Kitchenware Retailers
Faraday’s Kitchen Store Keeps Austin Whisked
This summer in Austin, Texas, 300 kids will descend upon Faraday’s Kitchen Store for the Summer Kids Camp that takes place over the course of 10 weeks. Meanwhile, business will continue as usual at the retail kitchenware store. Cooking classes for adults will be held at night and on weekends, in-store demonstrations will take place, and customers can shop cookware, cutlery, gadgets and bakeware offered in the good, better, best type of product assortment that the store carries. It’s a far cry from the corporate world that owners Tony Curtis-Wellings and his wife Melissa decided to leave 10 years ago, but exactly the sort of independent venture they were looking for.
When the Curtis-Wellings’ left Boca Raton, Florida for Austin, they didn’t know exactly what they would end up doing, they just knew that they didn’t want to work for other people any longer. It was 2005 and Tony found himself in a parking lot staring at a Starbucks on Valentine’s Day when inspiration struck. Next door to the coffee shop was a Williams-Sonoma with more customers entering at the moment than the Starbucks. Unfamiliar with the store, he walked in to discover that it was a gourmet cookware shop and inquired about franchising. He learned that they did not offer a franchise option, nor did its closest competitor, Sur La Table. With that information, a realization that there weren’t many options for people to purchase cooking tools, and a background in the restaurant business, he called his wife and the idea took off. Five months later, Faraday’s Kitchen Store was open for business.
“It happened very quickly. When something’s right and it feels right, you should always do it, I believe,” says Tony Curtis-Wellings. “It was one of those good feelings that we both had and it happened to turn out that we’ve been able to sustain for 10 years now.”
The cooking school side of the business began pretty much from day one. About 24 different chefs are on rotation depending on the class and its requirements. For the Kids Summer Camp, two culinary instructors, who are on summer break from their regular positions, teach the classes. Curtis-Wellings helps to write the curriculum that the instructors execute over 10 weeks. The classes are broken up into morning and afternoon sessions with ages seven to 10 in one, and ages 11 to 15 in another. There are 30 kids a week, participating in four days of classes each.
Each week has a different theme, but every week culminates in a mystery box challenge. Curtis-Wellings utilizes his time from a previous life, as he calls it, during which he was a kitchen manager and chef, to employ the concept of zero food waste with the children. The kids bid on whatever is left in the fridge at the end of the week and use that along with an oddball ingredient, like escargot or duck liver, to create four plates in two hours.
“It’s amazing. When they get done, we have no waste in food,” says Curtis-Wellings. “By using that concept, what we did in the restaurant business, we’re actually able to use everything that we bring into the store and have very little waste … I mean some of the plates that they put out could be in three or four Michelin star restaurants. Every week – doesn’t matter if they’re seven years old or 11 years old – the production when you give these kids this type of information is incredible.”
In Faraday’s 4,000 square foot space there is plenty of room for a weekly camp to take place alongside regular business. The kitchen area was converted from a barbecue demonstration area left behind by the location’s own previous life as a barbecue restaurant. The business moved into a new mall location two years ago, and this new kitchen is an improvement from the original location’s relatively small kitchen, increasing in size from 200 to 700 square feet after the move. The new location has increased business, aided by the two million square feet total of outdoor retail space that Faraday’s now resides in, consisting of two separate malls across the street from each other.
Curtis-Wellings also credits the store’s approach to product assortment as part its success. He cites Bob Coviello, the founder of HTI Buying Group who passed away in 2013, as his mentor who helped him implement the good, better, best type of assortment that allows customers to choose from a product at each level and decide which most suits their needs and budget. It was this concept that allowed Faraday’s to remain nimble when the recession hit in 2008, says Curtis-Wellings. They already had relationships with the good and better category vendors that customers began to instantly gravitate toward, all they had to do was order less from the best category until the market recovered.
