Top Stories » Special Features » Kitchenware

Think natural, not neutral. Replace serenity with simplicity. Creating lifestyles instead of mere settings will enable you to create add-on sales as customers swoop up complementary accessories off of your shelves in a quest to design their own oases in their homes.



Dreamscapes

Whether it's in the bedroom or the dining room, the tropical trend continues to influence home décor. Toucans, palms, and birds of paradise are adorning plates and accessory pieces. It may be the consumers' stifled wanderlust or their desire to create nature-oriented retreats in their homes. Whatever the prevailing scenario, the tropical "Tommy Bahama"-inspired theme is ringing up success from Miami to Seattle — and all points in between.

Pantone's 2003 color palettes provide a better understanding of the colorful hues popular in new tabletop designs. The three palettes fitting the popular trend are Renewal, Discretion, and Diversity. Add to those palettes the new popularity of black and you've got both bold and subtle translations of the islands.

Discretion denotes earth friendly colors that are the antithesis of artificiality in treatments such as woven basketry, worn or weathered finishes, and simple motifs. Included in this palette are earthy reds and browns, weathered blue-purples, ochre, spruce blues, ashy wood tones, and sage greens. Diversity is a kaleidoscope of vivacious color tempered by a backdrop of deep, rich shades and warm neutrals, resulting in a marriage of multifaceted, often complex folkloric mixtures composed of dusty oranges, mineral yellows, shades of spice, and ebony used in tandem with vibrant fuchsia, sultry reds, or bright blues. Renewal, a revitalizing palette of both warm and cool greens, is illustrated by a splash of turquoise blue-green emanating from the sea combined with warm herbal greens emerging from the earth. The greens may be intriguingly underscored by misted or mossy grays, or combined with sunny lime tones that provide a fresh, creative approach to the gregarious greens.

One of the most interesting notes in the Pantone color scope is that while three of the eight color groupings sparkle with some vibrancy, they are often set against a background of more restrained neutral and/or classic colors. In other words, you might discover this year's tropical florals on a backdrop of ash purple, bold black, or winter white. Each pattern tells the same story using a different dialect of color.



Emotions Abound

Another classic story is being expressed through both shape and shade. Traditional shapes are assuming softer edges as they mix formal molds with modern designs. Pantone's Connections palette describes this trend, suggesting linkage steeped in heritage and history, and so is a literal patchwork of traditional colors. Styles may vary from classic to country, but the colors, including deepened blues and denim blues, hunter greens, garnet reds, winter whites, and warm, welcoming golden yellows, remain true to traditional standards. Blues are dominant this year, representing a significant color growth.

Also notable is the emergence of olive on the table in complete dinnerware patterns, as well as on accessories. Olive hues blend well with the Retrospective palette. This palette introduces muted mid-tones that are suggestive of softer edges and vintage fabrics — the blurred images of colors that seem to exist only in memory. Notable shadings are rosy taupes, light mahogany, misty grays, muted greens, and pearl blues.

Mediums feeding these palettes include the reemerging popularity of cut glass, as well as '60s pop art with brightly colored dots, stripes, funky florals, and geometric shapes.

Pantone's Elan palette falls right into this '60s rhythm. A happy, youthful palette that expresses a sense of "joie de vivre," the palette is evocative of delectable tastes and floral scents. Its not-quite brights inspire unique and whimsical combinations, such as endive and cyclamen, sweet pea and primrose yellow, and peach blossom and taffy tan. Easter-egg shades are teamed with creamy caramel colors, providing a novel and imaginative direction for the future.

The final two Pantone palettes duplicate continuing trends. Moderno features subtle shadings of walnut brown, regal blue, plum, and ash purples. It is a palette that reflects an eclectic dichotomy of tastes as displayed in metallic glints of both burnished champagne beige and sleek, futuristic silver that are used as accents. Enlightenment is a clear, clean, and uncomplicated palette infused with a soft, filtered light. Colors are either pristine or pure whites, or the quietest of pastels with just a hint of tint. The names of many of the colors reveal the hushed and soothing atmospheres they evoke — Rosewater, Turtledove, Spa Blue, Jade Green, Transparent Yellow, and Summer Shower.



Colorful Applications

At the Ames, Iowa-based Cook's Emporium, brides and everyday customers are seeking functional styles that work in both a formal and casual atmosphere. Manager Vicky Flaws said that her customers appreciate organic or functional styles and are attracted to subtle colors.

"We mostly carry Denby and Lindt- Stymeist," she said. "In the Denby line, we do really well with their purple and blue patterns. Blue Jetty specifically is selling well. Those colors seem to be really popular. It's a nice pottery and it has a nice trendy appeal, yet still holds a classic place in the home."

Muriel Hart, owner of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Kitchen Classics, also concentrates on the classic designs from labels like Denby, MamaRo, and Emile Henri.

"We concentrate on the accessories and the bakeware. We carry quite a large selection of the Emile Henri collection. The bakeware and the serving platters do well for us," she said. "We've carried Emile Henri for years; its very traditional, functional wares work for our customers."

Flaws' customers are attracted to simple, functional designs throughout her tabletop selection, from ceramics to napkins to placemats.

"What seems to attract our customers are classic items with earthy colors, something they can identify with and use," Flaws added. "Today's bride isn't interested in buying something her mother wants her to register for. There's no more registering for patterns that are stored away and never used."

Jane Fowler, co-owner of The Gourmet Pantry in Lubbock, Texas, agreed.

