Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2015 www.gourmetnews.com FROM THE PUBLISHER 8 Encouraged by television chefs who insist on fresh ingredients as a first step in assuring the quality of the food they're serving as well as widespread con- cerns about the breadth of our waistlines, American consumer interest in fresh, local and organic food is growing. The American market for organic food products in the U.S. has been projected to exceed $45 billion this year, and, as a respondent to the recent Supermar- ket News Whole Health Industry Survey said, some grocery retailers appear to be using organic products to drive their mar- gins, since consumers expect to pay more for organic products regardless of increases in production that have boosted supplies. We saw that expressed in many ways during this year's Natural Products Expo West, which was significantly larger this year because the industry itself is growing rapidly. That growth is created partly by the improving economy, which has made cap- ital available to entrepreneurs who are eager to translate their points of view into products for the market, says Show Direc- tor Adam Andersen. Among the other trends that we're seeing in the marketplace, according to Eric Pierce, Director, Strategy & Insights for NEXT at New Hope Natural Media, which produces the Natural Prod- ucts Expos, are a growing consumer aware- ness and a shift in the values that are driving purchasing decisions. Consumers are finding it more worthwhile to invest in their food, and the natural and organic seg- ment saw a 12 percent growth rate last year – about three times the growth of the con- ventional food and beverages segment. Pay- ing attention to what consumers want and providing it to them is the key to higher sales, Pierce reminded us. Along with that growing interest in nat- ural and organic products, we're seeing sig- nificant interest in cooking meals at home, even though that isn't translating into more time spent in front of the stove. Instead, consumers seem to be showing interest in finding ways to streamline their cooking processes and to multitask in their kitchens so they can turn meals out faster and with less decision-making at the end of the day. Nutrition research has shown that cooking and eating at home are an excellent first step toward achieving a more nutritious diet and a longer, healthier life, and we saw that trend reflected in the tremendous number of tools for fruit and vegetable pro- cessing at this year's International Home + Housewares Show. While, in years past, it was pretty clear that healthier eating meant cookware options for low-fat sauteing and frying, this year, it was just as clear that consumers are demanding the tools to help them handle their produce. The specialty retailers who are reading this letter are in an excellent position to help consumers navigate the confusing and often contradictory information they get over the airwaves and on the Internet. New federal dietary guidelines, expected later this year, are predicted to increase that confusion, ac- cording to Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, which means that more of your shoppers will be arriving at your stores with questions on their minds about what's healthy, and when they ask you what's the best value for the money they spend with you, some of them will be thinking of value in terms of their well-being and their waistlines as well as just the bottom-line dollar figure. As you hear those questions and identify concerns and trends among your shoppers, let us know which of those you'd like to learn more about by visiting our website, either at www.gourmetnews.com or www.kitchenwarenews.com, and clicking the Contact link to send us a note. It's our pleasure to serve our readers by providing you with the answers you need for the ques- tions that your customers are asking. GN — Lee M. Oser Publisher WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Kim Forrester Jules Denton jules_d@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS David Bernard Amber Gallegos Richard Thompson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Yasmine Brown ACCOUNT MANAGER Lynn Hilton CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Caitlyn Roach caitlyn_r@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road P.O. Box 1056 Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Gourmet News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 G OURMET N EWS ® OSER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser MEMBER OF: Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and additional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) is published monthly by Oser Communications Group, 1877 North 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 pro- prietary classified information. ©2015 by Oser Communications Group. All rights re- served. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without writ- ten permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $7 each within the past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back orders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail and dis- tribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid subscriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 annu- ally to cover air delivery. 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