“He introduced some concepts into our business that have really allowed us to excel. We got the good, better, best strategy because of Bob, and I tell you, it was a godsend in this facet,” says Curtis-Wellings.
Faraday’s has applied the strategy to its top selling categories, cutlery, cookware, gadgets, and bakeware. So a customer who maybe only scrambles eggs twice a year can buy a good 8-inch fry pan for $9.99, while there is also something better for the customer really interested in learning to cook, and something for the customer who wants the best cookware to show off while entertaining in the kitchen.
“What I think the good, better, best strategy does is two things; one, to handle whatever type of product the customer comes in looking for in those four categories. And two, it’s allowed us to remain survivable, and I think in the future it will run its course up and down through all those different areas,” Curtis-Wellings says.
Faraday’s Kitchen Store won the awards for Best in Buying and Best Overall Retailer at HTI’s first annual “Best Of” Awards this year. In June, Curtis-Wellings got to act as a judge for the Gourmet Gold Awards during the Dallas Total Housewares & Gourmet Market. He says that what has ultimately allowed the store to do well is the staff who impart their unique knowledge to customers.
“I think the value of an independent store is really the ability to create great customer relations and educate the consumer. I think the reason that we’re really kicking ass right now is, we haven’t had a lot of turnover in staff, which is really good, and we’re engaging with the customer and we’re educating the customer. One thing the customer cannot really get from the internet is this level of education and one-on-one experience.”
This story was originally published in the August 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.
Las Vegas Market Plans Education For Gourmet Retailers
An impressive lineup of gourmet industry leaders will share retail success stories, in-depth shopper insights, trends and analysis at the Summer 2015 Las Vegas Market as part of a new “Gourmet Insights Networking Summit” scheduled for Tuesday, August 4. The half-day educational program complements the launch of the new C11 permanent showroom floor for gourmet housewares, tabletop, gift and specialty food, at the forthcoming Market, running August 2-6, 2015.
“Las Vegas Market will extend its new gourmet offerings for independent housewares retailers beyond exhibits to also include education, and networking opportunities,” said Dorothy Belshaw, president of Gift & Home Décor, International Market Centers. “Response to the new C11 gourmet showcase, from buyers and suppliers alike, clearly addresses a market void in the western region, and represents an important component in the culmination of our three-year strategic plan to reposition Las Vegas Market as the leading furniture, home decor and gift destination in the western United States.”
The Gourmet Insights Networking Summit will feature well-known retail panelists and other industry thought leaders in a lively half-day session of seminars and discussions, including: “State of the Gourmet Industry;” “Effective Merchandising to Drive Impulse Sales;” “What’s Next on the Food Scene and How You Can Connect to Increase Your Profits;” and “Social Media: Shopper Engagement as the New Currency.” Programming has been developed in conjunction with The Gourmet Retailer magazine and is tailored specifically to address the issues that are most important to independent gourmet retailers. The event, which is free for retailers, will conclude with a special networking reception.
The Summit kicks off at 1 p.m. with the “State of the Gourmet Industry,” a presentation of exclusive research on the gourmet retail channel conducted for The Gourmet Retailer by Carbonview Research in May 2015. The information will be presented by Anna Wolfe, editor-in-chief of The Gourmet Retailer.
The second session, “Effective Merchandising to Drive Impulse Sales,” from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m., will be a retail panel discussion addressing how to adapt to increasing competition and strategies to stay competitive in today’s price-conscious shopping environment; as well as the impact of showrooming. Panelists include Jill Foucré, owner of Marcel’s Culinary Experience in Glen Ellyn, IL; Amy Ruis, owner of Art of the Table in Grand Rapids, MI; and Kathleen Taggart, director of Draeger’s HOME Department and Cooking School for the company’s four San Francisco Bay Area stores.
