Demand for specialty bulbs bolsters category margins

Demand for specialty bulbs bolsters category margins

Relais et Chateaux has 150 distinctiveestablishments in France. Most are hidden away in lovely countryside; a few are in towns, like the Hotel Jules-Cesar, which is in an ancient convent in Arles.For him, managing a single kitchen is little different from managing the 2,600-room Hawaiian Village resort or a division of 18 properties or the entire far-flung Hilton empire.D.C., Hilton. 1967: Executive chef, food and beverageBorn: January 1938, Neustadt, Germany. Education: Hotel Baeren, Titisse,Wherever you choose to stay, you'll get awarm welcome from the operators or owners. You can enjoy the chateau's parks and gardens, sleep in elegant rooms, and usually dine in style on the specialties of the region.For details, see a travel agent or contactBeraud and Diane de Vogue, 3425 W. Monte Vista Ave., Visalia, Calif. 93277; (209) 733-7119. The de Vogues have visited the rooms offered by both groups, and can supply catalogs, answer questions, and handle reservations; they can also reserve space in apartments in Paris and houses in towns and in the country.Clearly, Kleiser has the eyes. And, as his Silver Plate Award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association suggests, he has something more as well: the vision.When he heard of an opening at the Waldorf, he took a 50-percent pay cut to jump to the Hilton-owned property and, except for a stint cooking at Le Pavilion under Andre Soule, he has been with the company ever since.F&M Distributors in November decided to carry two brands and added GTE-Sylvania to its everyday assortment of GE. The move gives the consumer a choice, says Patty Coyle, buyer.Drug chains increasingly are spotlighting the light bulb department by adding specialty and decorative bulbs and promoting them. That trend, combined with the frequent promotion of standard A-line bulbs often at near loss-leader prices, has made light bulbs a top traffic and profit producer among the chains' general merchandise categories."The hotel business is all details," says Kleiser, senior vice president of food and beverage at Hilton Hotels Corp. "From the carpeting to the chandeliers, you've got to have good eyes to see the little things."

(Albertsons last year moved to GE, bumping Philips, another sign of the aggressive account-churning that has beset this category).