Kevin Hung Blog

New Handbaskets

I love these new handbaskets that have recently debuted in a NYC drug store chain.  This evolved handbasket not only is more comfortable and easy to move for consumers, but it is deeper, and therefore can carry more items, thereby also encouraging higher ticket sizes for the store as one’s shopping is now no longer limited to how much weight one can carry up to the register. 

Cooking Oil

Another home-based solution to a common problem yet to be solved by the product manufacturers in their packaging.  The paper towel secured by the rubber-band effectively absorbs the dribble of oil which always leaks down the bottle after each use which over time, collectively renders the bottle extremely unpleasant to touch.

Snack Traps

All parents recognize the need for a container which allows their toddlers to gain access to finger foods yet also is secure enough so that the food is not constantly being spilled . The device here does exactly that and while simple in design is also brilliant at solving the unmet need in the market

Chicken

A great example of a supermarket listening to its customers. Most customers buy large amounts of ingredients in order to take advantage of lower costs by buying at bulk. Additionally, sometimes the smallest unit one can buy certain goods is too much for one serving. Therefore, consumers when they get home from the market, must go through the arduous task of separating food into single serving sizes and putting away the unused portions into a freezer-safe container for storage. This task is always done with raw meat products (such as chicken breasts). The supermarket at which we shop now offers chicken (as well as other meat), separated into single servings and individually wrapped in freezer safe materials thereby eliminating this monotonous and annoying post-grocery store visit routine.

Food Culture

I was recently in a Benihana-type restaurant where the chefs prepare your food in front of you while performing a series of choreographed sophisticated moves involving cutlery, fire and ingredients. As I enjoyed my meal, it reminded me of a paper I wrote in business school that investigated the fast food industry’s entrance into the Asian market. One of the initial cultural stumbling blocks that the industry faced when first operating in Asian countries was the rejection of the “service with a smile” concept.  A friendly, happy and smiling wait staff is something that Americans have come to expect when we enter into any kind of restaurant. To the shock of the original fast food pioneers in Asia, customers in that part of the world did not want to see happy and smiling workers in a restaurant. Rather, they preferred to see serious and concentrated workers as they felt food preparation (and any other profession actually) was a serious role, not to be taken lightly. Customer expectations were to see workers diligently fulfilling their roles. Smiling would have implied people having too much fun at work and therefore, lower quality products and service.  Needless to say, this is no longer the case but I can only imagine how Asian customers would have reacted if they encountered a restaurant with chefs telling jokes and juggling utensils with food while preparing their dishes.

Great Kebabs

Plain and simple, at the end of the day, if you have a great product, customers will find you and reward you with their business.