A half-hour networking break from 2:30 to 3 p.m. precedes session three, a retail panel discussion, titled “What’s Next on the Food Scene and How You Can Connect to Increase Your Profits: A Panel Discussion on Food Trends, Technology, Marketing Tie-ins & More.” Panelists will share their success stories, including how to source local products and how to plan and market money-making events, including in-store cooking demos and hands-on classes. Panelists include Lauren G.R. Johnson, chief operating officer of Newport Avenue Market in Bend, OR; Kati Mora, RD, a registered dietician and founder of ThePlate Boutique, the first nutrition-inspired kitchen store, in Mount Pleasant, MI.; and Doug Poling, senior director for non-perishables, bakery & coffee at the California Bristol Farms specialty store chain.
The fourth and final session, from 4 to 5 p.m. will be a presentation on “Social Media: Shopper Engagement as the New Currency,” addressing the challenges and opportunities of social media and presenting a variety of tangible, take-home strategies specifically relevant to the gourmet retail category. Presenter Bradley Stone Nix is a partner at Brand Chorus, the social business intelligence division of TippingGardner, a leading marketing and brand development firm.
A convivial networking reception will immediately follow the conclusion of the educational programming at 5:30 p.m. All sessions and the reception will be held in the seminar room on C11.
The debut of C11 as a permanent showroom floor for gourmet products will feature more than 50+ major brands showcasing a gift-oriented assortment of housewares and tabletop items, including bakeware, casual tabletop cookware, gadgets, glassware and bar accessories, home and health items, hydration products, kitchen textiles, kitchen tools and gadgets, melamine tableware, publishing/cookbooks, serveware, small electrics and woodenware.
The floor is anchored by high-profile multi-line sales agencies – C. Stephens Inc., The Hub by Carson West Group, The Kitchen Source and Muir Sales – with an assortment of leading gourmet, gift and accessories lines. Notable among these are Andreas; BIA/Danesco; Enclume Pot Racks & Storage; Fagor; Ginkgo; Hammer Stahl Cookware and Cutlery JK Adams; Kitchen Innovations; Kyocera; Le Souk Ceramique Microplane Grace Mfg. Omega Juicers & Blenders Oenophilia; RSVP International; S.A.L.T. Sisters; Simax; Tovolo Vitamix; Zak Designs and Zojirushi America Corp. For a complete list of gift & housewares resources, visit lasvegasmarket.com/exhibitor-directory.
Beyond vendor support, Las Vegas Market also has forged retail partnerships with two leading organizations – Gourmet Catalog and HTI Buying Group – for the August 2015 launch of C11. Offerings for retail members of each organization include networking and social events, customized market tours, personalized concierge services, buyer scholarships, dynamic educational opportunities and more.
The Summer 2015 Las Vegas Market runs August 2-6, 2015, at World Market Center Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com.
The Cupboard Keeps Things Fresh and Local in Fort Collins since 1972
At The Cupboard in Fort Collins, Colorado, staff have been employed there for decades, some more than 25 years. The kitchenware store has been a part of the city for 43 years now and keeps things fresh by allowing around 15 staffers to also act as buyers for areas throughout the 6,500 square foot retail space. As much as the employees feel a sense of ownership in the store, so too do the locals, since it has been located downtown from its inception and also carries a wide array of local foods.
Owner Jim Hewitt credits the buying process at The Cupboard for helping employees stick around long-term. Given the autonomy to bring in new products, and weed out those that don’t work, the buyers have a slice of the store that is their sole responsibility.
“Our average staff member has been around for 12 years, so we have staff that have been here 30 years, 25 years,” says Hewitt. “People have stuck around the store a long time and we attribute that to paying decently, treating people well, having flexibility with schedules, but also giving people responsibility. We have people that have real ownership in the store because they buy for a certain area … Collectively, these buyers would do a better job than me if I felt like I had to do everything.”
Hewitt says things have been set up this way since the beginning, allowing for a constant stream of fresh products that keep customers coming back to see what’s new. Those returning customers have also played a part in shaping The Cupboard.
