Silicone: Stretching Categories
By Michelle Moran
MAY 01, 2007 --
Years ago, if someone mentioned silicone, the word implant probably came to mind. But today, silicone products have found a comfortable home in the kitchen and warrant a healthy merchandising story in your store. As mass merchants continue to develop their own silicone presence, educating your customers on the high-quality attributes of well-manufactured silicone products will bode well for success in the category.
A Flexible Foundation
Food-grade silicone is rapidly finding a place on store shelves and finally in consumers' kitchens. First there was the roll-up nonstick baking mat, followed by spatulas, whisks and other small accessories. Now, there's a whole range of eye-pleasing, brightly colored pans for baking muffins, various shaped cakes and breads. There's even a silicone rolling pin to complete the nonstick, silicone baking experience. Add to that recent innovations such as tagines, personal steamers, double boilers, lemon squeezers and even sushi rollers.
The basic understanding for consumers who are still trying to grasp the benefits of bakeware (which still can be the hardest selling area for silicone at retail) is that silicone bakeware is made of FDA-approved food-grade silicone, and should denote this on the packaging label. Each piece of silicone has its own limitation as to manufacturer-recommended maximum oven temperature, and this is usually stamped right on the product.
Silicone bakeware is engineered to commercial standards using a heavier, denser, more durable silicone combined with structural supports. Silicone bakeware uses a unique patented high-gloss, nonstick finish. It will not retain odors or flavors. It is oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. It's resistant to boiling water. It has excellent release properties. It's non-toxic, hypoallergenic, does not promote bacteria or fungus growth, and it does not transmit taste to food.
Silicone bakeware can be folded for easy, space-saving storage. Using commercial standards, silicone bakeware is designed for even heat distribution and baking and quick, even cooling. Silicone bakeware can go from -58°F up to 675°F from freezer to oven.
Silicone is basically made up of silicon, a natural element present in sand, quartz and rock, which, after oxygen, is the most abundant element on earth. Silicon is transformed into silicone when combined with oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.
While the quality of the silicone base is the first and foremost important element to the final product, manufacturers use a variety of catalysts from silicone to peroxide. The post-curing process is the second most important component in the making of silicone bakeware and tools. High-quality manufacturers do not use fillers in their manufacturing.
"Silicone material has great properties in terms of its ability to take color, flexibility, material memory and heat resistance, which are all great characteristics for products used around the kitchen," explained Sascha Kaposi, product design manager for Progressive International. "We expect to see more products that find smart ways of combining silicone with other materials to add rigidity or other functions that pure silicone could not accomplish."
While many home chefs have embraced this newest material for bakeware products, some of us have been slightly reluctant to depart from traditional metal and glass baking pans that have stood the test of time, long enough to even test drive a silicone pan. Manufacturers have been very quick to allay our fears of folding pans and overflowing batter, by designing optional or companion racks or "sleds" that provide the much-needed stability especially for the larger pans.
Trevor Godwin, housewares buyer for Andronico's Market in Albany, Calif., said that silicone products have been extremely successful at retail.
"When we first started our silicone bakeware with SiliconeZone, there was some hesitancy by our customers. However, our department managers helped educate potential customers and, to really get the ball rolling, we offered a money-back guarantee if they were not satisfied. As far as I know, no one returned anything," he said. "Since silicone products are offered by everyone these days, it's hard to not carry them and for customers not to buy them. While some silicone products make sense, others are purely 'fad' in my opinion. To this day, I mostly stick to the vendors that, I feel, really got the trend going; Le Creuset, SiliconeZone and iSi."
At Andronico's locations, most silicone sales come from the spatula side of the business; trailing close behind are muffin trays followed by basting brushes.
"We used to have a complete section of silicone items which was nice but if a customer was not interested or wasn't sure about it, they would pass it up. So, I put the silicone bakeware in with the regular bakeware set," Godwin said. "I found that this not only brightens up the otherwise mundane display by integrating it, but it also boosted sales in the silicone category."
Consumers love the category for a variety of reasons. Color attracts some as well as the tactile response it generates. Others are drawn to it because of the inherent nonstick qualities combined with its flexibility. The promise of being able to peel out a cake, or have your muffins slip out without being coaxed by a knife, is appealing to say the least. Theoretically, you can do away with greasing and flouring (although some makers of the bakeware suggest you still do so if the recipe requires it), making it an ideal tool for low-fat baking.
Stretching Categories
Silicone accessories were once delegated to be add-ons to existing categories within retail. And although they can still be merchandised to complement any category in the store, silicone products have become a category in their own right. There's been and continues to be a lot of product innovation.
"There is certainly a lot more diversity out there, and silicone products have gone way beyond the traditional uses for bakeware, brushes and pot mitts," Kaposi said. "There are many new categories on the horizon. We will definitely see innovative uses of this stuff, not just silicone by itself but silicone combined with other materials. There is a whole new world that opens to us when you combine silicone with other materials such as stainless steel, nylon and even hard silicone."
Kaposi continued, "The folding collapsible products took off and sparked a whole new wave of innovative thinking around this category to address a growing need for compact storage solutions."
