Archive for May, 2006
The United States Postal Service has joined with GiftCerticates.com to start an incentive program for postal workers. In addition to more traditional employee evaluations, the Postal Service intends to use gift cards as a way to motivate and reward workers. Go to GiftCertificates.com for more information on how this type of program works.
Gift cards have certainly become big business. If you’re like millions of others, you probably passed out your share of gift cards this past holiday season. So while you may not be interested in using gift cards as an employee incentive system, let’s think about ways you can still cash in on the gift card bonanza.
Send a gift card or gift certificate to your best corporate client with a reminder about your upcoming promotions for the holidays. Your customer may use the card to send a gift basket to a friend or family member which in turn, could result in a new customer for you.
Put a $5 or $10 gift card or certificate in each basket that you design during the month of June. Let your customers know that in addtion to the delicious treats they always expect from you, the person who will get the basket will get an added “treat”. Hopefully, the recipient of your basket will stop in to see what you do and use the card for another purchase!
Take advantage of community activities over the summer months to distribute more gift cards or certificates. Contact the people who organize these events to see if you can distribute your certificates at the registration tables.
Finding new customers is a critical activity for any business and must be a regular part of your business plans. Please share your ideas about how gift cards or gift certificates might be used to promote your business!
Photo courtesy of Tom Steven
May 30th, 2006
“Bolder flavors are selling, according to experts at the National Restaurant Show, which concludes Tuesday at McCormick Place in Chicago.” Full Story
Some of the biggest food and beverage companies (Coca Cola, McDonalds, Tyson Foods, Sara Lee) are “spicing up” their product lines with new offerings that borrow from ethnic foods and flavors.
If you’d like to add some “spice” to your gift baskets, check out Wasabi Green Peas at Apex Gift Foods. These crunchy treats will be loved by anyone who appreciates a “zing” in their snack foods!
In case you’re not familar with wasabi, it is also known as japanese horseradish. This piquant spice is derived from the root of a plant that grows along stream beds in Japan. The “heat” is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than a chili pepper.
According to the report from the restaurant show, “while spicy is the in flavor right now, many say teriyaki may be the next big flavor. And, lavender and orange-lemon are developing a following”. Keep your eye out for these new gourmet foods trends in the near future.
May 27th, 2006
Unity Marketing, a research firm that helps companies understand the buying habits and patterns of their customers, says that consumers are spending!
“Despite rising gas prices, gift shoppers spent on average $407 buying gifts during the first quarter of 2006.” Owner Pam Danziger of Unity Marketing goes on to say “if gift purchasing continues at its current rate, shoppers could spend as much as 10% more buying gifts in 2006 over 2005″.
“And more good news for retailers about prospects for gifting through 2006, some 17% of gifters have already started their Christmas shopping”. Full Story
So how might small business owners take advantage of these buying trends? If consumers are buying now, how might we get a piece of the pie?
Summertime, a traditionally slow time of year for gift basket businesses, would be a great time of year to offer Holiday Prebook Discounts. Send a mailing or email to all of your customers to announce this Holiday Prebook sale. Set up a display of your holiday designs and encourage customers to order early and save! Serve Christmas cookies and eggnog while shoppers browse through your store.
Not only will you have the pleasure of starting the holiday season with confirmed orders, these prebook orders will help you with inventory planning and budgeting for the 3rd and 4th quarters. Furthermore, you’ll have an opportunity to see what sells and what doesn’t sell and adjust your designs accordingly.
Offer Holiday Prebook Discounts and cash in while your customers are buying!
May 24th, 2006
I read an inspiring story in the Philiadelphia Inquirer about a mother-daughter team who put their skills and talents together to start a cookie bakery and retail store. The company specializes in creating customized, decorated cookies. They’ve been featured in magazines and on TV and their business is growing dramatically. Full Story
I realized that these cookies would be great in a gift basket since they could be customized for any occasion or theme. But more importantly, the story got me to thinking about the many, small businesses in my own community that are producing new, creative products. And so many of these products would be wonderful additions to a gift basket. And best of all, what a great way to make your baskets stand apart from the baskets your customers might see at the mass marketers!
Take the time to find out about and visit businesses in your community. I strolled around the neighborhood where my business is located and found a potter who is making unusual, beautifully decorated mugs that would be perfect in a coffee and tea basket. In a children’s clothing store, I found out that the owner knits lovely, delicate hats and booties for newborns: great for a baby basket. A local gift shop has whimsical, tiny picture frames that are made by the manager’s daughter and would be fabulous in any celebration basket with a photo included.
And of course, I found a small store that specializes in Pittsburgh products, including Pittsburgh Steeler scarves, hats, and other paraphenila that would be a huge hit in any gift basket in my hometown!
I chatted with these business owners and learned that they would all be delighted to work out an arrangement whereby their products could be used by a gift basket designer. Likewise, they could all imagine how they might display gift baskets in their own stores and use the services of a gift basket designer on an ongoing basis.
The possibilities are endless! Look in your neighborhood to find unique products that will make your designs distinctly different than what is offered by the mass marketers. You’ll be working cooperatively with other small businesses who like yourself, are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and offer customers a more personalized shopping experience.
