Appealing to Appetites October 29, 2008 Entrees to Excellence serves up gourmet food gifts to corporate clients
By Jeanie Casison
Food and wine always rank high on the list of preferred presents. Despite the dismal economy, people still have to eat and Entrees to Excellence in Shorewood, Illinois is experiencing a surge in orders for its gourmet gifts, reporting a 19 percent increase in sales over last year.
Entrees to Excellence President Larry Wagener credits the need for comfort during tough times to the popularity of his company’s products which include complete dinners, gift baskets, chocolates, coffees, teas, and to top it all off, custom cigars.
"When people are feeling down about their 401k, their job, or what is happening in the economy, they naturally turn to food. It makes them feel better. By giving food, a company is sending the message, 'We understand how you feel, and we want to make you feel better by showing how much we appreciate you,'" Wagener says.
Currently, corporate clients are clamoring for The Camelot Combo, a top seller featuring New York strip steaks, Filet Mignon, rib eye steaks, T-bones, pork chops and steak burgers. "Incentive award buyers understand that premium meats presented in high quality packaging have a high perceived value. Specifically, our Camelot Combo includes an assortment of the most popular cuts, such as the Filets and the strip steaks. In the rewards programs that we participate in, it is our number one redeemer. More and more people are redeeming for that package, which reinforces the idea that it has a high perceived value," Wagener says.
Other items that are doing especially well for Entrees to Excellence are the Filet Mignon assortments and the Edible Inspirations Gift Certificate Program that allows participants to choose from a selection of gourmet items. As for customization, Entrees to Excellence introduced a new steak box which can be custom imprinted with a company name, at the Motivation Show earlier this year. Embossing of wine bottles and imprinted ribbons for gift baskets are also available.
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