Tabletop Vendors Carved New Growth Niches In Tough 2008

NEW YORK— Tabletop in 2008 proved not to be recession proof. However, many suppliers found growth opportunities by forming licensing partnerships with established brands and designers or expanding into other housewares categories. While the “everyday” tabletop business felt the pinch, new introductions centered on a comprehensive modern home entertaining lifestyle message or that had gift appeal were well received by retailers. With consumers becoming more conscious of a product’s value, many vendors emphasized multi-functionality and everyday usability. Also, the “green” trend, which came to light last year in tabletop, established a much greater presence in 2008. The first-ever dinnerware made from bamboo fiber-based bio-composites emerged and many vendors highlighted products made from recycled materials or with eco-friendly packaging. The thermal beverageware/water bottle segment benefited from the “green” movement too as consumers aimed to spend less on disposable water bottles. Here’s a look back on what “set the table” in 2008: Acquisitions And New Leadership • Lifetime Brands acquired the Mikasa brand from ARC International to increase its product development in the upstairs tabletop market and become an even greater presence at the specialty and department store level, according to president and CEO Jeff Siegel. • Monomoy Capital Partners acquired Indiana Glass and E.O. Brody companies from Lancaster Colony Corp. As part of the deal, Anchor Hocking picked up Indiana Glass’s manufacturing facility in Sepupla, OK, and its warehousing operations. • Mesa International is under the new leadership of CEO Craig Stevens. According to Mesa, the company also has a new management team of tabletop veterans and designers from other fields, to give the company a new direction while still maintaining its focus as an innovative, market-driven company. Pertinent Partnerships/Licensing Agreements • QVC teamed up with Robert Lee Morris to present the RLM Home Collection. QVC also partnered with celebrity party planner David Tutera on a tabletop entertaining collection. • Pimpernel, under its parent company Portmeirion, showcased co-branded collections from three art licensing agreements, with The Saturday Evening Post, Historic Charleston and Ciao Bella. • Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. and Wedgwood launched the Martha Stewart Collection with Wedgwood, a co-branded line, exclusively at Macy’s. • The Zrike Company formed a licensing partnership with the Campbell Soup Co., and in celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary, Zrike also refocused on its namesake brand with the launch of the R.W. Zrike Signature Collection. •Housewares International (HWI) inked a licensing deal to be the exclusive distributor of Laura Ashley-branded tabletop in North America. The partnership, according to Cliff Clive, CEO/HWI North America, is part of a “corporate strategy to start offering more premium-priced items.” • Jay Import merged with TeaSeaCo to further strengthen Jay’s charger program, according to the company. Jay also unveiled two new licensing partnerships, with dinnerware company Homer Laughlin China to offer melamine trays under the Fiesta brand, and bed and bath company Royal Velvet. • Lunt Silversmiths partnered with the New York Botanical Garden to debut licensed tabletop and giftware lines: Flora, Fauna and Graphic Garden. • Anchor Hocking partnered with Stone America Licensing with the goal of maximizing the brand, said the company. New Tabletop Brands And Resources • Sherill Manufacturing, the only U.S. manufacturer of stainless steel flatware, manufacturing exclusively for Oneida since 2005, opened up its capabilities to the general marketplace. • Fox Run Craftsmen, a manufacturer and importer of kitchen accessories throughout North America, penned an exclusive North American distribution agreement with Australia’s Argyle, a worldwide leader in wine accessories, according to Fox Run. According to Fox Run, Argyle helped fill a void of quality, commercial-grade wine accessory tools at the U.S. mid-market pricepoint level. • Stir, a gift line launched by parent company Formation Inc., showcased new giftable and interactive ceramic mugs. • Lifetime Brands introduced new brands and sub-brands in 2008. Within its flatware and hollowware division, Lifetime unveiled the sub-brands Towle Living and Wallace Home, both of which are targeted toward a more contemporary audience than its core Towle and Wallace brands. Lifetime also utilized its Casa Moda brand to introduce the brand’s first-ever dinnerware lines. Lifetime also launched the sub-brand Pfaltzgraff Everyday, which includes the core brand’s same “traditional” design sensibility, but is