The New Gourmet Goods

When most people hear the word housewares, they don't think of products that could be described as "high-design." After all, how stylish can a cheese grater be? For a long time, the conventional wisdom has been that everyday, utilitarian items didn't need to be stylish, so long as they were functional.

But times are changing. According to a recent survey conducted by HomeWorld Business, today's consumers are demanding that their everyday housewares be designed to please the eye. In addition, consumers want products that fit their busy lifestyles; products that can save time and effort, that are space-saving, and that enhance their dining and entertaining experiences.

In response to this demand, housewares manufacturers are offering a bevy of stylish home goods that meet the contemporary consumer's criteria. As you walk a gift trade show today, you'll notice that those manufacturers have an increased presence in our industry. Sophisticated, sleek designs make today's housewares a perfect extension of home decor. And their natural cross-merchandisability makes them an ideal focal point for specialty gift retailers selling gourmet goods.

Several manufacturers long familiar in the gift industry have led the way into this new category with well-designed housewares products that raise common items to the level of works of art. For example, Italian-based manufacturer Alessi offers an update of its classic, Michael Graves-designed cordless tea kettle with a new plug-in version that features the same soft, glossy design. And the German company Mono features everything from flatware to coffee and tea services in award-winning modern designs that combine stainless steel with porcelain — a popular combination for today's kitchenwares.

Tabletop manufacturers Villeroy & Boch and Thomas by Rosenthal have both recently introduced home goods collections. Kitchen Tools by Thomas is a line of accessories that includes sieves, graters, lemon squeezers, serving spoons, and a stainless steel collection that coordinates with the Thomas porcelain dinnerware collection Loft. Many of the Kitchen Tools items can be sold together as gift sets. For example, the salad drainer offered with a porcelain bowl makes a great gift for any "greens" lover.

Villeroy & Boch's new housewares line, Home Elements, features a stylish array of utensils that can go from the kitchen to the table with panache. The line showcases simple designs made from materials such as fine china, elm, glass, acrylic, and steel. Consumers can choose from breadboards (with knife), breadbaskets, trays, a tureen, or a soup cup with an extended sandwich tray, as well as servers. V&B has also responded to the coffee-lover's needs by launching New Wave Caffé, a collection of beanophile tableware that includes cups for cafe au lait, cappuccino, and espresso, as well as spoons for stirring in the sweetener.

Of course, a good housewares section wouldn't be complete without a tasteful selection of gourmet foods. For the gift retailer, gourmet food products are a natural tie-in with high-style housewares, offering a diverse range of price points and add-ons to help boost the size of the overall purchase. After all, if a customer is buying a set of espresso cups as a gift, why not suggest a package of espresso coffee? And what's espresso without biscotti?

Gourmet food add-ons can lead to repeat business, because while the cups will last a long time, coffee and biscotti won't. Once they're gone, customers will want to replenish their supplies, and if the gift recipient wasn't your customer to begin with, you may well have gained a new one.

With their ability to offer personalized service, gift retailers are in a strong position to dispel the myth that gourmet foods imply time-consuming, labor-intensive shopping and cooking. In addition to the new lines of housewares and appliances, a wide selection of meal mixes offer delicious options beyond the usual take-out and supermarket offerings. Many of the mixes are designed for simple, one-pot, or slow cooker, preparation. Specialized "short-cut" cookbooks appeal to customers who desire a little more involvement in their food preparation. The cookbooks are also an ideal add-on to merchandise alongside gourmet foods and appliances.

Gourmet food products can also answer the consumer's desire to experience a little cultural diversity in their lives. Cookbooks that highlight ethnic or "fusion" cuisines are a natural fit to merchandise with exotic ingredients, food kits, specialized cooking tools and accessories, and colorful tabletop pieces. And merchandise from other sections of a gift store can be drawn into gourmet displays to create a one-stop dining and gifting adventure. Look for games, menu cards or napkins, and other decorative accessories that will help establish a festive mood at home, and provide the sense of escape that ethnic gourmet products symbolize.

Specialty food products tap into several of the lifestyle trends driving consumer spending, including stylish packaging, time- and labor-saving recipes, and ethnically diverse product offerings. Now, when the kettle whistles, it means that in-creased sales are on the boil for gift retailers who incorporate stylish housewares and gourmet food products into their merchandise mix.