Gourmet Business March 2017

The housewares business is surely changing.  Do you sense it?  I don’t think it’s subtle, transitional change either.  It’s a dramatic change and I think it is being brought on by a new group of consumers that are gaining buying power.  Millennials are your new target market, and their behaviors and environment are very different from the generations that have come before them.

I am obviously not part of this generation.  I am an outsider looking in as I assume most of us are.  Some of us have the benefit of experiencing their behavior with our own children, and we are still shaking our heads.  I think that super computer that they hold in the palm of their hand all day brings much of what seems different about their lives on.  Their mobile phones don’t just communicate it gives them unprecedented access to information.  They have the ability to shop dozens of retail outlets simultaneously while sipping a latte, and have a knack for seeking out the lowest price for the object of their desire.  Heck, when they find what they are looking for, they can even have it delivered to their doorstep at mindboggling speed so that laziness or lack of motivation can’t even stand in the way of a sale.  How do you compete with that?

I found myself being drawn into a classic movie airing on cable the other day that my family was watching.  It was being shown on one of the cable stations that normally broadcast the reality TV type of programming that seems popular amongst the millennial generation.  As great as the movie was, it was the commercials that aired between that captivated my real attention.  There was advertisement after advertisement promoting mobile apps of all kinds.  You could snap a photo and sell your unwanted junk.  You could save money on your car insurance.  You could book a cruise on your phone.  And after your done with all of that, and your phone battery is just about dead, your reminded of the newest phone to hit the market that has wireless charging and a camera that will put your old professional SLR to shame.  It’s all about the selfie you know.  In the space of hours, I don’t recall one advertisement for a brick and mortar type of retail store.  That spells trouble for traditional retailing.

Change is in the air, and continuing to operate your store the same way you have for many years just may not work anymore.  How do you compete for that millennial shopper?  I sure hope your store’s website is mobile optimized.  I think you can also compete by continuing to improve your assortment with new products that may not be readily available or known in the Internet world.  You could offer services that can’t be purchased with a mobile app.  Some of you have added teaching kitchens to your retail stores.  That’s a great first step, but what else can you do?

If you get a chance, I hope you visit the Gourmet Business Pavilion during your time at the show located at S2077.  There you will find suppliers that are newer to the business, and bring a fresh approach to product design.  We even have a knife-sharpening machine manufactured by Perfect Edge to demonstrate for you.  Come learn how this machine can provide a new revenue stream to your store while encouraging repeat traffic.  We hope to see you in our pavilion.

David Spencer

Group Publisher Gourmet Business

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com