Market Watch:
In the toughest recession since World War II, sales of Cutco Cutlery are remaining sharp, as profiled in a February 6, 2009 article in the newspaper The Californian titled, “Recession? Apparently not for Kitchen Knife Sales”.
The article profiled the Temecula, California sales office of Cutco Cutlery, the largest kitchen cutlery manufacturer in North America, and Jack Gillette, a full-time college student and sales rep for Cutco’s sales division, Vector Marketing.
The 60-year-old company sells its products through a national network of college students, who sell through in-home personal demonstrations. The company trains approximately 40,000 students a year, providing them with valuable skills that serve them well in future careers.
According to the article, the Temecula, California office has sold $537,000 in Cutco Cutlery since the office opened last May, and sales are up so far this year in the company’s Western Region.
Among the people interviewed for the article was SDSU (San Diego State University) real estate professor Mark Goldman, who sold Cutco knives while a college student in the early 1970s.
“It was a tremendous experience,” he said. “I learned fundamental sales and presentation skills that have helped me in everything I have done.”
Screenshot from The Californian