Education

Learn about educational events, informative webinars and special reports, designed and prepared to help members stay up-to- date on current business topics, trends and issues!

Small Business Saturday – Business as Usual?

If you are an independent gourmet retailer your store was probably going to be open Saturday, Nov. 24 anyway. But did the fact that the date was Small Business Saturday help your business? “While we are looking forward to a strong, successful Christmas season, we didn’t do well during Small Business Saturday,” says Hannalore Holland, owner of Somethin’s Cookin’ in Panama…

Retail Profile: Somethin’s Cookin’

Location: Panama City, Fla. Owner: Hannalore Holland Founded: 1972 --This is the store’s third location. Square footage: 3,000 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Own When Hurricane Michael tore up Panama City, Fla., packing winds of 155 miles per hour this past October, Hannalore Holland dug into her supply of perishables and fed the first responders. Holland, whose store…

Stats: Foodies of the Future Unite

When it comes to where food trends are going, it is not just Millennials who are shaping eating patterns. According to a new study, a group of consumers that crosses demographic lines is shaping the future of food. Meet “Gen Food.” The report released by FleishmanHillard at the Culinary Institute of America’s re-Think Food conference, shows when it comes to food and…

Trends: Blended Retailing

Holiday shoppers have more retail options than ever this year, from pop ups and local street fairs to traditional brick-and-mortar and, of course, online shopping. And consumers are increasingly exploring all the options, leading to something that is being called “blended retailing.” The distinct separation between brick-and-mortar and online retailing is waning as retailers…

Deck The Stores

The holidays are nearly upon us and retailers are busy building festive decorations into their merchandising strategies. Are they having fun yet? Liana Ottaviani, GM of Fante’s Kitchen Shop in Philadelphia, is. She says she loves this time of year, but admits “It is crazy, but as fun as it can be.” Part of that fun is seeing old friends. “We have wonderful customers, but…

Retail Profile: Fante’s Kitchen Shop

Location: Philadelphia’s 9th St. Italian Market Founded: 1906 Owners: Mariella Giovannucci Esposito, Nick Giovannucci, Daniele Giovannucci Square footage: 4,000 sq. ft. Own or Rent: Rent A Philadelphia institution since 1906, Fante’s remains a family-run business as owner Mariella Esposito handed off control of the highly-regarded kitchenware store to her daughter, Liana…

Stats: Shopping Small is Growing

It’s almost Shop Small Season. American Express launched Small Business Saturday in 2010 as a marketing effort to boost both its business and small, local retailers at a time when the industry was in recession. The idea was to give those retailers support, after the Black Friday mass market retail rush, by promoting the Saturday after Thanksgiving as a time for more leisurely…

Trends: Home Cooking Raises Cookbook Sales

Even though everyone scrolls through internet sites in search of recipes, cookbooks aren’t going away. In fact, retailers who sell cookbooks will be happy to know that cookbook sales are rising at a good clip. According to The NPD Group cookbook sales grew 21 percent in the first half 2018 compared to the same period for the previous year. The reason for that is also…

Blogging the Way to Sales

Goodbye newspaper ads. For many retailers blogging has become the new way to reach consumers. And for good reason. Companies who blog receive 97 percent more links to their websites, according to Hubspot. Blogs have also been rated as the fifth most trusted source for accurate information and (with quality content) help extend a store’s brand with a personal touch. Here are…