Hewitt’s father, Carey Hewitt, originally started the business in 1972 seeking to fill a niche in Fort Collins by selling pottery, baskets, wooden spoons, some knives, teak bowls and other artisanal type items. He listened to repeated requests for the spoons and knives, which were items previously not found in Fort Collins at that time, and brought those items in for customers. Then in 1978, he attended the Gourmet Products Show in San Francisco and, after that, ultimately decided to change the direction of the store to focus on kitchenwares.
From there, the elder Hewitt ordered products he saw at the show and thought would be successful. He read magazines, listened to customers, paid attention to national trends, and continued to build on the products that sold well. It was a time when small kitchen appliances were hitting their stride and home cooks were interested in unique gadgets. The Cupboard began with a couple thousand dollars, 1,200 square feet and grew from there, eventually moving locations in 1978 to where it currently remains, two expansions later.
Hewitt worked at the store with his father for the last eight years, becoming part owner in 2009, and then the sole owner as of last year. He grew up in Fort Collins and has been around The Cupboard his whole life, now he aims to continue to give customers the same special experience that has kept them coming back for so long.
“Dad has been at it a long time. He’s done it well for a long time and he is ready to retire and slow down a little bit,” says Hewitt. “I’ve been working at the store for almost eight years now and really fell in love with the business aspect of it. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to continue this business that my dad has started and run so well for a long time. It’s a great opportunity and it’s fun to try to see how we can continue to do it better, but then also do it built on the same principles that dad had from the very beginning.”
While the principles may be the same, the operation does differ a bit between father and son. “My dad and I, we operate in different ways. He’s run an amazing business using yellow pads of paper, and I just instituted a point of sales system because I like the information and I am familiar with computers. I changed the store that way, but I like to think that the store continues to be successful because it’s run similarly to the way my dad ran it,” says Hewitt.
Part of the success of the store also has to do with a large product mix that includes sections of the store dedicated to gourmet foods, tabletop, cookbooks, kitchen linens, small electrics, and all the other kitchenware categories you would expect. Gadgets are the top selling product with lines like Charles Viancin, e-cloth, and Garlic Twist being popular. The healthy living crowd thrives in Fort Collins, and juicers, spiralizers and blenders are also popular items.
Food comes in second after gadgets, earning that spot through a large portion of the store that is devoted to a great variety of gourmet food, including many that are locally produced. The Cupboard sells locally roasted coffee, like Jackie’s Java, by the pound and has a coffee club where customers can buy 10 pounds and receive one free. With over 30 different coffees to choose from, Hewitt says it brings regulars in on a weekly basis. There is a chocolate case located near the front of the store that is loaded with chocolates, some from a Colorado chocolatier, Robin Chocolates, and toffee from the local Vern’s Toffee House, plus petits fours from California’s Divine Delights. The Tea Table provides local teas and Patty’s Pantry supplies local preserves and jams, to name a few.
With 10,000 square feet total, consisting of the retail space that has an upstairs section, a full kitchen for demonstrations, offices, and inventory storage, The Cupboard has a team of 30 employees, including a small display team for visual merchandising.
“We try to keep it interesting; we try to change it up,” says Hewitt. “We rotate our displays around very regularly and customers do come in and say, ‘I just want to come in and see what’s new at The Cupboard or how it looks.’ The visual merchandising really does keep people coming back for more.”
Beyond that, Hewitt points to the shop positioning itself as an expert in kitchenwares to become an established local treasure.
“People are really looking for an education and for us to be knowledgeable,” says Hewitt. “As an independent store, one of the ways we can really compete with big box stores and the Internet is by our customer service and by our knowledge. We hope to be considered experts in the area of kitchenwares and food, and people from the community realize that, and they will come in when they have questions or if they just want to buy something for somebody.”
This story was originally published in the July 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.
HTI Buying Group Announces New Brand Identity and New Team Members
HTI Buying Group has had 15 years of organic growth, assisting independent retailers increase their profitability, promoting quality industry connections, creating a community, and providing educational opportunities. Now, HTI is forward-focused on the next decade and has significant plans to deliver substantial additional value to its members and the industry.
