Cookware is the most requested item on bridal registries. In this

2011
COOKWARE
series
PART 2
Now We’re
Cooking
Stainless-steel
cookware is a vital
part of the product
mix at The Chef’s
Shop in Great
Barrington, Mass.
Cookware is the most requested
item on bridal registries. In this second
installment of The Gourmet Retailer’s
2011 Cookware Series, we share bridal
registry sales strategies from successful
retailers, plus new products from
leading manufacturers.
Photo by Vito Palmisano
www.gou r m et ret ailer.c om
j u ly 2011
the gour m e t r e tai ler
11
2011
COOKWARE
series
PART 2
Registered
Independent
Local Retailers Build Bridal Business One
Happy Cookware Customer at a Time
By Jennifer Strailey
L
ike many independent retailers of
kitchenware, you may be wondering
how to compete for a greater share
of the billion-dollar wedding
registry market as consumers
become increasingly wrapped up
in big-box store gift-giving. While the competition
is unquestionably fierce, independents distinguish
themselves with unparalleled, personalized service that
has new generations of customers saying “I do” want to
register with my local kitchenware retailer.
Courting engaged couples for their registry
business can be well worth the effort. According to
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The Knot Market Intelligence 2010 Bridal Registry
Study, 1.5 million or 88 percent of engaged couples
in the United States registered for gifts last year. The
third-annual study from the media company that
runs the top two wedding websites — TheKnot.com
and WeddingChannel.com — further found that the
average family member spends $146 on a wedding gift,
while friends of the couple typically spend $79.
For the last decade, cookware has topped china as the
most favored registry item. The Knot study found that the
average number of gifts a couple registers for is 151, with
bakeware (91 percent) and kitchen appliances/electrics
(90 percent) being the most popular registry selections.
Cookware
is the most
favored
registry item.
The growth potential for independent retailers
determined to build their cookware and high-end
category sales through wedding registries is limitless.
Successful specialty stores are expanding their registry
business through a focus on outstanding customer
service both for the engaged and their gift-givers, online
and in-store incentives, and making the entire process
convenient and enjoyable for all involved.
Good Things in Small Packages
Janis Johnson, president and founder of the Dallas,
Texas-based Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group, a
company dedicated to the success of independents by
providing solutions to big-box advantages, has been
a champion of mom-and-pop retailers for more than
30 years. She is a firm believer that there are benefits
to being small and that independents can leverage
those assets to win over customers with their bridal
registries and beyond.
“In-store assistance is the No. 1 advantage small
retailers have to support their in-store registry,” Johnson
says. “Most stores advertise that they have bridal
registry, and taking the next step by truly marketing a
bridal registry program and training the staff to follow
certain protocol will result in a greater dollar volume
generated by the registry. In addition, this level of
customer service will ensure return visits.”
Every time a couple registers with your store, you
have a captive audience and the opportunity to educate
potentially lifelong customers. Use this time to get
answers to key questions about the couple’s culinary
lifestyle, says Johnson, who recommends that retailers
ask the following:
• How frequently will you prepare meals at home?
• Which of you will be doing the cooking?
• What pans are currently in your kitchen?
• Do your pans need to be upgraded, or have you
already focused on quality?
• Do you enjoy entertaining?
• Are you inclined to assemble meals, rather
than actually cook foods?
(For retailers new to the registry business, Johnson
also recommends a service used by many Gourmet
Catalog retail members called Your Registry. The
California company, owned by Elsa Pinto-Melikian,
assists independent stores with the set-up of in-store
registry, which also extends to online, and includes a
basic program and custom a la carte service.)
“Because consumers have become educated about
cooking through the Food Network and other related
channels, brides may have a much better idea of what
they want to cook than what pans they need in their
kitchen,” Johnson observes. “By taking advantage of
the opportunity for a mini-training session with brides
and grooms, retailers may in the long run sell more
cookware via the registry process.”
It’s a strategy that has worked well for Marg
Junkhan, who has owned the 2,000-square foot Cook’s
Emporium in Ames, Iowa, for more than three decades.
“When couples register with us, we offer them advice
and talk to them personally to feel out where they’re
coming from, Junkhan says. “In most cases, couples
have had a home together, so this is a time to upgrade
from discount store stuff and mom’s hand-me-downs.”
After an informative session with Junkhan or another
of the Cook’s Emporium staff, “A lot of brides realize
that they want to register for cookware that they’ll use
www.gou r m et ret ailer.c om
j u ly 2011
Fast
Fact
151
The average
number of gifts
an engaged
couple in the
United States
registers for
at retail.