Manufacturers are focusing more and more on the flexibility of silicone to continue to build new innovations and categories. Kapose explained the only thing that silicone struggles with is cut resistance.
"Once it has a tear, it will continue to tear unless it has a substructure to help such as the Silpat mats that have the woven structure inside. That was a really smart thing to do because it makes it tear-resistant — like putting rebar in cement," he added. "We expect to see continued innovation with silicone kitchenware products."
Taylor Erkkinen of The Brooklyn Kitchen, in Brooklyn, N.Y., said his customers are still a bit skeptical about silicone baking products. Still, as a category, silicone is "coming into its own."
"Manufacturers are focusing more on product design that takes advantage of the material's properties rather than trying to mimic other materials, which I think had been the case three years ago," Erkkinen said. "I'm having greater success with pieces like spoon rests, which are simple to use and keep clean, than with baking shapes. My customers are still skeptical about this new material, but I find accessories — SiliconeZone Easy Lid and Grid potholder — are outselling bakeware." Some of his best-selling products are the Silpat and FusionBrands' Poach Pods.
"These products could not be done in any other material, and really are becoming more vital than novelty," Erkkinen added.
Erkkinen cautioned that manufacturers have to give a lot of thought about products during the design phase. Just because something is being made in silicone doesn't mean it will sell. It has to make sense. There are some classic cookware pieces being created in silicone today that Erkkinen believes won't translate at retail.
"The best silicone pieces are ones that really work best in silicone," Erkkinen added. "The colanders and measuring pieces work well in silicone because the material gives the piece the ability to compress."
Sharon Franke, kitchen appliances & technology director at The Good Housekeeping Research Institute, refers to silicone as the "penicillin of the housewares industry" with manufacturers claiming it cured just about every kitchen problem.
"Pastry brushes are my particular favorite — no more sticky, rancid, falling-out bristles to deal with. At this year's IH&H Show, I loved SiliconeZone's new pot holders and can't wait to put them to the test in our labs and use them at home," Franke continued.
In the last few years, silicone has really started to show up in a lot of products because of its versatility. Marketing experts point out that there are a few simple things that retailers can be doing to educate their customers. The first step is educating their sales associates. These are the people who will help a consumer make the decision. If the associate doesn't know why silicone should be the choice over another material, then there is no way they can sell it.
Another way to gain consumer awareness is through stories. Create a silicone story and make a real statement. If the retailer has a section on silicone, a promotional display or even an end cap — this will call attention to the material. Then add a shelf talker or display piece that describes or visually shows the consumer the benefits of silicone. Silicone is definitely a material that will be around for a while, and consumer education is key to keeping it successful.
By Michelle Moran
MAY 01, 2007 --
Years ago, if someone mentioned silicone, the word implant probably came to mind. But today, silicone products have found a comfortable home in the kitchen and warrant a healthy merchandising story in your store. As mass merchants continue to develop their own silicone presence, educating your customers on the high-quality attributes of well-manufactured silicone products will bode well for success in the category.
A Flexible Foundation
Food-grade silicone is rapidly finding a place on store shelves and finally in consumers' kitchens. First there was the roll-up nonstick baking mat, followed by spatulas, whisks and other small accessories. Now, there's a whole range of eye-pleasing, brightly colored pans for baking muffins, various shaped cakes and breads. There's even a silicone rolling pin to complete the nonstick, silicone baking experience. Add to that recent innovations such as tagines, personal steamers, double boilers, lemon squeezers and even sushi rollers.
The basic understanding for consumers who are still trying to grasp the benefits of bakeware (which still can be the hardest selling area for silicone at retail) is that silicone bakeware is made of FDA-approved food-grade silicone, and should denote this on the packaging label. Each piece of silicone has its own limitation as to manufacturer-recommended maximum oven temperature, and this is usually stamped right on the product.
Silicone bakeware is engineered to commercial standards using a heavier, denser, more durable silicone combined with structural supports. Silicone bakeware uses a unique patented high-gloss, nonstick finish. It will not retain odors or flavors. It is oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. It's resistant to boiling water. It has excellent release properties. It's non-toxic, hypoallergenic, does not promote bacteria or fungus growth, and it does not transmit taste to food.
Silicone bakeware can be folded for easy, space-saving storage. Using commercial standards, silicone bakeware is designed for even heat distribution and baking and quick, even cooling. Silicone bakeware can go from -58°F up to 675°F from freezer to oven.
Silicone is basically made up of silicon, a natural element present in sand, quartz and rock, which, after oxygen, is the most abundant element on earth. Silicon is transformed into silicone when combined with oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.
While the quality of the silicone base is the first and foremost important element to the final product, manufacturers use a variety of catalysts from silicone to peroxide. The post-curing process is the second most important component in the making of silicone bakeware and tools. High-quality manufacturers do not use fillers in their manufacturing.
"Silicone material has great properties in terms of its ability to take color, flexibility, material memory and heat resistance, which are all great characteristics for products used around the kitchen," explained Sascha Kaposi, product design manager for Progressive International. "We expect to see more products that find smart ways of combining silicone with other materials to add rigidity or other functions that pure silicone could not accomplish."
