Little gourmet stores are all around, and there are some good cookware stores around, but really they don't have much of a hook, and they are really only good to the people who know about them. That's fine and all, but it can be done much better.
I'm thinking a Food Network store that you might find n your local mall. Lets take a look at how this store could be. I see the store as sectioned off into the different shows that are on the network. The Sections could focus on different types of things. I have sometimes watched the Chocolate program with Jacque Torres. He frequently makes mention of little molds for chocolate that can be got at specialty shops. Now I walk into the Food TV shop, and there are the molds, and even better they are the ones that he suggested I use on the show. Right next to the molds are some of the tools he uses. There is a shelf hanger with instructions and hints for a recent project. There is a cookbook by him. And right there is all the different chocolate products I could ever want.
I wander the store a bit more, and enter the Food Finds section. There is the salsa I saw on the show the week before, right next to the very special maple syrup from Vermont. Now I don't have to wander the internet sites or remember phone numbers, I can actually make an impulse buy of a specialty item. Arranged with each item is the story from the show about why they are special.
The Unwrapped section features classic candies and snacks from around the country, with information about how they are made, and the history behind them.
Cookbooks abound in every section and in the store in general.
Emeril's section features his line of cookware and his "Essence", as well as souvenirs.
The Naked Chef section may have items from England that are hard to find in the average American market.
The thing is, everywhere there is a tie in to some show on the network. Little bits of background information on the food or product you are about to buy.
In the back of the store is a demonstration kitchen where the store can partner with chefs at local restaurants for cooking demonstrations, samplings, and wine tastings. Perhaps the stars of some of the shows can go on promotional tours, visiting the store locations and having demonstrations for their local fans. The store become more immersive than just a place to shop.
To cross promote, when an unusual ingredient or other product is used on a network show, a message can appear at the bottom of the screen to inform the viewer that this product may be purchased at their local Food TV store.
Untapped market.
Posted by Guinness on April 02, 2004
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