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News
Nacco Industries to Close 50-Plus Kitchen Collection Stores
Nacco Industries Inc. plans to close more than 50 underperforming Kitchen Collection stores before the end of March due to lackluster sales and profit performance.Earlier this month, Nacco reported lackluster fourth-quarter and full-year results for The Kitchen Collection chain of 304 stores, a $6.9 million loss for 2013, more than twice the loss posted in 2012. The company said in a statement mall traffic, especially to outlet malls, was down in 2013, and that the overall outlook for 2014 was “uncertain” as the middle-market customer still faces economic concerns. In addition to the store closings, Kitchen Collection will cut costs ... |
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Lifetime Brands Acquires BUILT Line
Lifetime Brands Inc., a leading resource for nationally branded kitchenware, tableware, home décor and lifestyle products based in Garden City, N.Y., has acquired the business and certain assets of BUILT NY. BUILT, with offices in Shelton, Conn., is a designer and distributor of brightly colored, uniquely patterned Neoprene products. In the kitchenware segment, the company offers wine, beer and champagne bags; coffee holders and water bottle totes; lunch totes, salad carriers and sandwich bags; oven mitts, pot holders and handle covers; and baby and child items. BUILT’s customer base comprises more than 30,000 retail outlets in more than 60 countries. ... |
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Krups Best Brew Award Winners Named
Krups, a worldwide leader in coffee, espresso and kitchen appliances, named the winners of its annual Krups Best Brew Awards. The campaign, now in its fourth year, was introduced to discover the best coffee shops across the nation. Determined by a call for entries and a public vote through the Krups Facebook page, fans voted for their favorite coffee shops in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., from Feb. 4 to 28. The following coffee shops were recognized as the winners of the 2014 Best Brew Awards: Atlanta’s Octane Coffee: ... |
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Hearthware Inc. Becomes NuWave
In a corporate re-branding move, Hearthware Inc. is now operating as NuWave LLC. The company, based in Libertyville, Ill., has long been identified with NuWave branding, with the top-selling NuWave Pro Infrared Oven and the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop 2 (PIC2) as its flagship products. “Building the NuWave brand is central to our success, both now and in the future. Our new company name reflects and reinforces this,” said Keith Hamden, senior vice president of sales. Hearthware, now NuWave, has been the producer and distributor of the NuWave line of housewares since 1997. The company produces additional products under the ... |
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Belle Chevre Plans Year-long Anniversary Celebration
Belle Chevre, based in Elkmont, Ala., marks its 25th year of crafting the highest-quality goat’s milk cheeses with a series of events, including the opening of new retail locations; a cross-country tour called “Belle’s Big Adventure”; a 10K/5K/Fun Run known as “Running with the Goats” on the Richard Martin Rails to Trails; and a newly designed website. Belle Chevre has evolved the product line and the brand to keep up with the pace of the increased interest in specialty cheese and in artisan quality products. Today, the cheeses are still handmade and hand-packaged, and have continued to garner only the ... |
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Nespresso Opens Boutique in Dallas
Nespresso opened its newest Flagship Boutique at NorthPark Center, one of America’s premier shopping destinations in Dallas. The contemporary 2,787-square-foot space is the seventh Nespresso boutique in the U.S. market, and the first in the Dallas area. The boutique offers visitors the opportunity to taste coffee from Nespresso, experience the smart and easy-to-use Nespresso machines and enjoy customer service from specially trained baristas. Consumers will also have a chance to experience Nespresso’s newest innovation, VertuoLine, which brews both large-cup coffee and espresso at the touch of a button. “As we continue our commitment to growth across the United States, further ... |
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NPD: Housewares Sales Grew 3 Percent Last Year
Sales of home-related products – including small appliances, non-electric housewares and home fashions – increased 3 percent in 2013, reaching $46 billion in sales, according to The NPD Group.The majority of the sales growth came from small appliance categories, which grew 7 percent in 2013, while non-electric housewares increased 1 percent.“Consumers are spending more on their homes, from adding items to spruce up the appearance, to upgrading with better quality, performance or convenience in mind,” said Debra Mednick, executive director and home industry analyst for Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD.All three major segments within the small appliance industry experienced dollar growth ... |
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Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Enters Agreement With KeHE Distributors
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a new natural grocer with an aggressive market development plan for the Midwest region, has entered into an agreement with KeHE Distributors. Fresh Thyme plans to open its first store in April in Mt. Prospect, Ill., and anticipates opening 59 additional stores over the next five years. The agreement covers all of the planned locations and involves a wide variety of product categories, according to a statement issued by KeHE.The stores’ signature offering will be an extensive produce department with organic and local fruits and vegetables. Full-service offerings will also include a natural meat department, healthy ... |
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Study: Retailers Must Deliver a "Total Retail” Experience
Shifting consumer expectations and behaviors demand a new approach from retailers who have historically relied on a multichannel approach.An increasing focus on the consumer and integrated customer-focused technology have paved the way for a “Total Retail” experience, according to a new study by PwC, titled “Achieving Total Retail: Consumer Expectations Driving the Next Retail Business Model.”Based on a survey of more than 15,000 online shoppers globally, the research identifies eight key consumer expectations that support the move to a Total Retail approach. “Consumers now view multichannel shopping as a given, and the costs and complexities of managing a multichannel model ... |
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Leading Housewares Brands Collaborate to Battle Pediatric Cancer
Leading housewares brands OXO, Bormioli Rocco and Breville joined forces with more than 40 of New York’s top chefs and celebrities to raise $900,000 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.The nonprofit organization – committed to finding a cure for pediatric cancer, the No. 1 killer of children in the U.S. – held its first ever Chefs for Kids’ Cancer benefit gala at The Altman Building in New York last week. Celebrities Paul Rudd, Karlie Kloss and the Barenaked Ladies joined the housewares companies to raise funds. OXO has been involved with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer since the beginning, when co-founders Gretchen ... |
