Association focuses on needs of independents, guiding reps and manufacturers to heed the call of this entrepreneurial, innovative retail category.
Among the most encouraging news we are hearing since last fall is the news that many independents are holding their own in what seemed like it might be the scariest of retail winters.
The reasons seem clear. Independents are consumer-wise, invested in their communities, providing education to their customers and are often eager to take on the latest new creations their suppliers have to offer. It is encouraging to see the broader supplier community embracing independents more and more.
And no wonder. Look at what the consumer is telling us. Experts say that for the first time in a generation, the number of meals prepared and eaten in the home is growing. More coffee is being brewed at home. More local ingredients are being used. More attention is being paid to the quality of food being prepared. Even Julia Child is back, and her message is about the pleasures of preparing food at home.
Several of these trends are the result of a challenging economy. Most are significant marketing opportunities, and independent retailers are well-positioned to benefit.
I just got off the phone with Mike Suchan, an independent retailer in Kearney, Neb., who knows that his mission is partially about teaching a new generation how to cook. He and other independent retailers are very well-positioned to provide that service and forge lifetime relationships with those budding cooks.
We at the International Housewares Association (IHA) are keenly interested in the success of the independent retailer community. I think you are aware that the IHA is a not-for-profit industry association. Through our Gourmet Trade Development Council (GTDC), supplier members who are focused on selling to independent retailers, we have been charged with providing support for the gourmet community and are getting that done in a variety of ways.
We have listened to our Gourmet Retailer Advisory Council and are working to make our International Home + Housewares Show more meaningful to independents by offering a Specialty University the day before the Show, free consulting to independents all Show days and easy identification of booths that are independent-friendly.
At the direction of the GTDC, we are developing a Manufacturer/Retailer/Rep Best Practices document that details the responsibilities of each of the parties. We have assembled a Rep Council, comprising some of the most respected reps to independents all over the United States, which has offered input. And members of both the GTDC and the retailer council are adding their comments. We will share this work with the community in the spring when it is completed. Several independent retailers have suggested that they will use that document as a guide for creating a framework for annual business reviews with their supplier and rep partners.
We also are pleased to be a partner in Retail 2020, which brings much-needed and much-appreciated education to the independent community. And in 2010, we will add a new dimension to Retail 2020 with a series of planned one-to-one sessions that are designed to create an opportunity to discuss more strategic issues between suppliers and independent retailers.
We would like to hear from you. What other challenges do you face with which you think the industry’s association might be able to assist? Send me an e-mail at preynolds@housewares.org.
We are all looking forward to a much improved business climate for 2010. See you in Chicago!
Perry Reynolds is Vice President, Marketing & Trade Development for the International Housewares Association. He can be reached at PReynolds@housewares.org
