New Retail Concepts

CNN published a list of hot retailers for 2007 and beyond. So, I thought I'd take a look at two of the concepts.

Teavana looks interesting, as they are hoping to carve out their own niche with tea, similar to what Starbucks has done with coffee. Tea is consumed at a much lower rate domestically versus many other nations. So, there appears to be potential there. With that said, it seems like it would be easy enough for Starbucks to move into this space. So, the question is, can they create a discerning enough group of tea drinkers? Time will tell.

Dream Dinners is another intriguing one. On one hand, time-strapped parents may appreciate a concept that allows them to prepare meals that are closer to "home cooked." On the other, it seems stuck between "to go" food that you can pick up at restaurants and frozen meals that are already available in grocery stores. In both cases, they require less preparation time. While it's an interesting concept, I have my doubts on how successful it'll ultimately be.