Source: The Knot
Market Intelligence
2010 Bridal
Registry Study
the gour m e t r e tai ler
13
2011
COOKWARE
series
PART 2
for the rest of their lives,” she notes, adding that most of
her brides opt for individual pieces rather than sets.
When it comes to making recommendations,
Johnson advises leaving the aesthetic choices up to the
couple and weighing in specifically on functionality.
“Most brides and grooms know what they like in terms
of color and style, so the educational process should be
reserved for what the retailers know and can impart to the
newlyweds-to-be,” she notes. In other words,
brides and explain the benefits of cast iron for slow
cooking, a small nonstick skillet for eggs, etc.
“Most
grooms know
what they like
in terms of color
and style, so
the educational
process should
be reserved
for what the
retailers know
and can impart to
the newlywedsto-be.”
Make it Personal
Exceptional customer service and
personal attention are the hallmarks of
the Provisions Gourmet & RSVP Shop’s
bridal business in Roanoke, Va. The newly
revamped 5,000-square-foot store formerly
was a collection of smaller cookware, wine
and gift stores, until it unified beautifully
under one roof earlier this year.
“Customer service is the name of
the game here,” asserts Manager Debra
Cunningham. “We bend over backwards to
make brides happy. For example, if I’m going
past the bride’s house on my way home, I’ll
— Marg Junkhan, owner,
drop her gift off.”
Cook’s Emporium,
Provisions Gourmet also keeps
Ames, Iowa
scrupulous records of every gift purchased
from the registry, along with the name of
the person who gave the gift to assist brides in thank-you
notes after the wedding. As the stationery store in town,
Provisions usually is tipped off to upcoming weddings,
when couples enlist its paper goods service.
“We always use that as an opportunity to invite
customers to register with us,” Cunningham notes. And
when they do, Provisions’s owner, Kathy Oelschlager,
always sends a thank-you gift to the happy couple.
Cultivating Better Gift-Givers
Educating engaged couples about the advantages of
a Dutch oven or copper cookware is an important
first step in building a successful registry business, but
streamlining the gift-giving process for their wedding
guests can be equally important.
For every couple that registers at Cook’s Emporium,
the store creates a small display featuring a representative
sample of the items in their registry. The display, which
includes the couples’ names and wedding date, is located
on a shelving unit near the front of the store.
“The response has been great,” says Junkhan of the
bridal registry displays, each of which includes at least
one pan, should the couple register for cookware. “If
you just hand someone a registry sheet, they’re sort of
lost. The displays really help because customers don’t
have to walk all over the store looking for the registry
items. It’s really encouraged them to buy more.”
Tess’ Kitchen Store in Grass Valley, Calif., is
another small-town kitchenware retailer making a big
impression with its bridal registry.
“The strength of our bridal registry is individual
attention,” says Owner Steve Rosenthal, who uses an
eye-catching bulletin board to inform customers about
the couples registered at his 4,400-square-foot store.
To help guide engaged couples
and gift-givers, Cook’s Emporium
creates a bridal registry display
that includes cookware.
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“Right now, we have 13 names on the list. It draws
the attention of customers who didn’t know we have
a bridal registry. It’s also a fun, gossipy kind of thing.
People will come in and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know Mary
was getting married.’”
Making the registry fulfillment process affordable is
another consideration. Many couples are sensitive about
their guests spending too much on wedding gifts, says
Rosenthal, so this often dictates the level of cookware a
couple will assign to their registry. One way of getting
around this, while helping your registry customers to
get the good stuff, is to create group registry gifts.
According to The Knot Market Intelligence 2010 study,
69 percent of couples registered for higher-priced items
in expectation of receiving group gifts. Their guests got
the hint. The survey found that 65 percent of married
registering couples received at least one group gift.
Establishing Your Online Presents
The good news for retailers with in-store wedding
registries is that the tradition of visiting a store in
person to make one’s registry selections remains a
rite of retail passage savored by more than half of
engaged couples. Fifty-seven percent of couples in
The Knot study conducted their initial registry set up
in store. Now for the potentially sobering news: 79
percent of couples went online-only with their registry
management in 2010, up from 69 percent in 2009.
While Junkhan has been selling kitchenware
successfully for more than 30 years, she’s the first to
admit that e-commerce is not her strong suit. But she’s
also a savvy small-business owner who understands
the power of an online presence. Enter Holly Boman,
Cook’s Emporium’s marketing manager, who has
been charged with developing the store’s Facebook
image, streamlining its e-newsletter communications,
updating the retailer’s brand and more.
