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FROM THE EDITOR KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n MARCH 2017 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ and additional mail- ing 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 responsi- ble for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2017 by Oser Communications Group. All rightsreserved Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permis- sion 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, in- cluding 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. PUBLISHER Kim Oser SR. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jules Denton jules_d@oser.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Carlos Velasquez carlos_v@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Micah Cheek micah_c@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Greg Gonzales greg_g@oser.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jonathan Schieffer Yasmine Brown CUSTOMER SERVICE Caitlyn McGrath MANAGERS caitlyn_m@oser.com Sarah Glenn sarah_g@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Tara Neal CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is a publication of Oser Communications Group Inc. 1877 N. Kolb Road • Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 www.kitchenwarenews.com www.oser.com OSER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP H o u s e w a r e s R e v i e w KITCHENWARE NEWS S E R V I N G K I T C H E N WA R E, 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 editor from the Greetings: It seems incredible that we're right at the threshold of both the International Home + Housewares Show and Natural Products Expo West. Whatever other effects the new Presidential administration has had, for me it's certainly true that time seems to be accelerating as I race to keep up with all the events whizzing right by. The Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Food Show and the International Housewares Association's press preview of the International Home + Housewares Show have been two of those events, and I have been deeply struck by the differences in mood between them. The food crafters who were selling at the Winter Fancy Food Show (and the Good Food Mercantile that took place in San Francisco on the afternoon previous to the Fancy Food Show) were relaxed and joyful. They're generally coming off a successful holiday season, and on the strength of that season, orders at the food shows were apparently strong enough to fuel plenty of optimism about the coming year. At the IHA's press event, there was a bit more tension in the air, and the products that were on display seemed to reflect the industry's desire to meet the needs of workaday cooks who are feeding themselves and their families every day rather than the holiday needs of consumers who are fueling their celebrations with family and f riends. This observation is not a criticism of either point of view – the food crafters' attitude reflects the reality of the consumers they're selling to, and the housewares manufacturers' attitude reflects another reality of the exact same consumers. We are likely to see quite a bit more of that kind of contradiction over the next year. On the one hand, economists are telling us that deflation in the prices that grocers are charging for food reflects consumers' eagerness to pay less at the cash register and grocers' eagerness to keep their customers coming back to their stores. And at the same time that consumers are looking for cheaper prices in the grocery store, they're also lining up to buy relatively expensive prepackaged and preportioned food f rom meal kit delivery services, and sales for premium-priced specialty food and organic food are growing rapidly. All these contradictions certainly do make this an interesting time for all of us in the business of helping consumers get food onto their family tables. You can count on us here at Kitchenware News and Gourmet News to keep right on parsing out the meanings of all this as these events unfold. And for all of you, we have just one suggestion right now: buckle in, because there are certainly going to be bumps along the way. KN Lorrie Baumann, Editorial Director 4

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