-By Robert Laub

Harold Import Company (HIC) is a family business with longevity in the specialty retailing world of gourmet independents. As The Gourmet Retailer celebrates its 30th year bringing you insights into education and business success, we wanted to call on experts in the business to share their wisdom. These columns will appear in monthly print and online in our new Perspectives column.

Harold Import Company has a 52-year history in the gourmet industry. Our first customer, Pottery Barn, started by selling dinnerware seconds from an upstate New York factory in a flea market in New York City back in 1948. In the late ’50s and through the ’60s, Pottery Barn outlets, restaurant supply stores with a walk-in space and hardware stores in select areas were the place to find gourmet cooking products.

The gourmet kitchen shop really was fashioned in the early ’70s and proliferated right through the mid-’80s. Department store houseware sections started getting into it, too. Sizable regional players also started developing through the ’80s. During the late ’80s through the ’90s and even beyond came the national retail chains. Mail order, which had already started, was becoming a major factor as well. Television got into the game. The specialty food player with dedicated gourmet housewares sections emerged in the mid-’90s and this phenomenon is still happening now. Virtual retail — whether through the Internet only or brick-and-mortar along with Web sites — added to the choices.

This progression was led by the increasing demand and awareness by the consumer for gourmet products. Whether it was the consumer with burn scars on their forearms or those who use “The Cake Bible” and “The Joy of Cooking” as decorative accessories, the demand for gourmet products continued to increase. We went from one half-hour PBS show to a dedicated food network. Crème brulee is the new ring-a-ding and the spicy tuna roll the new hotdog.

Of course, the vendor side grew, too. The awareness and demand led them in, whether they evolved from existing businesses or were brand-new players. It attracted talented and creative participants. As the competition for the gourmet product consumers’ dollars grew, so did the competition for the gourmet retail sellers’ dollars.

Learning the Ropes
Many retailers and vendors have gone away. Some out of choice, others due to poor direction, no successors, lack of desire, or even a simple change in traffic patterns. When I was first starting out in the industry, I worked in a gourmet housewares store. The town put up a no-left-turn sign out of our parking lot. Sales dropped 30 percent overnight. The owner did not have the energy or the desire to move. These factors have always existed and, more likely than not, always will. They get amplified under severe macroeconomic conditions.

Running a successful business is hard; it takes lots of smarts, elbow grease, desire, dedication and luck. There is no free lunch. I watched a smart, dedicated independent retailer close three of his mall stores when rents doubled. He dedicated his time and energy to his Internet business and downtown location. Now, his business is better than ever.

I believe we will continue to see the demand for quality cooking and serving products continue to expand. Generations are growing up with it — fresh ingredients, eating healthy, the media attention. Part of the good news is that those of us in this industry will continue to grow our business to an expanding consumer base. This will continue to make it even more competitive. Where consumers go to shop for these goods will evolve and change. We still all need to figure out ways to continue to successfully compete for those dollars. Good luck.

If you would like to comment or send us your feedback, please send e-mail to TGRMoran@gmail.com. You can learn more about Harold Import Company (HIC) at www.haroldskitchen.com