Less is more in tabletop trends

Tabletop has been among the categories most impacted by the recent years of turmoil in housewares, whether by deflation, fashion, changes in retail merchandising or consumer tastes. Some of what’s happening with tabletop today provides insights into what’s happening to home categories in general.

Fashion plays a role, as well. As producers have been able to provide better goods for less, consumers have been encouraged to swap out faster. That can be a good thing, but it also means that consumers may have less interest in investing in high price, high margin goods crafted to last for many years.

While the Internet has encouraged a revival in the china business in the mass market by providing information and convenient registries, many consumers have gone casual and low price. The response of some vendors has been to become ever more fashionable and get more frequent swap-outs.

At the recent Tabletop Show, Gibson Overseas responded to the consumer trend of bringing nature indoors in a program dubbed Earth and Sky. Among the style updates was a shift to Moroccan designs, in part because of the earthy colors and from-nature patterns the look offered. Another response has been to introduce more casual styles in higher end goods for those shoppers who don’t like to be formal, but who have the discretionary income to be a little fancier.

Williamsburg, in a licensing agreement with flatware producer Reed & Barton, introduced two new flatware patterns at the Tabletop Show, combining traditional and contemporary elements, as with other recent Williamsburg products. Palace Orchard and Peyton, the new designs, complement previously launched Gloucester Shell to fill out an initial collection. Williamsburg and Reed & Barton have plans to expand the line along the same stylistic guidelines.

Some vendors are responding to a consumer who might be less inclined to spend on the home by promoting their particular segments through retail oriented initiatives. This is not to compete with their customers, said Oneida’s chief marketing officer David Sank, but to generate more consumer interest in their particular segments. Two new Oneida outlet stores in Dawsonville, Ga., and Kittery, Maine, will act as design showcases for the company and a test of merchandising, particularly flatware merchandising on horizontal surfaces, that will encourage consumers to think more about design and fashion in tabletop goods.

Oneida also has enhanced its online presentation, again to prompt additional consumer interest. “The first concern is building brand relevance,” Sank said. “We’re going to look at marketing mix [and] the dollars it takes to drive brand relevance. Online is a very efficient way to do that.”

E-commerce is available but is a secondary initiative and partly there to provide a broader array of patterns than is carried at retail. Oneida will continue to be a resource to retailers first, Sank said.