Food For Thought
Opening Bell
get ready to hit the show floor running
It is my hope that when the Housewares Show opens on Saturday afternoon the aisles will be packed with independent gourmet housewares retailers.
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Leading The Recovery
gourmet stores gaining momentum
Overall, the news from the world of gourmet housewares in 2011 is quite encouraging. And those who have weathered the storm have been able to make the adjustments necessary to strengthen their businesses and deliver solid sales.
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Just Words?
Roundtable highlights importance of communication
Maintaining a regular dialogue is critical to building and maintaining healthy business relationships.
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A Celebration Of Gourmet Housewares Retailing
Gourmet Insider’s first Annual All Stars issue is a celebration of the best and brightest in gourmet housewares, recognizing the outstanding work being done by some of this industry’s best merchants.
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Return Reactions
where do you stand on product returns?
The debate that emerged from a conference roundtable made it clear that product returns are a substantive issue for gourmet housewares stores.
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A Cause Worth Marketing
Cookies For Kids’ Cancer Needs You
There are many things in life that are beyond our control to change. This need not be one of them.
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Metro Mission
People take many different paths to operating a gourmet housewares store, few of them in a straight line, and Metro Kitchen’s Lynn Clarke is no exception.
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Chicago Metallic Sponsors 'Share Our Strength'
Chicago Metallic has signed on as the official bakeware sponsor for Share Our Strength and is kicking off its participation in the organization’s 8th annual Great American Bake Sale at the International Home + Housewares Show in support of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry initiative.
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Rolling Pin Hosts 'Top Chef' Gourmet Cooking Classes
When Tiffany Derry, Top Chef All-Stars contestant, serves as a guest instructor at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium here on March 16th and 17th, she won’t be the first Top Chef alum to do so, and if co-owner Dave West has his way she won’t be the last.
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All-Clad Celebrates 40th With Limited Editions
CHICAGO— All-Clad is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year with the introduction of new Limited Edition pieces at the International Home + Housewares Show.
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Farm-T-Table Trend Inspired Le Creuset's New Fennel Green
CHICAGO— Le Creuset is officially launching its latest color— Fennel green— at the International Home + Housewares Show.
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Global Marketing To Offer Woll Cookware
CHICAGO— Global Marketing has inked a strategic partnership agreement with German cookware manufacturer Woll to bring the company’s full cookware assortment to the U.S. market, following the discontinuation of Global’s relationship with Swiss Diamond, Gourmet Insider has learned.
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Defining Your Store
Competition today is creeping up all around the independent specialty retailer community.
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A Cause Worth Marketing
On January 24th Liam Witt, son of OXO executives Larry Witt and Gretchen Holt, lost his four-year battle with Neuroblastoma. He was six years old.
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Web Resolution
an effective website is your invitation to new customers
If there was any doubt the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the shopping habits of American consumers, it should have been dispelled by this year’s holiday sales results.
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IHA's Specialty Retailer University Readies For March 'Session
The International Housewares Association is once again offering its Specialty Retailer University program this year. Scheduled for Saturday, March 5, the all-day event will feature myriad presentations aimed at helping both novice and experienced store owners better operate their business.
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Faraday's Sees Gains From New Web Efforts
Three months after launching an e-commerce site and complementary social media initiative, Faraday’s Kitchen Store owner Tony Curtis-Wellings says he’s already seeing the benefits.
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A Path To Success master the art of being a skilled CEO
Many of us have had the opportunity to observe the effort, work and performance, not to mention some of the amenities, that go with being a successful Chief Executive Officer.
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Web Resolution an effective website is your invitation to new customers
If there was any doubt the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the shopping habits of American consumers, it should have been dispelled by this year’s holiday sales results.
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State Of Flux
study reveals industry’s shifting priorities
Welcome to Gourmet Insider’s 2011 State of the Industry report. This exclusive annual statistical survey of the gourmet housewares industry is our effort to provide readers with key benchmarks for measuring their stores’ performance.
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Learning From Each Other
share strategies to boost business
The economy has presented the gourmet housewares business with a number of challenges the last two years, putting increased pressure on margins, hampering expansion, and for several stores, delivering a knockout blow.
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share strategies to boost business
The economy has presented the gourmet housewares business with a number of challenges the last two years, putting increased pressure on margins, hampering expansion, and for several stores, delivering a knockout blow.
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Redefining Value
economy reshapes next-gen shoppers
The critical fourth-quarter season is approaching rapidly and there are growing signs of economic uncertainty. Discussions of a “double-dip” recession are increasingly widespread and there appear to be significant disagreements both domestically and internationally over whether the best path to economic recovery is through spending cuts or more economic stimulus.
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economy reshapes next-gen shoppers
The critical fourth-quarter season is approaching rapidly and there are growing signs of economic uncertainty. Discussions of a “double-dip” recession are increasingly widespread and there appear to be significant disagreements both domestically and internationally over whether the best path to economic recovery is through spending cuts or more economic stimulus.
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It’s Time To Show Up
there is no substitute for attendance
The recent announcement that GLM will co-locate the Gourmet Housewares Show with the summer New York International Gift Fair beginning in August 2011, coupled with the pending arrival of the summer gift fair season, has brought the topic of trade shows to the fore once again.
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there is no substitute for attendance
The recent announcement that GLM will co-locate the Gourmet Housewares Show with the summer New York International Gift Fair beginning in August 2011, coupled with the pending arrival of the summer gift fair season, has brought the topic of trade shows to the fore once again.
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Still A Lot To Be Done
non-profits still need your help
There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, the International Home + Housewares Show last month was a hit. Continuing this year’s upbeat trade show trend, the Housewares Show aisles were bustling, and retailers weren’t just window-shopping. They were on the hunt for good new merchandise, and there was plenty to be found.
