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/79798
"To me it's an artistic process. Partly what makes a gift basket good is the fact that the sum of the parts add up to more than the parts."—David Porat, Chelsea Market Baskets Yet, for all the growth, the gift basket is still working to shed an unflattering percep- tion that lingers. "It has the reputation of being a little like fruitcake," says David Porat, owner of Chelsea Market Baskets in New York. With more than 30 years of experience in the gift industry, Porat knows that, while convenience and looks are major tenets of the industry, "ultimately," he says, "we're looking for something that tastes good." But there is an art to making gift baskets that will bring in profit—and keep customers coming back. Read on to find out what goes into the process of making a high-end gift basket, and what separates the winners from the fruitcake. To Predesign or Customize Before even considering the gourmet goods and supplies that will become part of your gift basket–making arsenal, one question arises: Predesigned baskets or custom orders? The best route is to employ both. Predesigned baskets offer some clear benefits: an easy recipe for the designer and minimal effort—plus a visual guaran- tee—for the customer. But it's also a natural starting point for custom ordering. While 60 to 70 percent of gift basket sales at Chelsea Market Baskets are predesigned, Porat says these options also offer a good reference point to make something more personalized. Ina Spector, catering and gift basket maker at Gourmet Again, Pikesville, Md., says the flexibility comes down to good cus- tomer service. "Usually, there's at least one or two items that [customers] don't want," she explains of the company's predesigned offerings, likening the process to affording meal substitutions at a restaurant. Custom baskets are as much about allowing customers to give input as they are about guiding them in a good direction. Seattle's MarketSpice offers predesigned baskets online as well as a checkout option for individual products that lets customers handpick items to be packaged into a basket for a flat fee of $5. Tami Chase, marketing The original, BOTTLE-MATIc 3 YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED Front and Back! MADE IN USA! For Specialty Food readers, Only $1450! Label any cylindrical container fast and accurately from ½" to 10" diameter, @ Speeds of 1200 Pcs. per hour. DISPENSA-MATIC Label Dispensers NOT THE CHEAP IMPORTED KNOCK-OFF! 21 day trial 28220 Playmor Beach Rd, Rocky Mount, MO 65072 Call Toll Free: 1 (800) 325-7303 or (573) 392-7684 Price subject to change without notice. 2/01/09 FAX:(573) 392-1757; E-mail: info@dispensamatic.com Web: http://www.bottle-labeler.com 20 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com STOP Wasting Time Labeling by Hand!