Trends: Frozen Foods Get Hot
Despite the much-vaunted farm-to-table movement among the foodie crowd, frozen foods are gaining in popularity with home cooks. This comes as frozen food manufacturers branch out into different cuisines and have improved flash-freezing technology, and as food bloggers (especially those appealing to millennials) have added recipes geared to frozen foods on their websites. Even marthastewart.com—hardly […]
Works Like Teen Spirit
Even as many small retailers struggle to fill staff positions in a tight labor market, one demographic group store owners tend to shy away from is teenagers. They shy away from teens despite the fact that retail was the traditional way for teenagers to earn money during the summer, with teens often continuing to hold […]
Retail Profile: At Home On The Range
Retail Profile: At Home On The Range Location: Livingston, Mont. Owner: Jennifer Flight Founded: 1995 Square footage: 1,000 sq. ft. Jennifer Flight was a master’s candidate in geology in Bozeman, Mont., when she first discovered At Home On The Range, a kitchenware store 25 miles away in Livingston. “A friend told me that we had […]
Stats: Organic Growth Spurt
The Organic Trade Association’s most recent survey puts the 2017 growth rate of organic food at six times the pace of the overall food market. That, along with recent information released from The NPD Group, shows why independent gourmet and kitchenware retailers need to be aware of the rise in organic consumerism. According to the […]
Trends: Organic Remains Strong Force
Face it Luke, the organic label remains strong with consumers in our galaxy, at least in the United States. This despite recent publicity about pesticide levels in organically grown foods being equal to that of conventionally grown foods. Researchers tracking what people eat at the marketing firm The NPD Group say shoppers are “not likely” […]
Teach a Kid to Cook and Gain a Customer
Many retailers who start off offering adult cooking classes up the ante by adding kids’ cooking classes, especially during the summer months when the tots are on school vacation. With parents looking for creative outlets for youngsters, along with the popularity of kids’ cooking shows, those running cooking programs say such classes are a natural […]
Retail Profile: Sweet Basil Gourmetware and Cooking School
Retail Profile: Sweet Basil Gourmetware and Cooking School, Sweet Basil Market Cafe Location: Scottsdale, Ariz. Owner: Martie Sullivan Founded: 1993 Square footage: 4,000 sq. ft. One thing most independent retailers share, if they are in business as long as Martie Sullivan has been, is a talent for being flexible. It is not enough to come up with a […]
Stats: What Are People Eating Now?
According to the 13th Annual Food and Health Survey, released by the International Food Information Council, many in the U.S. are on diets. More than one-in-three U.S. consumers are following a specific diet or eating pattern, the survey found. And consumers are increasingly averse to carbohydrates and sugar, with more Americans than in previous years […]
Trends: The Current Food Trend? No Food
If everyone you know seems to be on a diet, that’s because most of them are. It’s a trend that is likely to continue to boost sales of Spiralizers and other diet-friendly gadgets, retailers say. In fact, 36 percent of American adults are dieting, more than double from 14 percent a year ago, according to […]
Making it an Eventful Summer
While retailers like to hold events year-round, summertime, with its pedestrian-friendly weather, is when stores really get creative. Kitchen a la Mode owner Ben Salmon recently took advantage of the street-facing picture window in his South Orange, N.J., store and parked himself beside it with a knife sharpener. “Start your Memorial Day Weekend with an […]