“We’ve been on Facebook for a year and a half,
and our next thing will be to put video segments on
our website and post cooking demos on Youtube,”
says Boman, adding that these efforts “really helps us
to connect to the younger customer base online.”
Cook’s Emporium also woos the soon-to-be-wed
with incentives, which it communicates through its
e-newsletter and Facebook presence. When couples
register, they receive what Junkhan calls “a packet
of goodies” containing brochures from the different
cookware lines carried by the store, along with a
$25 gift certificate the couple can spend with Cook’s
Emporium as they wish. Included in the packet is
a 10-percent discount completion offer, should the
couple not get everything on their registry.
While Tess’ Kitchen Store revamps its website,
Rosenthal doesn’t want to lose traction with the allimportant online registry buyers. His solution is to
outsource his web orders to a company that creates
Tess’ registries online, complete with click-thru photos
and product information. Tess’ then fulfills the orders.
“It’s been working well for us — it’s really a nobrainer,” admits Rosenthal, who had received an
online order for $350 worth of product before the
store opened that morning. “We more than offset the
cost of the service, and, hopefully, we’re building a
lifelong business with our registry customers.”
www.gou r m et ret ailer.c om
j u ly 2011
Provisions
Gourmet offers
a variety of
cookware for
inclusion on a
couple’s bridal
registry.
the gour m e t r e tai ler
15
2011
COOKWARE
series
PART 2
NewProducts
Unity by Regal Ware
Regal Ware, Kewaskum, Wis.
262-626-8531
Unity by Regal Ware brings together
the right materials crafted into the right
cooking vessels, all in one collection
that is made in the USA. The 11-piece
set includes two tri-ply saucepans
(2-quart and 3-quart with stainless
steel covers); a stainless steel steamer
inset that fits both saucepans; a 10-inch
sauté pan with stainless steel cover and
a 10-inch open fry pan with Eco-Satin
Non-PFOA nonstick cooking surface
(both pans are made from stainless
steel with an impact bonded aluminum
core base); and, in cast aluminum, a
9-inch Square Ribbed Griddle with an
Eco-Satin Non-PFOA nonstick cooking
surface and an 8-quart Dutch oven with
Eco-Satin Non-PFOA nonstick cooking
surface. All items also are available
as open stock; additional open-stock
items are available in different sizes and
materials. SRP for the set: $399
DKB Household USA, Irvine, Calif.
888-794-7623
www.dkbhh.com
Chef Ken Hom has teamed up with DKB
Household USA to introduce carbon steel
and stainless steel woks and cookware.
The collection includes a four-piece
carbon steel wok set, pictured, which
contains the 12.5-inch carbon steel wok,
a glass lid, a tempura rack and a slotted
turner. SRP: $49.99
t he gourmet retai ler
Mauviel USA Inc.
New Castle, Del.
302-326-4803
www.mauvielusa.com
French cookware manufacturer Mauviel
celebrated its 180th anniversary last year.
In honor of the milestone, the sixthgeneration family-owned company has
handcrafted a new copper cookware
collection called M’héritage 150. Made in
France, this 1.5-mm collection is made
of 90 percent copper and 10 percent
stainless steel. Copper is highly efficient
and offers superior heat conductivity
and temperature control. The stainless
steel interior is easy to clean and durable,
making these copper pots and pans
ideal for everyday use. The riveted, cast,
stay-cool stainless steel handles are easy
to grip and offer stable leverage for
easy lifting. M’héritage 150 can be used
on gas, electric and halogen stovetops,
under the broiler and in the oven, and
has a lifetime warranty. SRP: $100 for an
8.6-inch fry pan; $599 for a 5-piece set
Chef Nonstick
Pancake Pan
Ken Hom Wok
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M’héritage 150
july 2011
to facilitate turning. According to the
company, the pan’s ergonomic handle
will inspire “flapjack flipping confidence
that will turn even rookie flippers into
seasoned pancake pros.” SRP: $74.95
Beka North America Inc.
Hauppauge, N.Y.
631-501-1057
www.beka-cookware.com
The Chef Nonstick Pancake Pan’s
ergonomic design is constructed from
stainless steel and has a Teflon Pro
nonstick coating that’s guaranteed for
three years. Its 11-inch diameter and
low-profile edges allow the spatula to slip
between the pan and crepe at a flat angle
www.gourmetret ailer.c om
Flametop Pizza Stone
Emile Henry USA, New Castle, Del.
