“A lot of people from out of town are surprised at the selection we have, but the people that live here expect it,” says Sharla Smith, floor manager.

 

Debbie Westbrook, owner of Austin-based Classy Delites Inc., says she may have been ahead of her time when she introduced her “gourmet food for healthy people” line a few years ago. But now the foodies are eating up her products, which include Balsamic Black Bean Dip served with Tweeds Flax Seed & Sesame Seed White Corn Tortilla Chips.

 

Representatives from Heritage Family Specialty Foods, which sells pie-in-the jar mixes, such as pecan or key lime

LEFT:Healthy gourmet foods, like Classy Delites’ flax seed chips and black beans dips, are part of a growing trend among foodies.

 

ABOVE:Pairing complementary items, shown in this kitchen pie baker’s kit, gives customers a go-to hostess gift. Photo courtesy of Heritage Family Specialty Foods.

 

varieties, like to get a lay of the land from retailers before they recommend top-selling products from their Country Living line. 

 

Important questions retailers should consider include: Are customers primarily buying items for themselves or as gifts? Is your store located in a downtown area or indoor/outdoor mall venue? Is a wedding or shower registry available?

“There is a clear distinction between products that sell well in gift shops versus gourmet shops,” says Michael Moss, vice president of marketing for Heritage.

 

Regional Specialties

Gene Allen’s Gifts, which has three gift and gourmet

 

Avoiding Expiration Dates

Retailers can deal with turning seasonal goods, but are you biting off more than you can chew by selling perishables?

 

Products such as jams, sauces and pie filling can generally last well over a year, sometimes two. Chips and crackers have shorter life spans of a few months.

 

Some tricks of the trade: order in small quantities and more frequently, rotate new items to the back, and offer plenty of samples to make those provisions fly off the shelf.