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Sales Philosophy
Every cheese at DeLaurenti is cut and wrapped to order. “The theory behind that is that we hand sell,” says Rizzo. “It’s a great way to introduce customers to new cheeses. We’re free with samples. And I think they get a better product that way, and more knowledge. You’re educating every person who steps up to the counter.” Current ChallengesWhile she is enthusiastic about domestic artisan cheeses, Rizzo is frustrated by her inability to get some into her store at a competitive price. If the producer doesn’t have a distributor, Rizzo must purchase direct and pay for shipping, driving up the cost.
What’s Hot Now
“Anything with sheep’s milk,” Rizzo explains, “and I think it’s because the people behind the counter are selling it. The top seller is Gran Cru Pecorino from Academia Barilla. It’s approachable, crowd pleasing and the price is $19.99 a pound. Right in the middle.”
Trendspotting
Spanish cheeses have caught on in the store, says Rizzo, and she has recently introduced some Belgian selections. But the biggest trend is the growth of interest in products from affineurs, those specialists in bringing young cheeses to proper maturity. Source: http://www.specialtyfood.com/do/news/ViewNewsArticle?id=3012-------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt:
I see many bright spots in an otherwise bleak economic forecast for the near future. For one, compared to a lot of other things, cheese is still pretty affordable, especially in light of all the pleasure it can bring to the consumer (like I said, better to sell cheese than Maseratis). Second, cheese has never been more popular, more hip or more talked about in this country. There are other reasons to be optimistic, too. For example, according to figures in Culture, from 1976 to 2006, the population of the United States increased 37 percent, but cheese consumption for the same period increased by 106 percent, almost three times the growth of the country itself. According to the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association's (IDDBA) trend report, What's in Store 2009, the fastest-growing cheese types at retail are specialty cheeses, at about $1 billion, or 12.7 percent of dollars spent in the deli cheese category. What's in Store 2009 also reports that natural cheese sales will continue to rise to about $13 billion, while processed cheese is on its way down in total dollars. Total consumption of dairy products in the United States increased to a staggering 606 pounds per capita in 2006, which, if my math is correct, means that if we eat, on average, 33 pounds each of natural cheese, we are consuming 573 pounds of milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter and various forms of processed cheese each year. Cheese lovers should be heartened by the fact that there are now around 400 artisan cheesemakers in the United States, compared with 100 of them 20 years ago. The result is that the quality of domestically made cheese in the United States has never been greater, rivaling the best from Europe in many cases. Of course, these trend forecasts could well change in the current economic climate, but hopefully, with a strong sales base, even a decrease in the expectations won't have to mean devastation. It simply means that good merchandising will be even more important than usual.
Source: http://www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/content_display/category-features/perishables/e3if2aba79ad08ad34cfbaf3fd96b7285bd
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The cheese business changes and yet it stays essentially the same… And yet it's hard to ignore the trends that affect the industry each year, from new flavors to nutritional advances to public perception. Trends come and go, of course, and one needn't follow them slavishly, but it's a good idea to know what they are and then you can decide which ones have merit and which ones are mere flashes in the pan. For example, in recent years, we've seen the nutritional wave roll from low-fat cheeses to cheeses that can actually lower one's cholesterol to the newest trend of adding probiotics to cheese and other foods. A recent study by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) revealed that 89 percent of those polled define themselves as "cheese lovers," up from 82 percent in 2004. The study also showed that taste far outweighed all other attributes in selecting cheese. Taste aside, however, there are other trends affecting our industry that cheesemongers everywhere should know about.
Source: http://www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/content_display/category-features/perishables/e3ifcb7b0c6e00764404ebd31bf07c321dd
Excerpt:
New York’s Diverse Industry Seeks Room for ExpansionNew York’s cheese culture is nearly as diverse and long-standing as its inhabitants, and many dairy executives exude a sense of pride when talking about the state’s dairy roots. “New York is one of those states where Cheddar cheese is pretty common,” Davis says, adding that McCadam’s Extra Sharp Cheddar took grand prize at last spring’s U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. “But we see good support and acceptance of all our products. New York is a cheese state, and there’s a fair variety to it, whether Italian, American-style or cottage cheese.” With abundant resources and steady demand for a variety of dairy products, most companies are happy to continue calling New York home. “Probably the biggest constraint to significant growth is the lack of land. Coming up with 1,000 to 2,000 acres is hard to do,” says Mark Stephenson, senior extension associate, Cornell Program on Dairy Markets and Policy. Source: http://www.cheesemarketnews.com/
Note: Click on “State of the Industry” in the left-hand column to access article.
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