Spice Up Your Strategy for Selling Household Items

Whether you love cooking, aim to have a spotless house or just want the basics in your home, chances are you have a favorite household item. People easily remember brands that are promoted on their favorite items, or even the ones they use on a regular basis. Therefore, kitchen and household products are a great way to provide end-users with items that can become the go-to in their homes.

We spoke with Daniel Kielman, vice president of sales for American Made Cutlery, Waverly, Iowa; and Lisa Bascom, vice president for Amerifoam – The House of Foam, Brooklyn, Mich., to learn how to increase sales with kitchen and household promotional products.

Wide Selection to Add-on Collection
Selection, quality and pricing are three areas distributors can focus on at the same time, without causing unnecessary stress. Kielman mentioned that end-users love adding onto their collection, so providing a wide selection is important here.

“We concentrate on making the best kitchen knives and cooking utensils,” Kielman said. “Buyers gravitate to items that fit their budget or promotion. The extensive selection allows for continuity gifts over years––both the customer and the distributor can appreciate the easy selection process each year. And, customers enjoy adding to their collection.”

Distributors should look toward items that end-users will use on a regular basis, like this Tomato Slicer from American Made Cutlery.

However, that doesn’t mean quality should be compromised. Make sure products are strong and durable—otherwise, they will collect dust instead
of impressions.

Bascom said some of Amerifoam’s most popular products are all-purpose cleaning scrubbers.

“The response is overwhelming, because they are guaranteed not to scratch any non-stick surface,” she noted. “These products are very durable and hold up for several months. They can be easily disinfected in the dishwasher. With granite and stainless on the rise, these scrubbers are strong enough to deep clean, but not too abrasive to damage.”

Innovative Is the Answer
Have you ever been in a store and saw a unique item that caught your interest and made you give it a try just because you had never seen or used one before? You know the answer: Of course! A great way to stand out and attract more people’s attention is to provide innovative items. These items might even end up becoming your best sellers. American Made Cutlery’s current popular products include “paring knives, steak knives and the Carving Set,” Kielman said.

“The Tomato Knife is our second bestselling item because most homes don’t own one, and because the wide serrations provide an amazing cutting experience––for tomatoes, green peppers, onions––all types of foods!”

Therefore, distributors shouldn’t fear the introduction of new products and go for it.

Samples, Samples, Samples
When people are uncertain whether to buy a product or not, sample giveaways can help to ease any doubts.

“When giving away these items as samples and then getting such positive feedback from customers, the buzz on them is amazing,” Bascom said.

Samples give end-buyers a firsthand experience and impression of the product. And, if it turns out to be enjoyable, they will keep the sample to remember where they got it, and potentially make a purchase.

“The second reaction is when they are being used
and they become the favorite items in the drawer,” Kielman said.
“Oftentimes, they will start to be called by the logo––‘where is the XYZ Bank Knife?’”

Pairing
Another great way to boost sales with kitchen and household products is to pair them with other related items. Any occasion can be a perfect opportunity to introduce a theme and take advantage of this strategy—holidays, the change of season, events and more.

“Every promotion is unique: Pie servers given with pies at Thanksgiving, paring knives given with orchard apples in the fall,” Kielman said. “There are a ton of opportunities for creative tie-ins or catchy phrases, such as ‘slice of the pie’ or ‘cut above.’”
Creativity is the key, but simplicity goes along with it. By simply pairing two items that are related to each other, a whole new promotion can be created that will definitely help to boost your sales.