April 2013

A Housewares Whirlwind

It’s been a whirlwind of activity for the industry and for Gourmet Business these past eight weeks as the two largest housewares shows in the world hosted their events to record crowds. Ambiente 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany, kicked off Feb. 15-21, just two short weeks before the International Home + Housewares Show (IH+HS) in Chicago, March 2-5.

But that did not stop housewares suppliers and exhibitors – and savvy specialty retail- ers – from attending both important events. Ambiente often serves as a crystal ball, if you will, of trends and designs likely to come to the U.S. market in the coming year or two, while the IH+HS buzzes with buying activity for the coming spring and summer.

Five members of the Gourmet Business team attended Ambiente to observe and share insights with U.S. specialty retailers about emerging European trends and opportunities, which you can read about on page 37 and see some standout new products and designs.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen members of the Gourmet Business team attended the IH+HS to bring you blanket coverage of all categories – from cookware, bakeware and cutlery to small electrics, tabletop, serveware and barware. Turn to page 25 to see all the trends we spotted and the new products we selected that could make a big splash in your stores this year.

In addition to extensive show coverage, we also present trends in barware and serveware in “Raising a Glass to ‘Mad Men’” on page 7, researched and written by Jennifer White Karp, who also teamed with James Mellgren on the “Craft Beer Trends in America” feature on page 20. And, finally, “Have Jar, Will Pickle” by Joanne Friedrick explores all the new products and trends in pickling and pre- serving, while “The Scoop on Frozen Treats” (page 34) highlights all the

new machines and accessories to make summer’s favorite cooling indulgence.

As you can see, this issue is chock-full of trends, cutting-edge products and insights that will serve your specialty retail business’ needs for the next several months.

Maureen Azzato

Managing Editor, Gourmet Business

mazzato@gourmetbusiness.com