While many home chefs have embraced this newest material for bakeware products, some of us have been slightly reluctant to depart from traditional metal and glass baking pans that have stood the test of time, long enough to even test drive a silicone pan. Manufacturers have been very quick to allay our fears of folding pans and overflowing batter, by designing optional or companion racks or "sleds" that provide the much-needed stability especially for the larger pans.
Trevor Godwin, housewares buyer for Andronico's Market in Albany, Calif., said that silicone products have been extremely successful at retail.
"When we first started our silicone bakeware with SiliconeZone, there was some hesitancy by our customers. However, our department managers helped educate potential customers and, to really get the ball rolling, we offered a money-back guarantee if they were not satisfied. As far as I know, no one returned anything," he said. "Since silicone products are offered by everyone these days, it's hard to not carry them and for customers not to buy them. While some silicone products make sense, others are purely 'fad' in my opinion. To this day, I mostly stick to the vendors that, I feel, really got the trend going; Le Creuset, SiliconeZone and iSi."
At Andronico's locations, most silicone sales come from the spatula side of the business; trailing close behind are muffin trays followed by basting brushes.
"We used to have a complete section of silicone items which was nice but if a customer was not interested or wasn't sure about it, they would pass it up. So, I put the silicone bakeware in with the regular bakeware set," Godwin said. "I found that this not only brightens up the otherwise mundane display by integrating it, but it also boosted sales in the silicone category."
Consumers love the category for a variety of reasons. Color attracts some as well as the tactile response it generates. Others are drawn to it because of the inherent nonstick qualities combined with its flexibility. The promise of being able to peel out a cake, or have your muffins slip out without being coaxed by a knife, is appealing to say the least. Theoretically, you can do away with greasing and flouring (although some makers of the bakeware suggest you still do so if the recipe requires it), making it an ideal tool for low-fat baking.
Stretching Categories
Silicone accessories were once delegated to be add-ons to existing categories within retail. And although they can still be merchandised to complement any category in the store, silicone products have become a category in their own right. There's been and continues to be a lot of product innovation.
"There is certainly a lot more diversity out there, and silicone products have gone way beyond the traditional uses for bakeware, brushes and pot mitts," Kaposi said. "There are many new categories on the horizon. We will definitely see innovative uses of this stuff, not just silicone by itself but silicone combined with other materials. There is a whole new world that opens to us when you combine silicone with other materials such as stainless steel, nylon and even hard silicone."
Kaposi continued, "The folding collapsible products took off and sparked a whole new wave of innovative thinking around this category to address a growing need for compact storage solutions."
Manufacturers are focusing more and more on the flexibility of silicone to continue to build new innovations and categories. Kapose explained the only thing that silicone struggles with is cut resistance.
"Once it has a tear, it will continue to tear unless it has a substructure to help such as the Silpat mats that have the woven structure inside. That was a really smart thing to do because it makes it tear-resistant — like putting rebar in cement," he added. "We expect to see continued innovation with silicone kitchenware products."
Taylor Erkkinen of The Brooklyn Kitchen, in Brooklyn, N.Y., said his customers are still a bit skeptical about silicone baking products. Still, as a category, silicone is "coming into its own."
"Manufacturers are focusing more on product design that takes advantage of the material's properties rather than trying to mimic other materials, which I think had been the case three years ago," Erkkinen said. "I'm having greater success with pieces like spoon rests, which are simple to use and keep clean, than with baking shapes. My customers are still skeptical about this new material, but I find accessories — SiliconeZone Easy Lid and Grid potholder — are outselling bakeware." Some of his best-selling products are the Silpat and FusionBrands' Poach Pods.
"These products could not be done in any other material, and really are becoming more vital than novelty," Erkkinen added.
Erkkinen cautioned that manufacturers have to give a lot of thought about products during the design phase. Just because something is being made in silicone doesn't mean it will sell. It has to make sense. There are some classic cookware pieces being created in silicone today that Erkkinen believes won't translate at retail.
"The best silicone pieces are ones that really work best in silicone," Erkkinen added. "The colanders and measuring pieces work well in silicone because the material gives the piece the ability to compress."
Sharon Franke, kitchen appliances & technology director at The Good Housekeeping Research Institute, refers to silicone as the "penicillin of the housewares industry" with manufacturers claiming it cured just about every kitchen problem.
"Pastry brushes are my particular favorite — no more sticky, rancid, falling-out bristles to deal with. At this year's IH&H Show, I loved SiliconeZone's new pot holders and can't wait to put them to the test in our labs and use them at home," Franke continued.
In the last few years, silicone has really started to show up in a lot of products because of its versatility. Marketing experts point out that there are a few simple things that retailers can be doing to educate their customers. The first step is educating their sales associates. These are the people who will help a consumer make the decision. If the associate doesn't know why silicone should be the choice over another material, then there is no way they can sell it.
Another way to gain consumer awareness is through stories. Create a silicone story and make a real statement. If the retailer has a section on silicone, a promotional display or even an end cap — this will call attention to the material. Then add a shelf talker or display piece that describes or visually shows the consumer the benefits of silicone. Silicone is definitely a material that will be around for a while, and consumer education is key to keeping it successful.