May 20th, 2006
The Gourmet Retailer, May, 2006, includes an interesting article about marketing to the Baby Boomer generation: those of us who are currently 40 - 60 years old (imagine calling us babies!). Author Michelle Moran points out that this group of consumers spends a lot on high-end grocery products and studies indicate that “boomers are already driving and will continue to influence key areas of the specialty food arena: health foods, natural/organics, gourmet, ethnic, and convenience foods”.
So, how can gift basket businesses capture a piece of this lucrative market?
First of all, this may require you to add to your product mix and include items that are more upscale, and that appeal to the health conscious senior consumers. Finding and featuring a line of healthy, low carb, sugar free items that taste good and are beautifully packaged might go a long way to attracting this new customer base.
Second, look for opportunities to market your business to this consumer group. Is there a health club or community activity center in your community where seniors tend to go? How about the local churches and synagogues that often offer special activities for seniors? Take your brochures and samples of your work to these venues and make the baby boomers aware of the products and services that you offer.
Moran says that “boomers account for 42% of the US households and control half of all consumer spending”. Not only do many of this group have the disposable income to spend, they look for and appreciate the service that a small business can offer.
Think about how your business might tap into this generation of consumers who are celebrating their “golden years” and are ready to indulge!
May 17th, 2006
According to a report published by the Hartman Group, almost 75% of US population buys organic food products, with about 25% buying those items on a regular basis. (Full Story)
Additionally, more and more supermarket chains are adding organic foods to their product lines. (Full Story)
And right now, in Chicago, All Things Organic, the nation’s only all organic food conference and trade show is in full swing.
Take a moment to check out these web sites and find out what’s happening in this growing segment of the gourmet food industry. Your customers may be looking for these products. Stay ahead of your competition by offering your clients the products that they want!
May 13th, 2006
Mark your calendars for the 2006 All Candy Expo! June 6 - 8, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois. The All Candy Expo website has information about the show including registration, vendor lists and a New Products Showcase.
Even if you can’t attend, check out the showcase and take advantage of the web site links to get information about new products. Keep searching for those new products that will make your designs unique and keep your customers coming back!
May 11th, 2006
Many of us who are small business owners worry how the “big guys” are affecting us. We hear stories about Wal-Mart creating new, upscale shopping experiences with sushi bars and fine wines. Our local mass marketers display gift baskets at incredibly low prices. So we wonder how we might compete with our limited resources.
And you’re not the only one who’s wondering! Several of the biggest industry trade magazines have recently addressed this topic and share an interesting view as well as resources for those of us who are trying to offer our customers new, unique products.
For those of us who have small businesses, having the right attitude and perspective about our position in the marketplace is critical. Debra Paulk, editor of Gift Basket Review Magazine, points out that the “big guys” are really not our competitors (May, 2006). She believes that “discriminating customers and clients prefer to patronize businesses that offer something different from what the masses buy at the wholesale club”. She goes on to suggest that as small business owners, it’s our job to go after those “discriminating customers” and offer services and products that they want.
So how do we go about that?
In The Gourmet Retailer Magazine, May, 2006, publisher Edward Loeb states that “whether you have or haven’t attended the major trade shows this year, it is your responsibility to seek out the new and creative products that will satisfy your customers’ tastes and needs”.
And starting this past January, The Gourmet Retailer started offering a new service on their website to help you find the newest products without leaving your store! Go to their web site and check out the Show Sizzler section. All of the trade shows related to the gourmet food and gift industry are reviewed on this site. Ten days prior to each major trade show, new products are featured. If you are attending a particular show, use this to help you identify vendors that you want to visit. If you’re not attending the show, you can use the web site links to get product information from the vendors who will be at those shows.
Also, make sure you check out the listings for all the shows: gourmet foods, housewares, gifts, accessories, candy shows and more. You never know where you might find those hot, new products that will make your designs distinctly different from those being offered by the “big guys”.
Image courtesy of sklathill.
May 9th, 2006
There’s an article in the May 4th issue of the Washington Post entitled “Putting a Bold Face on Design Trends“. At the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, an annual event where New York designers can “strut their stuff”, current color and design trends are revealed in the fantastic furnishings.
So what’s this have to do with the gift basket industry!
Staying up to date on color and design trends will give you an edge on your competitors. The colors being used now in fashion and home furnishings will eventually be used in food packaging. By staying on top of the current trends and trends for the future, you can choose new products for your baskets that are packaged in the most up to date, fresh and exciting colors and designs.
There are many resources for this information. Specialty Food Magazine just had an article in their May, 2006 issue: Color Trends for 2007. The Color Marketing Group put out an informative article about trends for 2006. You can sign up for a free monthly newsletter from The Color Association and keep current about the latest trends, reviews and generally learn more about the world of color. Also, check out The Color Box and The Color Portfolio. Sherwin Williams also has a web site where you can see the popular colors in home decor that will eventually influence product packaging in the food industry.
Brighten up your business by staying on top of the trends!
May 7th, 2006
"Make it fast and make it fabulous!" That's a suggestion from
Gift Basket Review Magazine (May, 2006: Design Planning for Low Labor Gifts). And
Apex Gift Foods is thrilled that Gift Basket Review chose one of our items to illustrate their point!
As described in the article, it's an "all in one basket and organza bag". Your gourmet items can be quickly placed in the container. Then, use the ribbon draw strings to close up the top and viola! You're finished.
Go to
Apex Gift Foods to check out these great containers. If you place an order, mention "BAGBLOG" and you'll receive $1.00 off each bag of containers that you purchase.
May 4th, 2006
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