Get an edge on profits

We just read a report in the latest edition of Gourmet Retailer that knives posted a large gain in retail sales--10.7%--in the past year. HTI member store KitchenWares, on Newbury Street in Boston, is part of the trend with an extensive cutlery selection and sharpening services to drive sales.

The Kitchenware Tourist Visits Pittsburgh

Do you visit other kitchenware stores when you are travelling? We do! And we take along a notebook and our trusty digital camera to take photos of cool stores, interesting products and other great ideas. So from time to time, the Kitchenware Tourist will be sharing these visits with you.

A few months back, we visited HTI member store In the Kitchen, which has been voted best kitchen store in Pittsburgh by the Tribune-Review two years in a row!

Owner KC Lapiana doubled the size of the store a few years back and uses every inch of space to showcase product.

The expansion has enabled the store to feature an extensive assortment of specialty foods.

January Food Holidays

Create some fun and ring up sales in your store with these month-long food holidays in January:

• Bread Machine Baking Month
• National Candy Month
• National Egg Month
• National Hot Tea Month
• National Meat Month
• National Oatmeal Month
• National Soup Month
• National Wheat Bread Month
• Prune Breakfast Month
• National Slow Cooking Month

And with these daylong celebrations:

January 3 National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
January 4 National Spaghetti Day
January 5 National Whipped Cream Day
January 6 National Shortbread Day
January 7 National Tempura Day
January 8 National English Toffee Day
January 9 National Apricot Day
January 10 National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
January 12 National Marzipan Day
January 13 National Peach Melba Day
January 14 National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
January 15 National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
January 16 National Fig Newton Day
January 20 National Buttercrunch Day
January 20 National Cheese Lover's Day
January 21 National Granola Bar Day
January 22 National Blonde Brownie Day
January 23 National Pie Day
January 23 National Rhubarb Pie Day
January 24 National Peanut Butter Day
January 25 National Irish Coffee Day
January 26 National Peanut Brittle Day
January 26 National Pistachio Day
January 28 National Blueberry Pancake Day
January 29 National Cornchip Day
January 30 National Croissant Day
January 31 National Popcorn Day

Welcome

Happy New Year and Welcome to the HTI Buying Group News Blog. We'll be posting occasional information and ideas for our retail members on this blog...so bookmark us and check back often to see what's new. Best wishes for a profitable 2011.