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8 IN THE ISSUE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW from the n FEBRUARY 2014 n www.kitchenwarenews.com K ITCHENWARE NEWS H o u s e w, a r e s R e v i e w S E R V I N G K I T C H E N WA R E publisher As we go to press with this issue of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review, our editorial staff has just returned from trips to the 2014 International CES, the country's largest trade show for the electronics industry, and from the Winter Fancy Food Show, where we get to see what our country's culinary trendsetters are making into products for serious cooks to use at home. Seeing the excitement surrounding this year's products introductions is really whetting our appetites for what we're going to see at the International Home + Housewares Show in March, even as we're a little nervous about what this year's very odd weather might do to our flight schedules. For a look at some of the exciting things we saw at CES, check out the story on this issue's front page. If you're curious about what we saw at the Fancy Food Show, you can get a peek at some of that on our giftware page in this issue. But aside from the specifics, here's an overall view of what we saw and heard at both of those shows. For the past few years, we've been hearing the expression, "Go big or go home," frequently on television. It's been a stock expression on the contest-based reality shows; it's been a go-to line for sportscasters; it's been all over the place. Well, this year, it looks like the trend is going to be something more like, "Go home and go big." That's a short way of saying that nobody thinks that Americans are suddenly going to change their minds about their new-found love of staying home more often, inviting friends over a little more often, and eating their own cooking a little more often. The good news about this is that this movement no longer seems to be motivated merely by financial considerations. These days, it's partly a desire for healthier eating habits that's driving Americans to cook and eat more at home – habits that are healthier both for their families and for the planet. "Customers are more interested in what they're eating and where it comes from," Annika Stensson, the National Restaurant Association's Senior Manager of Research Communications told the International Business Times just recently. "They want to know it's being grown responsibly." In another reflection of this trend, we haven't seen a lot of yogurt makers on the market over the past several years, but they're coming back this year. This is also the year that Anchor Hocking decided that it's time to get back into the canning jar business, a move that reflects American's eagerness to make their own food at home and to experiment with bolder flavors. The specialty foods market is catering to that desire for bold flavors with an array of spicier condiments too. This year's Fancy Food Show was replete with chili sauces, spicy snacks, gourmet mustards and ketchups and even sweet treats spiked with a spicy kick. Consumers who want to experiment more with those flavors at home are likely to be buying more garlic presses and spice grinders this year. And of course, it's that concern for health that's driving a lot of interest in glass food storage containers this year. Be sure you have a few infusers in your stock this year to take advantage of both a renewed enthusiasm for tea and for fruit-infused beverages. With all the attention paid last year to the possible role of sweetened beverages in our nation's obesity and diabetes epidemic, public health authorities are urging us all to try drinks that are flavorful without much added sugar, and we'll be seeing a variety of water bottles and pitchers at the International Home + Housewares Show to help consumers comply with those suggestions. Coupled with all that, we're also seeing that consumers who have come home to their kitchens are ready to spruce things up a bit there. Interior designers are suggesting brighter colors for kitchen walls, on the theory that Americans may be ready to risk the effort of painting their kitchens to match their own aesthetics instead of sticking with neutrals that make it easier to sell a house and move on. Textiles designers are responding with classic geometric designs for the kitchen and dining room that won't compete for attention with a bright wall. Dinnerware colors are also staying bright this year. In short, while there's still a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace this year, and there's no question but that consumers are still uneasy about where the American economy is heading, their response to that unease has, so far, been encouraging for the housewares industry. After all, we share those values that tell us that what happens in our homes should reflect the values by which we live out lives outside the home. And we all know that no matter what's happening in the world and in our lives, a good home-cooked meal can only help. Lee M. Oser, Publisher PUBLISHER H O M E D E C O R A N D G I F T WA R E M A R K E T S Lee M. Oser EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Donna Boyle Schwartz Yasmine Brown Vicky Glover ads@oser.com TRAFFIC MANAGER Jaysun Freightman jaysun_f@oser.com SUBSCRIBER SERVICES 1877 N. Kolb Road Tucson, Arizona 85715 [tel] 520.721.1300 [fax] 520.721.6300 KITCHENWARE/HOUSEWARES ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jeff Rosano jeff_r@oser.com [tel] 520.721.1300 Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is a publication of ELM Communications, a division of Oser Communications Group, Inc. 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715 www.oser.com PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ and additional mailing office. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review (USPS012-625) is published 12 times per year (Jan., Feb., March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.) by Oser Communications Group, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ, 85715 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2014 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $8 each within the past 12 months. Back issue orders must be paid in advance by check. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail and distribution channels of the upscale kitchenware and tabletop trade. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kitchenware News & Housewares Review, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715.

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