrated more than 30 years of operation, we find that it is critical for us to keep our finger on the pulse: because as trend setters, smaller retailers like you have the power to change the markets by being creative.
To make sure we get the right messages to the right people we spoke with manufacturers and reps around the country and asked them to nominate retailers for an Advisory Board – retailers whom they felt were enthusiastic about their business, who know how to merchandise their products and who would be willing to share their expertise with the Gourmet Show team. And voila! The Retail Advisory Board came into being.
We here at the Gourmet Housewares Show meet face-to-face with our Advisory board several times a year and rely on them for ongoing input. In fact, Gourmet 365 came about because they felt it was a good way to reach out to both vendors and retailers.
I’m pleased that Jennifer, KC, and Mary are sharing their tips to make your visit to Orlando, May 8-10, so worthwhile. We are grateful to Doug Huemoeller of The Kitchen Window, and David Babcock of Clementine’s Kitchen for serving on our advisory board as well. David and Doug will share their thoughts in an upcoming issue of Gourmet 365. Of course if you too, have ideas that you’d like to share, we would love to hear them. Call or email us anytime.
Susan Corwin
vp and show manager
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| To register, or for the most up-to-date info, please visit www.thegourmetshow.com |
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| FEATURE: Going Green At Retail |
Environmental matters are among the top issues consumers care about right now, and as a retailer, showing your concern makes sense as both a business person and a citizen. Though we aren’t suggesting installing a compostible toilet in the back room, this doesn’t have to be an all or nothing affair: any little bit helps.
And there are a lot of little bits that add up when it comes to caring about the environment, according to Patricia Donnelly, manager of the Spice Island Marketplace, a kitchenware store run by the Culinary Institute of America. More and more of her customers, she says, are asking how products are harvested, and whether the people involved in the production of the products are making a decent wage.
Donnelly says while seeking out kitchenware and tableware products made from sustainable woods and recycled materials is at the top of her green issues list, equally important is the a commitment to reuse and recycle at store level. Donnelly tries to minimize packaging where possible, as well as make any Spice Island bags environmentally friendly: vegetable dyes are used instead toxic inks; packages for take out in the store’s cafe are made of biodegradable paper; and there is a full-scale recycling program being run at the store.
 For Loofah-Art, based in Avenel, N.J., the environment is a key issue in selling product says Anita Liwette, who is cofounder of the company which makes kitchen cleaning products. While loofah is a vegetable better known for its bath time scrubbing prowess, Liwette says loofahs are also suited for kitchen scrubbing duties and are ecologically correct as well. “All our products are grown chemically free, we use natural vegetable dyes and they are biodegradable,” she says. “You have a natural product that is beautiful and won’t scratch pots and pans.” The loofahs are also sustainably harvested, which means the natural supply of loofahs is maintained.
 Sustainable agriculture is also a big issue in woodenware, says Candice Gohn, national sales manager for J.K. Adams, a maker of wood kitchen tools. She says J.K. Adams only uses wood from sources that plant more wood than they harvest. And recently the company used reclaimed wood garnered from the log drives in the 19th century to make a series of high-end wooden servers.
Both Liwette and Gohn advise retailers to look for companies that support solid environmental manufacturing processes, and are also good to their workers. For example, Loofah-Art helps to start up cottage industries in impoverished communities around the world by encouraging farmers to plant loofahs, an easy-to-grow vegetable; J.K. Adams gives its sawdust to farmers to use as bedding for livestock; and it also uses wood byproducts from the production process as fuel to heat its Dorset, Vermont offices.
“It doesn’t matter where you are in the food chain,” says Gohn, “ everyone is responsible as to what is going on around them.” |
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| Good Rep : |
Paul Johnson, The Kitchen Source, Los Angeles
Paul Johnson agrees that more of his customers want to know if products are sustainably harvested; whether there is lead or any toxic product in ceramic glazes; and whether workers in the production process are treated humanely.