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non-profits still need your help
There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, the International Home + Housewares Show last month was a hit. Continuing this year’s upbeat trade show trend, the Housewares Show aisles were bustling, and retailers weren’t just window-shopping. They were on the hunt for good new merchandise, and there was plenty to be found.
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Keep The Pedal To The Medal
keeping focus on driving business is critical as the economy improves
The year 2009 was not a bad one. For gourmet housewares stores that is.
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keeping focus on driving business is critical as the economy improves
The year 2009 was not a bad one. For gourmet housewares stores that is.
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Think Locally, Act Locally
community involvement key to survival
Welcome to the third Annual Gourmet Insider State of the Industry report. It has been a challenging year for retailers both large and small and that became quite evident as our staff worked to compile this year’s study. While we do not individually track store openings and closing each year, anecdotally it became clear that the current recession has resulted in a higher number of store closings than at any time in recent memory.
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community involvement key to survival
Welcome to the third Annual Gourmet Insider State of the Industry report. It has been a challenging year for retailers both large and small and that became quite evident as our staff worked to compile this year’s study. While we do not individually track store openings and closing each year, anecdotally it became clear that the current recession has resulted in a higher number of store closings than at any time in recent memory.
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A Growing Sense Of Community
store owners share strategies, goals
The cover of this issue features the participants of an Exclusive Gourmet Insider Retailer Roundtable held at the recent Gourmet Housewares Show in San Francisco.
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store owners share strategies, goals
The cover of this issue features the participants of an Exclusive Gourmet Insider Retailer Roundtable held at the recent Gourmet Housewares Show in San Francisco.
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Location, Location, Location
for shows or stores it really matters
The Gourmet Housewares Show is returning to its roots in San Francisco this month, reuniting the upscale housewares event with the city whose culinary culture helped give the show its distinctive flavor.
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for shows or stores it really matters
The Gourmet Housewares Show is returning to its roots in San Francisco this month, reuniting the upscale housewares event with the city whose culinary culture helped give the show its distinctive flavor.
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Create Your Own Opportunities
turn focus to goals, not obstacles
As you turn the pages of this month’s Gourmet Insider, you may notice something you haven’t seen before. It’s not the news tidbits you’ll find on The Dish, nor the insights of industry legend Frank Brady. And it’s not the in-depth cutlery report aimed at helping you improve the profitability of your cutlery department.
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turn focus to goals, not obstacles
As you turn the pages of this month’s Gourmet Insider, you may notice something you haven’t seen before. It’s not the news tidbits you’ll find on The Dish, nor the insights of industry legend Frank Brady. And it’s not the in-depth cutlery report aimed at helping you improve the profitability of your cutlery department.
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Specialty Retailer University
the best program you are not attending
This year’s International Home + Housewares Show was one of my most eagerly anticipated in years, for a number of reasons. First, there were a number of new initiatives at HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®, parent publication to Gourmet Insider.
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the best program you are not attending
This year’s International Home + Housewares Show was one of my most eagerly anticipated in years, for a number of reasons. First, there were a number of new initiatives at HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®, parent publication to Gourmet Insider.
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The Show Must Go On
for all you’ll find, can you afford not to go?
It seems almost every story in the press these days starts with the phrase, “in the current dire economic circumstances,” or “despite the current economy.” I could swear I heard a sports announcer say recently that “despite the current economy, the Steelers won the Super Bowl.”
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for all you’ll find, can you afford not to go?
It seems almost every story in the press these days starts with the phrase, “in the current dire economic circumstances,” or “despite the current economy.” I could swear I heard a sports announcer say recently that “despite the current economy, the Steelers won the Super Bowl.”
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Fundamental Economic Shift
changing realities alter ‘value’ perception
For most of this year there has been widespread discussion of the challenging economic factors afflicting the housewares industry and the economy at large. Most of those discussions have looked on these events as transitory. As retailers and suppliers discussed the economic challenges affecting their businesses it was in much the same way one would discuss the latest color trend or culinary fad.
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changing realities alter ‘value’ perception
For most of this year there has been widespread discussion of the challenging economic factors afflicting the housewares industry and the economy at large. Most of those discussions have looked on these events as transitory. As retailers and suppliers discussed the economic challenges affecting their businesses it was in much the same way one would discuss the latest color trend or culinary fad.
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The Best Defense
good customer service is recession-proof
As you read this, the election is approaching, another several hundred people have been laid off, gas prices are on the upswing again, the home heating oil season is about to begin with a near-certain promise of higher prices than last year and you’re most likely beginning preparations for the critical holiday selling season thinking, “who’s going to have money to spend for gifts?”
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good customer service is recession-proof
As you read this, the election is approaching, another several hundred people have been laid off, gas prices are on the upswing again, the home heating oil season is about to begin with a near-certain promise of higher prices than last year and you’re most likely beginning preparations for the critical holiday selling season thinking, “who’s going to have money to spend for gifts?”
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Ready... Set...
successful holiday selling prep starts now
There are times in a retailer’s life when everything falls into place; where sales come easily, product flies off shelves and customers seemingly can’t add impulse buys to their carts fast enough. This is not one of those times.
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successful holiday selling prep starts now
There are times in a retailer’s life when everything falls into place; where sales come easily, product flies off shelves and customers seemingly can’t add impulse buys to their carts fast enough. This is not one of those times.
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The ‘Green’ Question
it’s no longer if, but how you will participate
“It is now incumbent upon those looking to merchandise “green” products to understand what are the elements that legitimately define a product as ‘green.’”
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it’s no longer if, but how you will participate
“It is now incumbent upon those looking to merchandise “green” products to understand what are the elements that legitimately define a product as ‘green.’”
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