Planning Your Gift Basket Stock: How to Have the Right Gourmet Food Products at the Right Time (Part 2)

Your Customers Know Best What Gourmet Foods and Gift Basket Items They Want: Ask Them!

Another great source for attempting to "figure out" what gourmet foods and gift basket items are going to be the next "best sellers" is the most valuable market research that you can possibly do: speaking with your current customers.  Every time one of your gift basket customers asks for something that you don't carry, write it down on a "Product Request Form:" (We have done this at epicureanfoods.com for several years and have found it to be one of the most valuable sources of information available anywhere.  Our customers from all over North America regularly tell us what their customers are asking for and "what's hot" in their neighborhood.  Suffice to say that for our product development, this insight is an invaluable too that we would be lost without!)  If you've got an idea for a great new product line that you think we should carry, please call us at 1-800-267-0805, extension 22, and one of our Customer Care Representatives will be pleased to take your call) or email us at phyllis&greg@epicureanfoods.com.


Study the Gourmet Food and Gift Basket Supply Trade Magazines

At epicureanfoods.com, we subscribe to virtually every publication that we have even heard of in the gift, gift basket and gourmet food industries.  Whenever a Trade Magazine is received in our office, a "Circulation List" is attached to it and everyone in the company (including our Production Associates) has an opportunity to review it thoroughly.  By studying each magazine so carefully, we are able to better discern what is happening in our industry.  We analyze what the editorialists feel will be the "next big thing".  We watch which of our direct and indirect competitors is advertising new and / or existing products in the categories in which we compete.  We very carefully watch for trends and try to extrapolate where they're going and how long they might last.  (By the time we're done with these magazines, they're usually quite "well thumbed"!)  However, we find this to be an invaluable ongoing exercise and strongly recommend that you also subscribe to and follow closely such publications.

Phyllis and Greg Sprout began their company, epicureanfoods.com, in July 1993.  They specialize in supplying hard-to-find gourmet foods and gift basket supplies to gourmet shops, gift shops and gift basket companies across North America. 

They have helped the founders of literally thousands of gift, gourmet food and gift basket companies start and grow their businesses.  Many of these companies remain excellent customers of epicureanfoods.com today.  They can be reached at phyllisandgreg@epicureanfoods.com.