By Andrea Lillo
Focusing on value and convenience—as those are what are attracting consumers nowadays—companies will bring products that will save the customer money or energy, or both, at the upcoming International Home & Housewares Show.
“We consistently see a greater demand for high-quality, competitively priced cookware sets,” said Antonio Galafassi, president and chief executive officer of Tramontina USA Inc. “In these uncertain economic times, consumers have a limited amount of money to spend, and while they are very price-conscious, they also want to spend money on a durable and well-made set of cookware that will last for many years.”
At the Housewares Show, Tramontina will continue to focus on its U.S.A.-made line of aluminum non-stick cookware, Galafassi said, and will roll out its first line of “Made in the U.S.A.” hard-anodized non-stick cookware. “We have been working throughout the last several months to refine our production on this segment, and will have this line ready to display at the show,” he said. The company will also show its new eco-friendly cookware line, which uses a PTFE-free process to manufacture the non-stick coating, 100 percent recyclable packaging and other features.
Additionally, Tramontina will highlight its line of limited-editions items, which are “very high-end, exquisitely designed and unique products, which will be available in the market to spotlight the Tramontina brand,” Galafassi said. “These products will appeal to cooking enthusiasts who are truly looking for unique and different cookware items,” he said.
Focusing on its core business of pressure cookers, Fagor America will expand its assortment at the show to include alternative raw materials besides 18/10 stainless steel, said Patricio Barriga, president. “It’s the same product, but at different prices,” he said. The new aluminum version, for example, will retail at about half of the 18/10 stainless-steel one and will be a “catalyst” at retail, he said. “It will help retailers get more sales.” An added benefit is that pressure cookers reduce both energy and time for consumers, he said, as does its induction products, such as its portable burners. Other products such as its multi-cooker include three small appliances in one for convenience to the consumer, he said.
At the Housewares Show, Fissler—which is in growth mode—is nearly doubling the size of its booth in Chicago. The German company is still relatively new to the U.S. market, so there’s room to grow and the company is enjoying forward momentum, said Chris Wert, marketing executive. Its reputation for pressure cookers has helped it gain visibility; at the show it is introducing a portable induction unit that will retail for $299.
For cookware manufacturer Meyer, the bakeware category performed better than most housewares categories in 2008, said Jay Zilinskas, managing director. There are more brands emerging within bakeware as well, especially with celebrity chefs, he said. One of the trends in the category, he added, was that “better non-stick technologies are being applied to bakeware, which in the past was usually more of a focus for cookware only.”
After bowing at market as a company last year, FoldTuk will expand its offering of collapsible bakeware with a roaster, as customers requested larger-sized products. The roaster, which can fit up to a fully dressed 16-pound turkey with the cover or a fully dressed 18-pound turkey without the cover, can both cook and serve the turkey, said George Arnold, vice president of sales and marketing. When it’s not in use, the roaster pan and cover can collapse to a height of less than three inches for easy storage.
M.E. Heuck “has always focused on value in all the cookware and gadget offerings,” said Chris McCarthy, vice president, general manager. “These tough economic times just make this value equation that much more important to both retailers and consumers.” At the Housewares Show, the company will expand its Hamilton Beach license with the new Contempo line, which will be priced similarly to the opening-price-point Hamilton Beach Elite group.
On the Heuck side of the business, the company will continue to grow its Thanksgiving business with the introduction of three gourmet stainless-steel accessories—turkey lifters, a food injector, and a bulb baster.