Gourmet Business December '17

As 2017 draws to a close, and I reflect back on the year, I feel that it has been a very transformative year.  So many things seem to be changing at once, and suppliers have had to pay very close attention to the direction of emerging trends, and anticipate which products will be in demand in the coming year.  Retailers will be armed, hopefully, with the latest sales results, and should see which products have demonstrated the most demand.  There will be a meeting of the minds occurring in just another month at the January trade shows, and the trading partners will decide what to carry in their stores in the New Year.

I believe that one of the strongest themes that products that are selling well demonstrate is an element of distinction.  Distinction can take a lot of different forms in product design.  There could be an interesting story around their creation that consumers can identify with.  They may be created utilizing better materials than you often see in products of its type.  The design can seem more thoughtful, or the functionality obviously above all else that came before it.  The bottom line is there has to be something about it that has that ability to make someone stop and think.

I have been attending the Las Vegas Market shows for a number of years now, and as I peruse the many attractive showrooms and temporary exhibits, I often see great examples of distinct products.  Looking forward to the next show in January ’19, I have identified some of the distinct new products that you will be able to experience in person during the show.  There are so many new gourmet resources debuting this year, making the variety even better than before.

I look forward to seeing you in 2019.

David Spencer

Publisher

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com