“In some store accounts you won't get your product in, unless you can tell the environmental story,” he says. However one of the biggest ways he personally contributed to the green movement this year was to change his ride. “I got rid of my SUV and bought a Prius,” he says. “Since I live in Southern California the cost of driving has become horrific. Now instead of 22 miles a gallon, I get 45. At the end of the year it worked out to be a 45 percent cost savings. Quite honestly, that’s one of the biggest ways to give back in this industry.” |
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RETAILER FOCUS:
Meet Our Advisory Board! |
In this issue we introduce you to our Retail Advisory Board: more to come next issue. Here’s a snapshot look at their retail stores and also a bit of good advice that we hope you can use at the upcoming Gourmet Housewares Show in Orlando.
 Mary Moore, Founder and CEO,
The Cook’s Warehouse
Moore oversees three stores each totaling about 5,000-6,000 square feet. Two stores are in Atlanta, a third, called Cook’s and Sherlock’s is located in Decatur, Georgia and is co-leased with Sherlock’s Wine Merchant. The stores specialize in cookware, kitchen accessories and artisan wines. Moore advised retailers shopping in Orlando to, “Find great new items to sell, solidify relationships with vendors and sales reps and ask for what you need and what you want.”
 KC Lapiana, owner,
In The Kitchen, Wexford, PA and Pittsburgh PA
In Wexford the 2,000 square-foot In The Kitchen store has an extensive specialty foods department, and also offers catering. In addition to imported cheeses, pates and olives they offer 28 bins of whole bean bulk coffee. There’s also a professional knife sharpening service and cooking classes for adults and for children.
Over in Pittsburgh, another 2,000-square foot store is set to open this month in the “Strip District” of the city’s downtown, a shopping mecca for foodies. KC says the “Strip” is “A great place to get the freshest in meats sausages, cheeses breads, spices and ambiance." Her tip for shopping the Gourmet Housewares Show? "Use it to your best advantage by making appointments with your manufacturers. Ask questions that your customers will ask you about products. The Gourmet Housewares Show is unique to specialty and independent retailers and the manufacturers want to get to know you and want to spend time addressing your needs. I take advantage of this valuable time, and I think you should.”
 Jennifer Baron, Owner,
A Cook’s Companion,
Brooklyn, New York
The key categories of this 1,200 square foot store are cookware, knives, bakeware and gadgets. One of Baron’s hints for walking the Gourmet Housewares Show in Orlando is “To remember to keep an open mind as you walk the aisles. You may be looking at the next “hot” item for your store. Be prepared to try new items, new categories and new vendors. Change is the key for the independent retailer--always stay a step ahead of the big guys by having new products and new ideas.” |
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Products to Promote
• Food storage-play up products that can be reused; for example, the wide range of options available for kid's lunches.
• Coffee products: unbleached reusable coffee filters, thermal travel mugs and other containers help cut down on a huge amount of waste. This is also a good way to brand your company’s name on a thermal travel mug: a product most consumers will use everyday on their way to work.
• Tabletop: stock products that are made of recycled glass, or reclaimed or sustainable woods (or grasses, like bamboo).
• Cleaning products: Some serious chemicals are used to “clean” the kitchen. Most green kitchen cleaners do the job, without the danger. Those with cooking schools can also demo green cleansers by showing how well they work (and smell) during clean up sessions.
 Have Fun!
Orlando Convention Aid has partnered with The Gourmet Housewares Show to help you make the most of your time in fun filled Orlando! Just click on the golden ticket graphic to buy discounted attraction tickets, make dinner reservations, book your group dinner party or event, book tee times, and so much more! This web site will help you plan your time in Orlando and SAVE MONEY! Be sure to check out the coupons available and get your coupon book at registration - jam packed with thousands of dollars of savings!
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What Are Your Hot Topics? If you’d like us to address your specific concerns let us know by giving me a call at 207-799-3473 or e-mailing me at thyra_porter@glmshows.com
Thyra Porter, editor, Gourmet 365 |
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