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IHA Develops Best Practices White Paper for Gourmet Industry
By Perry Reynolds
The gourmet specialty channel accounts for nearly $3 billion in annual housewares sales at U.S. retail, and the International Housewares Association wants to continue that success.
To that end, the IHA’s Gourmet Trade Development Council--a group of IHA member companies who deal extensively with gourmet retailers--has worked with retailers, suppliers and manufacturers' reps to define the role each party plays in the long process from product development to consumer satisfaction.
The result of that work is the release this month of a best practices white paper, “Best Practices for the Gourmet Industry,” that defines responsibilities between suppliers, manufacturers' representatives and retailers.
“As we visit with independent retailers, they tell us that they rely heavily on their manufacturers'’ reps to make their business successful,” says Phil Brandl, IHA president. “Suppliers also rely on reps to help them succeed with independents. But what are the rules of the road? What should each party expect of the other? This document helps to better define those roles.”
In addition to detailing specific responsibilities of each party, the white paper also quotes retailers, reps and suppliers on their best practices and expectations.
Sections include:
- Rep responsibilities to retailers
- Rep responsibilities to suppliers
- Supplier responsibilities to reps
- Supplier responsibilities to retailers
- Retailer responsibilities to reps
- Retailer responsibilities to suppliers
It also provides a mutual evaluation tool designed to be shared at strategic planning sessions. Retailers have suggested that this tool will offer them an efficient way for evaluating the performance of their partners and allow their partners to share how they are doing as well, Brandl said.
“We encourage retailers, suppliers and manufacturers' reps to review the white paper and implement any of the best practices they feel will help their relationships,” said Robert Laub, CEO of HIC—Harold Import Co., and chairman of IHA’s Gourmet Trade Development Council. “This document is based on actual business issues and practices that have helped all parties effect a successful relationship.”
The Gourmet Trade Development Council reached out to retailers including members of IHA’s Gourmet Retailer Advisory Council and created a Rep Council consisting of best-in-class organizations that serve the independent retail community. The Rep Council asked each party in the relationship to put specifics to the roles of each party. Retailers shared their most successful business practices as well as a list of their expectations of both reps and suppliers. Reps and suppliers did the same.
The white paper can be downloaded from IHA’s website at www.housewares.org
