Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2016 www.gourmetnews.com FROM THE PUBLISHER 4 Greetings! You've all already no- ticed that American food culture is evolving rapidly, and this month Gourmet News and Kitchenware News are taking closer looks at the driving forces behind this and the trends that are springing up like wildflowers after a warm rain. These changes include greater influence for the Millennial gen- eration, which is rapidly gaining a greater share of our national spending power and the marketplace power that goes along with that. This generation is eager to taste authentic national flavors wherever they can find them. Along with that, the American population continues to grow more ethnically diverse, and that trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. In Gourmet News, you'll read about how grocers are succeeding in the mar- ketplace by increasing their prepared food options. These days, it's not at all unusual to find young people stopping in at their local grocery store to have a drink at the bar before picking up, already prepared, all the items they'll serve for dinner at home. Houston's Phoenicia Market is one of the many that's making this model work for a generation that's interested in buying their food wherever they find op- tions that are tasty, convenient and healthy. In Kitchenware News, read about how Stonewall Kitchen is making sure that its customers enjoy engaging with the store and the products offered there and some ideas for how kitchenware re- tailers can profit from America's changing demographics. Engaging consumers in the stores in this way is critical if retailers are to compete with online retailers in the near future. Amazon is taking a very calculated ap- proach to the expansion of its business into the grocery category, but there's no ques- tion but that it's coming for the food mar- ket, and it's not alone. And in the housewares business, retailers like Wayfair are eagerly profiting from Americans' will- ingness to wait a few days for their orders in return for the convenience of shopping at home at any time of the day or night. To survive in the 21st century, brick and mor- tar stores must deliver the fun and the con- venience to their customers as well as just the goods. GN — Lee M. Oser Publisher WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Kim Forrester Jules Denton jules_d@oser.com Delaney Oser delaney_o@oser.com Carlos Velasquez carlos_v@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS Micah Cheek micah_c@oser.com Greg Gonzales greg_g@oser.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Yasmine Brown Jonathan Schieffer CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGERS Sarah Glenn sarah_g@oser.com Caitlyn McGrath caitlyn_m@oser.com Heather Canale heather_c@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR 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. ©2016 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. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. FROM THE PUBLISHER

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