Text Box: TABLEWARE TODAY INTERVIEW PAUL GEBHARDT  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      
 

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Text Box: Large tabletop operations, in particular, are struggling these days. We’ve always been in a dominant position in flatware and have been fortunate to add the dinnerware component which has a growth perspective. We also now have a housewares component where we were once solely an upstairs resource, so now we offer a full range of categories. But it’s still a challenge, right? Overall business is down in tabletop, but we have many new programs which create excitement. For instance? Patterns Forever pledges our flatware will be available forever which is a powerful commitment. When a bride signs up for an Oneida pattern we want to make sure she can get it forever. That’s what they want. We listened to brides and delivered a program that was meaningful. So patterns Oneida discontinues will continue to be available no matter how small the order? Yes. We also developed packaging and fixturing around the program that speaks directly to the bride about our commitment. We’ve worked on this program for two years. Oneida has always been proactive with fixturing for the retailer. How is the Patterns Forever kiosk different? It shows product particularly well, much like the way we would in a photo studio, taking into account lighting and ease of shopping. It’s a highly evolved fixture that showcases our flatware. The bride can quickly scan the entire surface to see 24 patterns and make an aesthetic decision in a short and efficient time. It doesn’t make it difficult for her to sort out. Then she can pull out a drawer under each place setting where she finds the packaged product to take home. The product doesn’t have to live somewhere else in a backroom. It’s all right there for her. Are retailers still interested in vendor fixturing? If it’s done correctly. The right bridal fixture is very powerful at a time when we need to enhance the retail environment. This is our solution. What else is Oneida doing to shake up the category? Our new product introductions are much more focused on themes that fit a woman’s lifestyle more than ever before. We’re not holding back on new product development. This fall we launched 12 new flatware patterns into our assortments. This was driven by retailers’ needs for variety. So retailers dictated these changes? We always listen to our retail accounts. We want our retailers to stand out so we look at ways to make one retailer different from another. That’s certainly a significant change from when I first got to Oneida in 1983, the heady bridal days when everyone had the same patterns and shared the same programs. Is Oneida producing more exclusive designs? It’s a growing part of our business. Retailers are previewing our patterns much more than in the past. We want their perspective as soon as we have something to show them. It helps us get alignment with them and better placement for our products. What’s Oneida’s share of the flatware market? It’s 27%. At one time when the stainless market exploded, we had a disproportionate share of the business before the rest of the industry got in. There’s a lot of people in stainless now, but Oneida is still the gold standard.