offered at an opening pricepoint. Noteworthy Introductions • BIA Cordon Bleu launched Malibu, its first collection of solid color dinnerware. Malibu’s color palette features cool autumn and warm spring colors, as well as black and white. • Zak Designs unveiled its Walt Disney Signature collection, tableware and serveware inspired by the “life and era” of Walt Disney. Zak also developed Spotlight, a line of polycarbonate beverageware, to accompany the line. • Homer Laughlin China expanded its iconic Fiesta dinnerware line to include a new square shape. Also, in preparation for its 75th anniversary in 2011, the company launched celebratory limited edition pieces in Fiesta’s anniversary color— Marigold. New Fiesta colors for 2008 included Ivory and Chocolate. • ARC International expanded its North American Luminarc dinnerware assortment, offering Luminarc’s opal glass and sourced porcelain and stoneware dinnerware for the first time domestically. • Oneida made a statement in solid color dinnerware with its food preparation-based Culinaria line. Another important launch for Oneida was its newly defined Patterns Forever bridal flatware program (formerly called Patterns For a Lifetime), which ensures enrollees that registered patterns will always be available. • Luigi Bormioli unveiled an unprecedented 25-year guarantee on two new lead-free crystal glassware lines. • Tabletops Unlimited (TTU) celebrated its 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the company introduced a new logo and slogan, which according to the company, better reflect TTU’s current identity as a one-stop resource for a wide range of retail channels and a broad range of housewares categories. • Corelle debuted its Simplicity collection, which brought new form and functionality to the brand with a central focus on serving and entertaining. Entering New Categories • Holstein Housewares debuted a new category in 2008: coffee ware. Holstein introduced stainless steel and aluminum stovetop coffeemakers and sets to coordinate with its dinnerware patterns, as well as new coffee sets in white porcelain. • Metrokane unveiled its Rabbit barware line. The line centered around 2008 Housewares Design Award winner, Flip-Top Cocktail Shaker,. • Wilton Armetale debuted its first-ever ceramic dinnerware and glassware— Motif Ceramicware and Bello Vaso. • Libbey rolled out its Selene line, the company’s first comprehensive serveware launch. The company saw Selene as a natural extension of its glass tableware focused on entertaining. • TTU added a new category to its coordinated “Prep, Cook, Serve” strategy, making its grand entrée into the flatware segment with 51 designs. • Nambé unveiled Baby Nambé, the company’s first foray into the baby gift segment. Nambée also introduced its first wood serveware lines, some that integrate Nambé’s signature alloy. • Lenox expanded its Simply Fine line to include flatware and décor. • Pacific Market International’s Aladdin brand introduced its first line expressly designed for specialty retail. Aladdin’s Novo collection represents Aladdin’s first entry into porcelain and also its first venture into at home-related products, according to the company. • Precidio, known for its melamine and acrylic lines, added bamboo serveware and placemats, glass serveware, and ceramic dinnerware. ‘Green’ & Health Conscious Health concerns and pending legislation over the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), played a major role in thermal beverageware and water bottle debuts. Many companies spotlighted “BPA-free” alternative items, including products made with Eastman Tritan copolyester. • Thermos, in conjunction with the introduction of its “BPA-free” Intak adult hydration bottles at Target, launched an interactive consumer campaign to educate consumers on the importance of proper hydration. • PMI’s Aladdin made both a green and health-conscious statement by introducing Sustain by Aladdin, collections made from BPA-free and recycled/recyclable materials. • Anchor Hocking unveiled a new logo and corporate theme centered around its “Raise a Glass to Planet Earth” initiative. Anchor has also been conducting an internal audit to find ways to reduce the company’s environmental impact. • Three companies brought the “eco-friendly” movement into dinnerware in 2008, with bamboo fiber-based bio-composites. Newcomer EcoLogic introduced its first line of sustainable dinnerware. Gibson debuted its Eco-Friendly Home collection, which consists of a large percentage of bamboo fiber and plant-based coupling agents. Gibson’s Eco-Friendly Home also uses a “green factory,” the company said. Melaboo, dinnerware from Base Brands’ Reduce series, consists of 60% bamboo and 40% melamine compounds and is said to have the look and weight of stoneware.