To 2014 With Love
As I write this, retailers are deep into the holiday sales season, pushing product through promotions and hoping the fourth- quarter sales will provide an indication as to whether or not we can finally dig our way out of the recession and move on to better economic times.
While the economic waters may feel as if they’re still a bit troubled, there are signs that point to a recovery. According to Moody’s Corp., the nation’s economy is expected to climb at a 3.1 percent rate, with the economy looking considerably better than the past 12 months – and certainly the past few years.
While that’s great news for retailers, it doesn’t mean that we can fully exhale. There is still a bit of trepidation about the economy, and as we head into the new year, we wonder, how can retailers ready themselves for a profitable 2014?
The lead article of this issue, “Liquid Opportunities,” page 5, takes a look at food and beverage retail trends for the coming year. Whether it’s continued interest in all things bar-related; the strengthening of the DIY trend as consumers look to re-create their favorite food and beverages in-home to save a bit of money; or the pervasiveness of health-related issues and how they affect food and beverage purchases, we give you a snapshot into the new year’s trends and draw out some opportunities for retailers selling everything beverage-related, from coffee by the cup to blenders, juicers, and teapots.
As consumers continue to turn to online shopping, now is the time for bricks-and-mortar retailers to turn up efforts to WOW the customer. In the feature article, “Liquid Opportunities,” I note the renewed interest in the theater of retail, where customers are taken on a journey while in the store. While the Shanghai restaurant, Ultraviolet, which takes high-spending diners to a special room to provide a five-senses experience around food, may take this point to the extreme, there is a lesson to be learned: If customers are taking the time to walk into your store, you need to take the time to WOW them – with your merchandising, with your service and with great product offerings.
This issue also provides a lot of insight into how to build sales in the coming year. Our Category Spot- lights (“Smoothies,” page 9, and “Tea,” page 17) highlight some great products for the categories, as well as insight on how best to capture sales in these categories. We also take a look at some delicious “Winter Warmers” – beverages to keep customers warm throughout the cold months, page 14.
Finally, we visit with Todd Beckman, co-founder and president of NextFoods, the manufacturer of the GoodBelly line of Probiotic Juice Drinks, in our “Company Spotlight” feature, page 12.
It doesn’t matter if you’re selling bottled smoothies or high-end juicers, there is an opportunity in every sale to captivate the customer, educate the customer, and build a relation- ship with the customer so that your store is the one that customer turns to time and time again as they seek to satisfy their thirst for beverages.
Here’s wishing you all the best in the new year.
Laura Everage
Managing Editor,
Gourmet Business Quench
leverage@gourmetbusiness.com