As the U.S. faces another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the holidays approaching, consumers are rethinking their holiday celebrations. Because it may be difficult to meet in person, shoppers are turning to food gifting to share comfort and joy with their loved ones.
SFA News Daily spoke with Greg Sarley, SVP of merchandising at Harry & David, about the importance of food gifting this year and how the retailer is catering to consumers’ needs during this increasingly difficult time.
What will food gifting look like for the holidays?
At Harry & David, we believe that food gifting is primed to have a very good season as customers look for ways to connect with others and express caring thoughts, now more than ever. With people traveling less, specialty food retailers are well positioned this holiday season to help customers celebrate—whether together or apart.
We are seeing customers migrate more to specialty gifts packaged in unique containers that include a combination of products from chocolate truffles, fruit, and baked goods. In addition to offering gifts with an assortment of sentiments such as “Happy Holidays,” “Happy Hanukkah,” and “Merry Christmas,” we are offering customization options as customers look to put their own stamp on the gift.
In this environment, business gifting has taken on new importance as well. As the mainstream of the country's workforce continues to work remotely, businesses of all sizes are looking for ways to create a culture of recognition, appreciation, and engagement from afar that deepens relationships with employees, clients, and others. To help with this, we have just introduced a new platform for corporate gifting that enables business customers to seamlessly access the extensive offerings across our entire family of brands.
Is Harry & David doing anything special or different this year to accommodate customers' changing situations due to the pandemic?
We have bought deeper into trending categories, including our Harry & David Gourmet line, as we expect customers to having smaller gatherings due to the current health crisis. Our heat-and-serve meals that are part of this collection are great for any type of small gathering.
We’ve also ramped up our indulgent line of chocolates and desserts as we have seen great impact to these products since the pandemic began, and we anticipate these to be popular choices this season.
At the heart of it, we’re helping our customers create more meaningful and deeper connections through our product offerings.
What do you expect to be popular with customers this season?
Heading into this holiday season, the entire Harry & David Gourmet offering has been exceptionally in demand with customers; particularly comfort foods, easy to prepare meals, and wine, as well as meats, seafood, and charcuterie. However, as people continue to seek ways to stay healthy, our fresh fruit products have also been successful.
Care packages and gift baskets have also been something our customers are gravitating toward. People are looking for ways to connect to friends and loved ones who they might not be able to celebrate with the same way they have in the past.
Related: Nielsen Identifies Types of Holiday Shoppers; Retailers Prepare Early for Smaller Thanksgiving Feasts.
from Specialty Food News https://ift.tt/36kD3Qd
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