Consumers Choosing Practical Holiday Gifts
- Heading into the 2010 holiday season, kitchenware retailers will be stocking their shelves with practical gift selections, noting that although the economy is improving, customers want to give presents that are more useful than fanciful.
Holly Mangelsen, Owner of Acorn Pantry in Siren, Wis., has already identified some items that she believes will resonate with holiday shoppers. Among them is the Soda Stream, the do-it-yourself soda maker and the Whirley Pop, an old-fashioned stovetop popcorn maker.
"I'm betting it (Soda Stream) will be a big seller for the holidays," said Mangelsen. She is also devoting significant square footage in her small 650-square-foot shop to the popcorn maker and accompanying accessories such as popcorn, toppings, oils and serving bowls.
Gadgets are always big sellers during the holidays, she said, as customers look for stocking stuffers or small presents for acquaintances. One of the fast movers already, she said, is The Cheese Knife from Fairfield Tech, which is designed to cut through cheese without it sticking to the knife. "I just had a big group in and sold five to 10 at a time as Christmas presents," she said.
Mangelsen said she's also been successful during past holidays with "try me" offers from companies such as Le Creuset and All Clad. These special offers allow buyers to try a popular brand for significantly less than the regular price, she noted.
Among her shoppers, Mangelsen said she does better with practical, heirloom gifts than she does with holiday-themed kitchenware or tabletop. "I have seen an increase in people purchasing lifetime pieces," she said. "They don't buy as much, but rather they invest in something that lasts forever."
Mangelsen said she likes to mix in food items with her kitchenware offerings, and will be doing a big display of Stonewall Kitchen in its winter-themed packaging. The motif of berries and pine needles fits in well with Mangelsen's surroundings in northern Wisconsin, she explained. Food items also straddle the line between practical, because users can eat it, and indulgence, because it's something they may not always buy for themselves, she said.
Chef's Pantry, a four-year-old store in Loganville, Ga., will be stocking decorative measuring spoons and cups for the holidays, said Owner Marcia Davidson. In late July, Davidson said she was just starting to put together her holiday buying plan.
"With the economy as it is, we want to make sure we don't overstock," she said. Food items continue to do well each year, she said, so Davidson plans to bring in cheese and candies for holiday entertaining.
For the past several years, she said, wild hibiscus flowers in syrup "have flown off the shelves," but they have likely run their course and will be replaced by something new this year.
Chef's Pantry focuses on food, wine and related items, such as cookware from Emile Henry, Fissler and Staub, Kyocera and Shun knives and glassware from Riedel, Waterford and Schott Zwiesel.
Suzanne Lane, Owner of Gray Goose Cookery in Mystic, Conn., said the trend last year that is continuing into this year is home baking. The do-it-yourself theme is part of that trend, she said. Also, customers are looking to control what they eat. As a result of the baking boom, Lane is selling more cookie sheets, muffin tins and loaf pans.
"We have a huge home baking department," she said, "and we have to jump on keeping it well stocked."
When she does bring in holiday-themed items, Lane said she tries to focus on limited quantities that will likely sell out by Christmas so she won't have to deal with markdowns or extra inventory.
"I still see small electrics as a strong category for our customers," said Lane, who notes shoppers will come to Gray Goose for their expertise in selecting the right tool for the job.
Popular gift items in the electrics category include ice cream and waffle makers, along with coffee makers and espresso machines, she said. And for holiday entertaining, customers often buy extra toaster or convection ovens.
Another store in the complex where Gray Goose is located focuses on gift baskets, explained Lane, but she still puts together some for customers, often pairing kitchenware items such as mixing bowls with food gifts and textiles.
Gadgets are big here, said Lane, "and we have a treasure trove of gadgets." Silicone and bamboo are still big draws, she said because there continues to be innovation in those categories. And shoppers love the colors, she added.
Although holiday shopping is often focused on Christmas gift-giving, Lane said another trend is buying for Thanksgiving entertaining. "In the kitchen store, it's all about roasting pans, turkey lifters and carving sets," she said. And gadgets such as fat separators and basters sell well. Gray Goose also has a sister tabletop store that does a good business in glasses and flatware at Thanksgiving, she said. "People realize they don't have enough of these items, so there is a mad dash for all of that."
Heading into New Year's, she said, the purchases are focused on raclette or fondue items as well as champagne glasses and cocktail napkins. And cookware also gets highlighted because people often do a special meal for New Year's, she said.
Lane said she finds her holiday gift items during visits to the New York Gift Show and the Housewares show in Chicago, as well as by meeting with manufacturers' reps throughout the year. "I have my reps queued up now so in September, October and November I can do fill-in orders." She said Mystic, which is a summer vacation destination, draws holiday shoppers in August and September as well as during the November through December rush.
Up in northern Vermont, Michele Bessett, Owner of As The Crow Flies, said she began gearing up for the holidays in August. Her store focuses on kitchenware, specialty foods and Vermont-made products.
St. Alban's is a farming community, she explained, "so we have very practical customers." When buying for the holidays, she said, they often invest in useful gifts such as wine openers, tea kettles, salt and pepper mills, frying pans and Cuisinart appliances such as bread makers, hand mixers and fondue pots.
A popular and repeat seller is the Keurig coffeemaker and the K-cups to go with them, she said. Grocery stores tend not to carry all the varieties, or they discontinue some, she said, so As The Crow Flies becomes the source for all things related to this coffeemaker brand.
The holidays also point people toward items for home use, she said, such as roasters, meat thermometers and carving sets and baking supplies ranging from plum pudding pans and Madeline molds to decorating sets and candymaking supplies.
Local wood workers make items that translate well for gift giving, she said, such as cutting boards and lazy susans. Wooden tools also sell well as gifts, she said, whether it's inexpensive bamboo or high-end cherry.
Bessett said she likes to offer a good mix of products that can serve everyday and gift-giving needs. "Our goal is to provide lots of reasons to come into our store," she said. St. Alban's isn't a big tourist area, she said, although they do draw shoppers from Canada.
"We have Canadian customers who have come to us for years," she said. "We have oddball stuff here" and hard-to-find items, such as egg cups, créme brulee ramekins, ravioli stamps, bread boxes and canning funnels.
Specifically for Christmas, Bessett said she likes to bring in textiles and candles and candle holders, cookbooks and food and related items, such as tea and teapots and the Whirley pop and Vermont-produced popcorn. "We don't bring in a lot that screams Christmas, like a Santa-shaped dip dish," she explained. "People are thinking practical."
Top sellers often include aprons, which now come in "fun, funky and beautiful styles" for children and adults, she said. Other popular gift items include mixers, breadmakers, mugs and cookware from Emile Henry, Le Creuset, ScanPan and Regal's new American Kitchen line. "We sell tons of Lodge cast iron," she noted, in part because "people get a lot of bang for their buck with Lodge."
