Are you on Pinterest?

According to an article in today’s Salon Magazine, the social community image-sharing site, Pinterest, has become the hot new social media tool. And the images-driven is perfect for showcasing great new products from your kitchenware store and website.  Its users are ready to buy--so “pin” kitchenware products that link back to your retail site to show pinners where items can be purchased. Visit Pinterest here

Displays we love: great gadget walls

Like most customers, we are drawn to gadgets.  And when we see displays and walls of great gadgets in an independent kitchenware store, we know that the store is showcasing one of the best attributes of the specialty store--the assortment.  

Here are a few that we’ve seen lately from stores around the country:

Trends from over the pond

Down the hill from Windsor Castle outside of London lies a picturesque shopping area….this sounds a bit like a fairy tale, doesn’t it?  

To see how what was trending in the UK, we visited Kitchen Kapers in Windsor to see what was happening in a kitchenware store in one of the Royals favorite towns.  

Located on a quaint cobblestone street in the middle of the shopping district, the store looked much like an independent store in the states.  A step inside revealed few differences.

Kitchen Kapers was a wonderful store and unlike many traditional tourist meccas chockablock full of ceramic teapots with portraits of the queen, there was a collection of bright and colorful contemporary teapots and mugs--and a colorful mill display that  caught our eye--as did the attractive display of Joseph Joseph products, a UK based design and manufacturer of contemporary kitchenware. Gadget walls are popular in the UK as well.

Joseph Joseph

Gadget wall

Marketing ideas: Integrate your marketing

We often say that there is not one “magic bullet” in marketing—printed catalogs and flyers can be used with digital media to generate inquiries and online sales—in an integrated approach to multiply the impact of both.  In fact, digital marketing can prolong the effectiveness of print—resulting in 20% of your customers  looking at the catalog or flyer when they receive an email or see it online.  Checkout the online catalog on Your Kitchen Store’s website, where the easy-to-use page turner catalog continues to drive business into the Keene, New Hampshire store. 

And while you are there, check out their wonderful video for a tour of their new store location.  Fabulous. 

November Food Holidays

Beyond Thanksgiving, November has a bountiful harvest of food lover’s holidays

· Georgia Pecan Month

· Good Nutrition Month

· National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month

· National Pepper Month

· National Pomegranate Month

· Raisin Bread Month

· Vegan Month

· National Fig Week is the first week in November



Each day of the month has something to celebrate too:

November 1: National Deep Fried Clams Day

November 1: National Vinegar Day

November 2: National Deviled Egg Day

November 3: National Sandwich Day

November 4: National Candy Day

November 5: National Doughnut Day

November 6: National Nachos Day

November 7: Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

November 8: National Cappuccino Day

November 8: National Harvey Wallbanger Day

November 9: National Scrapple Day

November 9: Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day

November 10: National Vanilla Cupcake Day

November 11: National Sundae Day

November 12: National Pizza With Everything Day (Except Anchovies)

November 13: National Indian Pudding Day

November 14: National Guacamole Day

November 14: National Pickle Day

November 15: National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

November 16: National Fast Food Day

November 17: National Baklava Day

November 17: Homemade Bread Day

November 18: National Vichyssoise Day

November 19: Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day

November 20: National Peanut Butter Fudge Day

November 20: Beaujolais Nouveau Day

November 21: Gingerbread Day

November 22: National Cashew Day

November 23: National Espresso Day

November 23: Eat a Cranberry Day

November 24: National Sardines Day

November 25: National Parfait Day

November 26: National Cake Day

November 27: National Bavarian Cream Pie Day

November 28: National French Toast Day

November 29: Chocolates Day

November 29: National Lemon Creme Pie Day

November 30: National Mousse Day

New member websites come online

Le Roux Kitchen of Portland ME; Portsmouth NH; and Martha's Vineyard has a new website.  Check it out here.

And here's the link to Faraday's Kitchen Store in Austin TX.  Both have online shopping adding "clicks" to their "bricks"

Fun with Food August’s National Food Holidays

August is the month for vacations and well, er….we missed passing along a few food holidays…so maybe you were on vaca and missed a few as well.  But the good news….you still have a few weeks to celebrate:

National Brownies At Brunch Month

National Catfish Month

National Panini Month

National Peach Month

National Sandwich Month

National Apple Week Is The Second Week

And, the rest of these daylong celebrations:

National Mustard Day: The First Saturday

August 1: National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

August 2: National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

August 3: National Watermelon Day

August 3: Grab Some Nuts Day

August 4: National Lasagna Day

August 5: National Waffle Day

August 5: National Oyster Day

August 6: National Root Beer Float Day

August 7: National Raspberries in Cream Day

August 8: National Zucchini Day

August 8: National Frozen Custard Day

August 9: National Rice Pudding Day

August 10: National Banana SplitDay

August 10: National S'mores Day

August 11: National Raspberry Tart Day

August 12: Julienne Fries Day

August 13: National Filet Mignon Day

August 14: National Creamsicle Day

August 15: Julia Child’s Birthday

August 15: Lemon Meringue Pie Day

August 16: Bratwurst Day

August 16: National Rum Day

August 17: National Vanilla Custard Day

August 18: National Soft Ice Cream Day

August 19: Potato Day

August 19: Hot & Spicy Food Day

August 20: Lemonade Day

August 20: National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

August 21: National Pecan Torte Day

August 22: National Spumoni Day

August 22: Eat a Peach Day

August 23: National Sponge Cake Day

August 24: National Peach Pie Day

August 25: Whiskey Sour Day

August 26: National Cherry Popsicle Day

August 27: National Pots de Crème Day

August 27: Banana Lover's Day

August 28: National Cherry Turnover Day

August 29: More Herbs, Less Salt Day

August 29: Chop Suey Day

August 29: Lemon Juice Day

August 30: National Toasted Marshmallow Day

August 31: Eat Outside Day

August 31: National Trail Mix Day