In celebration of embarking on its next phase of business, HTI Buying Group has unveiled a new corporate brand identity that reflects the company’s future strategic direction, mission, and goals. Included in the new branding is a redesigned company logo and an updated company website that will be completed in the upcoming year. In addition, HTI Buying Group has developed new promotional and informational marketing pieces that showcase the new brand identity.
HTI Buying Group has undergone a significant transformation in the last year and the company is poised to capitalize on the team members’ industry knowledge, experience, and connections. The updated brand identity reflects HTI’s corporate personality and the next era of success for the company.
Angela Warren has joined the team to manage HTI Buying Group’s operations and member sales. Angela has a retail and sales background in various roles ranging from the Sales Associate to District Manager level, consisting of 17 years of experience. In addition, Angela will be developing member programs, managing events at different markets, and acquiring new business.
Robert McGinnis has joined the team to manage HTI Buying Group’s customer service and member sales. Robert holds a degree in Business Administration/Marketing with 10 years experience in retail and customer service positions. Robert will be in charge of Customer Service for HTI and will be the first point of contact for inquiries, questions, or issues concerning HTI member services.
Summer Markets Cover the Bases for Regional Buying
Inside Dallas Market Center
The Dallas Total Home & Gift Market kicks off the season of summer markets June 24 through 30. Located at the Dallas Market Center, which consists of four buildings spanning over 5 million square feet, the market is a combination of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibitors. Within the market, a number of submarkets will take place concurrently to focus on different categories. Submarkets include the Holiday & Home Expo, Hospitality & Contract Design Show, Dallas Temp Show, KidsWorld Market, International Folk Art Market Collection and the American Made Show.
The American Made Show is new to Dallas this year and will feature thousands of products in more than 50 different product groups, all made in the United States or Canada. In addition to being American made, the products featured are also locally and responsibly produced items that are sustainably manufactured by studio artists.
Also notable at the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market this year will be a presentation by makeover television personality Libby Langdon. Langdon is the creative force behind New York City-based design firm, Libby Interiors, Inc. She also has several collections of branded home furnishings and is author of House Beautiful magazine’s monthly column “Libby’s Makeover” and the book “Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions.” Langdon will present on Friday, June 26 at noon followed by a meet and greet in the World Trade Center (WTC) Hall of Nations. The event is open to all market attendees.
Fusionbrands will be in attendance for the company’s third showing in Dallas. Brand Manager Debra Matt says the show is valuable because of its regional location. “What we like about the summer shows is that you get local representation,” says Matt. “We really get excited. Because it’s regional, you get more stores in that area that come in and maybe they weren’t able to attend Germany or Chicago. They just want to keep things close and they just hit one of these summer shows. That’s why we like having a presence there, for people that can’t attend the big shows, or since it is so big and they might miss something, they can go back and see the new products that were offered.”
In Dallas, Fusionbrands is hosted within the Source One Marketing showroom. The company also exhibits at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market taking place at AmericasMart, and is hosted within a permanent showroom there as well, giving buyers a chance to stop by and touch base with reps not only during market times but throughout the year.
The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market will take place from July 7 through 14. The week long market event offers buyers a chance to browse AmericasMart’s 11 permanent merchandise categories: Home Accents/Fine Linens, Furniture, Rugs, Holiday & Floral/Home Décor, The Gardens®, General & Specialty Gift, Gourmet & Housewares, Living & Entertaining: Gifts, Tabletop & Accessories, Home Accents & Gifts, Apparel and Children’s World. In addition to this, Temporaries will run Thursday, July 9 to Monday, July 13, and The Atlanta International Rug Market® takes place from Wednesday, July 8 to Saturday, July 11.
