Gourmet Business February 2014

With a couple of shows down and plenty to go, it was good to get out and get a preliminary glimpse at the new products for 2014. We had a chance to visit with the Gourmet Catalog Buying Group in Atlanta during their supplier tabletop show that was incredibly well attended. We were treated to a preview of the products that will be rolling out in the coming year from suppliers who participate in their program, and there was plenty to get excited about. I always marvel at the innovation and creativity that is put on display each year in this business. A few products in particular caught my eye, and I look forward to learning more about them at Ambiente in Frankfurt.

As you know by now, I am a fan of technology. And one interesting product I discovered that makes brilliant use of technology is the new SmartConnect kitchen scale by Escali. The scale includes an app that can transfer measurements from the scale and use the information to analyze 35 nutrients from a selection of over 8,000 food items. Furthermore, it can create a food journal for the user and even translate weight measurements to cups and tablespoons. Simply amazing! With the American consumer so focused on healthy living, this product is so right and just in time to take advantage of the strong trend.

It just happened that we chose to cover kitchen measurement in this issue (page 8), since it’s been quite a while since we have studied the category in detail. This is a category of kitchen products that I often overlook ... until I need it! My digital thermometer with probe has to be one of the greatest improvements over my simple instant-read thermometer. It has saved more than one meal in my house, and since it usually involves a relatively costly piece of roasted meat, I must say it’s got to be one of the best investments I have made. I hope you also feature a number of SKUs in this important category in your store.

The team at Gourmet Business is gearing up once again for the 2014 IH+HS, which is rapidly approaching (don’t forget to register and get a hotel room while there is plenty of choice!). Once again, we will have an interesting presentation at the Gourmet Business pavilion that I look forward to telling you about in the next issue. For now, it’s on to Ambiente to see what the world of housewares has in store for us.

David Spencer
Publisher, Gourmet Business

 President, HousewaresDirect, Inc.

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com