Gourmet Home

IHA Gourmet Home provides independent retailers, suppliers and manufacturers' representatives with tools and information to support the growth of the gourmet trade industry

Trends: Snacking Still in Favor

Despite eating trends ranging from intermittent fasting to advice to “eat three square meals,” at the end of the day, Americans like to snack. That’s according to research firm The NPD Group, which studies these things and has released its Future of Snacking report. And apparently there is a future in snacking. “Snack foods continue to evolve both as between-meal snacks and…

Retailers Search for Trends

As market season peaks with the upcoming International Home + Housewares Show, buyers are putting on their forecasting glasses and searching for the trends that will let them stock stores with merchandise consumers won’t be able to resist. It is a tall task, from finding the right gadget to deciding whether to add a small electric appliance to the mix to wondering whether…

Retail Profile: The Pot Rack

Location: Leavenworth, Kan. Founded: 2008 Owners: Ollie and Kathryn West Square Footage: 3,500 sq. ft. Own or Rent: Own After careers in the military and then second careers in the corporate world, Ollie and Kathryn West “retired” into a third career in retail. The pair opened The Pot Rack on the main drag of Leavenworth, Kan., a historic town they both call home, in…

Stats: Moving From Cash

Americans are growing less reliant on cash currency, with 1-in-3 Americans last year opting out of using cash for spending during a typical week, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. Those who made more than $75,000 a year were more likely to eschew cash for their typical weekly purchases, compared with people who made less than $30,000. Which means that…

Trends: There’s a Trend for That Food

’Tis the season for protracted food trend announcements from just about everyone. From mitochondrial optimization (courtesy of Natural Grocers) to hemp (courtesy of Whole Foods) to cricket flour (it’s out there), few foods are not trending for 2019. And yes, fermentation is still considered trending. The more obscure the food, the better for the trend PR machine, it…

Retail Class of 2018

Independent gourmet retailers opening a store or getting through their first full 12 months of business in 2018 benefitted from a relatively upbeat economy (albeit a tight labor market), but still faced the ins and outs of product assortment, merchandising and marketing that vex all new stores. How did they fare? We talked with three retailers about the joys and challenges…

Retail Profile: Grand Fête

Retail Profile: Grand Fête Location: Hudson, Wis. Founded: May 2017 Co-owners: Kay Timm, Jane Wegand and Lynn Ulrich Square Footage: 1,800 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Rent The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a grande fête as a way “to honor something with a large party or public celebration” and that’s the mood the trio of owners of the Grand Fête in Hudson seek to set…

Stats: Politics Plays Role in Shopping

When former Speaker of the House Thomas “Tip” O’Neill coined the phrase “All politics is local,” he didn’t know it at the time, but he could have been talking about retailing. According to a recent survey conducted by the NPD Group, consumers are paying closer attention than ever to politics these days and it is changing the way they shop. In a recent a survey, “The Holiday…