Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
Winning new customers, one slice at a time CANDY COUNTER Introducing Alexian Chicken Ballotine in prepackaged 5-oz. slices Four smaller-scale holidays and events from which You and your customers can always expect more from Alexian… fresh, all-natural ingredients… unparalleled customer service… and more exciting new products - like Chicken Ballotine - our 2013 lineup. 800-927-9473 • retailers can build energy and excitement: Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Back to School. alexianpate.com Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 4604 NEW PACKAGING! Same great taste, fresh new look! NEW FLAVOR! S I M P LY D E L I C I O U S Shaped like crackers, sweet like cookies, Mia Dolci crisps satisfy the sweet tooth without the added preservatives, artifcial favors, and excess calories. GOURMET COOKIE CRISPS FA M I LY O W N E D GOURMET SNACK CRACKERS Find PARTNERS at the Winter Fancy Food Show BOOTH #3307 PARTNERS, A Tasteful Choice Company 800-632-7477 www.partnerscrackers.com Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3307 50 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com recognize as a sale waiting to happen. "It's almost better to run low or completely out than to look like a discount store after a major holiday or confectionery event with those markdowns." Manufacturers have stepped up in easing this balancing game, Ellek notes. "We're seeing more seasonal packaging of items," she says, rather than holiday-specific treatments. Fall-colored leaves are replacing jacko'-lanterns and ghosts, making Halloween candy marketable through Thanksgiving; instead of flourishes of red and green, some manufacturers are adorning packages with snowflakes, keeping these confections fitting throughout the wintertime. Boost the Summer Lull You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks of the summer months as a drag, but for confectionery sales, they can be. The long stretch between Easter and Halloween poses a challenge, as does the heat, which draws shoppers away from chocolates and more toward ice cream and other refreshing summer treats. Here is where creativity and strategy come into play. When the major holidays are lacking, create one. Ellek pinpoints four smaller-scale holidays and events from which retailers can build energy and excitement: Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day and Back to School. "We call them the Summer Fun Family Holidays," she says. Delving deeper into recognized—but often forgotten—holidays can add a boost during quieter periods. Denise Alvarez, marketing manager for Retail Confectioners