The Gourmet Business team just returned from SIAL Paris, a large international gathering for participants in the food business, and there was a great deal of optimism regarding the recovery of the economy in Europe.
Everyone we asked had a terrific show, and indicated that the orders they were receiving could signal that the business climate was improving significantly. I think this is an important development for us here in the United States since many of the products we sell into the channel originate from Europe-based suppliers who have been struggling with the weakness of the dollar together with reduced domestic demand. They need to keep their financial foundation solid so they can invest in further product development. The more product development we have, the better the flow of exciting new products for the coming year ... and we all benefit from that!
Back in the USA, there has been plenty of data to support the theory that consumers were spending more time at home, and thus spending money on products for the kitchen and affordable luxuries from the specialty food market. As the holiday season rapidly approaches, I look forward to spending some time with family and friends around the house, which invariably means I will be doing some baking. I am sure I am not the only one who does a large portion of the year’s baking in the five weeks around the holidays. This is definitely the season for baking, and I am predicting strong sales for products that make it easy to bake like a pro. With that in mind, we have rounded up the latest products in the bakeware section in this issue to help you bulk up the category.
The holidays are also prime time for gift-giving. But, let’s not forget that gift-giving is not just limited to special objects of desire exchanged between close personal friends and family. It can also represent gifts to office colleagues, hosts of holiday parties and other special people that consumers want to say thanks to, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on. On the other hand, shelf space can be at a minimum as you have all filled your stores with plenty of stock to handle holiday demand (at least I hope you have!). We decided to focus our attention on a select group of products that are priced to be an attractive impulse buy for the home, and are available in a pre-merchandised counter display that can be easily placed on the counter or integrated into your current assortment for the holiday period without having to rebuild your display. We made a special effort to ensure that all of these products are in stock and ready for immediate delivery. We hope you find some great products that can be an easy add-on sale this holiday season.
We wish all of our readers a healthy start to the holiday season with brisk sales and no inventory shortages.
David Spencer Publisher, Gourmet Business President, HousewaresDirect, Inc. dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com