302-326-4800
www.emilehenryusa.com
Emile Henry introduces the Flametop
Pizza Stone. The 14.5-inch stone, made
from flameproof ceramic, is suitable for
ovens as well as grills and heats up in
15 minutes. It is available in black, red,
figue (deep purple), azure (blue) and its
newest color, olive. (The entire Emile
Henry Flametop cookware line now is
available in olive, too.) All items are made
in France. SRP: $50
Set of Mini Cocettes
Le Creuset of America Inc.
Charleston, S.C.
800-827-1798
www.lecreuset.com
Each set of three 8-ounce stoneware
cocottes comes in a four-color gift box
with lifestyle imagery. The set includes
three fennel or cherry, fennel and cassis
cocottes with photography on the box. A
set of three fennel cocettes also is available.
Other sets will debut throughout the year,
including holiday sets. SRP: $60
roasting and searing capabilities. The
cookware is made from precision-forged,
extra-heavy gauge aluminum alloy and
four-layer ceramic reinforced nonstick.
Oven-safe up to 550ºF, it is versatile
for all types of stovetops, including
induction, gas, electric and ceramic
glass. Lyon comes with a manufacturer’s
lifetime warranty and is dishwasher-safe.
Available in open stock in a variety of
sizes and styles, the cookware comes in
three exterior colors: onyx, garnet and
sapphire. SRPs: $169.99 to $299.99
Chef’s Toolbox, Yorba Linda, Calif.
714-777-3663
www.chefstoolbox.com
Lyon
Tramontina, Sugarland, Texas
281-340-8400
www.tramontina-usa.com
Tramontina, which is celebrating its
100th anniversary, has added Lyon
cookware to its Limited Editions line
of premium cookware. Lyon combines
visual appeal and multitasking
performance, including unique baking,
Cuisinart, Stamford, Conn.
800-726-0190
www.cuisinart.com
Cuisinart has introduced two new
cookware lines. Cuisinart DS Anodized
Cookware (model no. DSA-11)
has a hard-anodized exterior finish
with Eterna nonstick interior and is
dishwasher-safe. Handles and side grips
are contoured, ergonomic stainless
steel. This 11-piece set includes a
1-quart saucepan with cover, a 2.5-quart
saucepan with cover, a 3-quart sauté pan
with cover, a 6-quart saucepot with cover
and a pasta insert, an 8-inch skillet and a
10-inch skillet. SRP: $199
Chef’s Toolbox
Australian cookware company Chef ’s
Toolbox recently entered the U.S. market.
The line features a contemporary matte
finish, hard-anodized aluminum exterior
and nonstick interior. It includes a
5-quart Stove Top Oven that is ideal for
sautéing, baking, casseroling and frying.
For stove-top baking, a twist of the lid
opens the steam vent. SRP: $149.99.
Other items include a 14-inch wok and
steamer. With a large base and stainless
steel steamer, the wok is great for stirfries, curries and steaming. The steamer
is large enough to hold a 3.3-pound fish.
SRP: $189.99
DS Anodized &
GreenGourmet Cookware
Circulon Symmetry
Cookware
Meyer Corp., Vallejo, Calif.
800-326-3933
www.circulon.com
Meyer Corp. is introducing Circulon
Symmetry, a hard-anodized aluminum
nonstick cookware line. Dishwashersafe, the cookware includes a magnetic
stainless steel induction plate on the base
of each item to ensure its compatibility
with all cooktop ranges. The nonstick
coating is metal-utensil-safe Dupont
Autograph. The cookware’s exterior
finish also is nonstick to help resist
staining and keep it looking new longer.
The riveted, stay-cool handles are crafted
from hollow stainless steel and charcoal
black silicone. Circulon Symmetry is
oven-safe to 400°F and features glass lids.
It comes in charcoal and chocolate, in
sets and open-stock items, and will be
available in October. SRPs: $59.99 for
a set of 10-and 12-inch skillets; up to
$299.99 for 11-piece set
www.gou r m et ret ailer.c om
Cuisinart GreenGourmet Tri-Ply
Stainless Cookware (model no. GG
T-10) features an aluminum alloy core,
bonded to a stainless interior, coated
with Cuisinart’s Ceramica nonstick. A
stainless steel exterior provides high heat
conductivity. Riveted stainless handles
stay cool on the stovetop and are made
from 70 percent recycled stainless steel.
All packaging is printed using soy ink and
made of 100 percent recycled material.
This 10-piece set includes a 1-quart
saucepan with cover, a 2.5-quart saucepan
with cover, a 3-quart sauté pan with cover,
a 6-quart saucepot with cover, an 8-inch
skillet and a 10-inch skillet. SRP: $299
j u ly 2011
the gour m e t r e tai ler
17