"The brides are really picking one pattern instead of having the traditional two-pattern registry," she said. "They want to be able to have one pattern that works every day, as well as during formal occasions. Much of the time, they are attracted to simple white patterns that they then mix with colored or patterned dessert plates and accessories."

Fowler said her customers, specifically the brides, have become better educated through the years. They ask a lot of questions about products during the registry process and want to make informed decisions.

"The brides are looking more for quality these days," she said. "They are asking the important questions about longevity and material."

Also, it's not simply the brides who are buying. Flaws' customers who are looking for more stylish ways to dress their entertaining are attracted to oversized plates and pasta bowls.

"They are looking for quality when they come in," she added. "It's not the price they're concerned about. These are shoppers who are older who are ready to get what they really want. They've gotten their kids through school and now it's their turn. They are really excited about classic pieces. People are getting excited about entertaining at home."



Marketing Tools

Informing your customers about your tabletop selection and how it fits into their lifestyles should be done through marketing — you can't leave it to simple displays. Retailers we spoke with market tabletop items in quiet, yet impactful ways.

Most tabletop promotion at Kitchen Classics occurs via hands-on use in cooking classes and demonstrations.

"We don't spend much time promoting our dishware items. It's a small area and most of our tabletop is dedicated to the functional side of gourmet," Hart explained. "Our cooking classes and our flyer are really the key elements to our marketing program."

Emile Henri dinnerware and serveware garnered more attention at Kitchen Classics when Hart began using the brand for service at cooking demonstrations.

"We used to serve on paper but after a large investment, began using Emile Henri," she continued. "We host 40 people at a time in our cooking classes and and they're all served samples on Emile Henri dinnerware."

The upfront investment resulted in more attention for their Emile Henri collection. Hart said she's seen improved sales of the line's dinnerware and of the accessories and serving pieces, too. Hart sticks to four popular colors — cobalt blue, red, ivory, and yellow.

Sales of The Gourmet Pantry's colorful collection are supported by television segments featuring tabletop settings that air twice a day five days a week as sponsorship spots for Mr. Food.

"We haven't done any advertising for the tabletop department since we enlarged the store and created it three years ago," Fowler said. "The television spot is a regular feature and it's been wonderful. That's it for marketing other than word of mouth, which is our best form of marketing."



Patterns for Life

The final nugget in this year's table is the lifestyle element. Today's patterns are making a statement not only about the event the host or hostess is presenting, but also about the lifestyles of the hosts or hostesses themselves.

"Our customers want their tabletop to work for them every day, but they also want it to make a statement about themselves as a person," Flaws said. "The style has to reflect who they are and have a sophistication about it. Our customers want to serve comfort food and entertain their friends, but they want their dishes to reflect who it is they believe they are. They're also tying that statement into the rest of the home, from the living room to the dining room to the great room. It's not the dishes themselves that attract them, it's the statement that reflects their whole lifestyle."

Consider the statements your customers are making these days by picking up local, national, and regional shelter magazines. Note the colors and textures being used in living rooms and bedrooms. Carry complementary colors into your kitchen and dining room selections with tabletop and accessories that address particular lifestyles.

Even if you haven't yet set aside a large area for tabletop, consider widening your horizons by increasing the variety of accessories you offer. If certain color ranges in your oven-to-table line are selling well, look for tabletop patterns that complement their shades. You don't have to bring in a complete line of any one pattern, but you can accent your existing inventory with some special statement pieces.

Designs receiving positive attention at market this year ranged from the tropical look to frost whites to rustic Italian. Large, colorful flower designs were also popular. For the casual table, browns, yellows, cinnabar, and watercolors are gaining momentum.

Fowler has nourished success by stocking larger, single-flowered patterns. She's also seen her customers accept solid-colored styles with Italian design.

"It is trial and error. It's a hard category to figure out," Fowler concluded, "but it's a lot of fun."

In the floral range, Fowler has seen success with Villeroy & Boch's Flora pattern. She's identified other products with this similar design — paper napkins and accessories — and brought them into her store to complement the pattern, thereby mapping out an easy-to-assemble lifestyle statement for her customers. Fowler looks for those statements in new and existing patterns to discover patterns that fit her customers' demands and lifestyle choices.

"Villeroy & Boch is really good for us because it's a porcelain rather than a stoneware. That means it's really durable. In addition, the brides really like the combinations that they come out with. Within one pattern, they have four combinations you can put together. We've done very well with that," Fowler continued. "One pattern I'm really excited about is Sorrento by Signature. It's an affordable stoneware product with solid colors that are really pretty. With four colors that the customer can mix and match together, I think this pattern will really do well."

While she doesn't rely heavily on tabletop sales, Hart complements her kitchenware items with both functional and decorative dinnerware designs. The Polish Pottery Collection is something she took a chance on and appears to be winning.

"We did just add the category of Polish Pottery and without promoting it at all, have sold out. I usually create a direct market piece to promote new product, but this sold right away to the walk-in traffic," she explained. "We began with a minimal order and it went very rapidly. So now I plan on marketing for the holidays and I've just placed a larger second order."

Hart's test just goes to show you that you never know what might capture your customers' interest, especially during gift-giving and entertainment seasons. So while you prepare for your next round of marketing, store merchandising, and advertising promotions, be sure to determine the statements you're displaying and complement them with a selection of pieces from the bevy of fashionable tabletop introductions this year.