Focal points of the July lineup in Atlanta include the continuing advancement of AmericasMart’s design-driven product resources, with new exhibitors joining the Building 1 Floor 15 mix following its January 2015 debut, and extensive new lines in the HOME and RUG collections. The growth of specialized collections in AmericasMart’s expansive GIFT offerings, including Made in America products, and baby and children’s merchandise featuring toys, apparel and accessories, is also notable along with the thousands of lines showcased in 35 TEMPORARY collections including all of AmericasMart’s signature LUXE categories – HD Home, HIGH DESIGN LUXE, Tabletop LUXE, Gourmet LUXE and Gardens LUXE – showcasing must-have luxury goods.
The centerpiece of the July Market is the ICON HONORS 2015. which celebrates professional achievements of home and gift retailers, manufacturers, sales agents and service providers. The celebration will feature a performance by Daryl Hall & John Oates.
Harold Import Co. has showcased products at AmericasMart in the Dugan-Bliss & Associates Showroom for over 20 years now and has also had its own HIC, Harold Import Co. space for around six years now. “Because Atlanta has become a national show, with all of the housewares and gift resources represented in building, it is a great draw for visitors,” says Allyn Tieborg, Harold Import Company Regional Sales Manager and Show Coordinator. “For us, our showroom allows us to have product available all year-round, but also enables us to have nearly every item on display and to house them continually in a permanent space. What I enjoy most about Atlanta – and I have been coming here twice a year for many years – is the continuity of it all. I see people I have worked with consistently over the years. And, because it has transformed from a regional to a national show, this is one of HIC’s most important shows. We consistently conduct business while we are here. Of course, I like writing orders, but we also seeing people consistently market after market.”
Las Vegas Market
The Summer 2015 Las Vegas Market will take place August 2 through 6. The market this year celebrates a 10 year anniversary and also the launch of the new C11 permanent showroom floor. The launch of C11 marks the third and final phase of Las Vegas Market’s strategic growth plan to position itself as the leading buying platform for furniture, home décor and gifts in the western United States. The new C11 will house a permanent showroom floor for gourmet housewares, tabletop and specialty food.
The launch is anchored by two leading multi-line sales agencies – Muir Sales and The Kitchen Source – that bring a number of leading gourmet housewares lines to the new floor. Muir Sales, representing Andreas, Vitamix, and several others to be announced soon, has confirmed its new 2,126-square-foot location; and The Kitchen Source, representing Enclume Pot Racks & Storage, Hammer Stahl Cookware and Cutlery, Innova Click Clack Storage Systems and Strahl Polycarb Drinkware, JK Adams, Le Souk Ceramique, RSVP International and Tovolo, has confirmed its new 1,520-square-foot location.
Knack3 will also participate in the launch by taking a 1,579-square-foot permanent space. It is an upgrade from the previous temporary space the company has occupied at two other markets in Las Vegas and also a key component to the company’s marketing. “We launched to the independent market three years ago and we started out at the Atlanta AmericasMart first. We had such a successful run there and … we realized that the Las Vegas Market could tap into more West Coast retailers,” says Sandra Ciganic-Mckinney, Knack3 Director of Design and Product Development. “We knew that there were many West Coast retailers that were not going to Atlanta … we decided on the Las Vegas Market because we heard it was an up and coming market to go to. Our biggest marketing budget has been toward shows and we have a lot of success with that.”
In addition to the C11 opening, highlights of the upcoming Summer Market Las Vegas include a celebration of the Market’s 10 year anniversary; the continuing growth of C5, another new permanent showroom floor for boutique home décor, high-end home textiles and accessories; the premier of the casual furniture launch at Las Vegas Market, with 250,000 square feet of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibit space on C12 and C13; and the repositioning and reimagining of the Market’s temporary exhibits as The Pavilions at Las Vegas Market, a dramatic, freestanding, climate controlled temporary trades how space showcasing some 90,000 net square feet of innovative and emerging home décor resources.
This story was originally published in the June 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.
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