The Dean and DeLuca Gourmet Store both Online, and Off
Written: May 30 '02 (Updated May 30 '02)
|
| Full Review |
Dean & DeLuca is a gourmet store located in New York City, with branches in St. Helens, CA., Leawood, KS. Charlotte, NC., and Washington, DC. If you ever get the chance to visit a Dean and Deluca near you, then you should, it is always a fun experience.
Dean and DeLuca is pretty unique in that they source some of the finest products available both locally, and internationally. Every store their own agent in judging what’s hot and trendy for their region. The Napa Valley store would feature more fresh produce, and French Laundry type-of cooking, than the store in the Midwest, let’s say.
Price-wise, gourmet food, and gifts do not come cheap. Sometimes it seems ridiculous, especially if the product is something you can manufacture yourself. Ever see the spice rack they had advertised in some magazines? Basically a laboratory wire test tube rack with test tubes filled with fine herbs and spices; it’s $95.00 for a rack of 21 tubes. _insert your favorite interjection here_, e.g., Shit! Shiznat! Jeez! Damn! Mein gott! How easy is it to get on the phone to Fisher Scientific, order the same test tube rack, a bunch of test tubes, corks; filling ‘em up with the $1.00 bulk bottle of spices, and then selling them for significantly less? Well at least they have a good eye for fashion, and design trends, not to mention the help of sharp-eyed buying agents located around the world. Dean and Deluca can get a product onto their store shelves before anyone else can say “Trendy”.
The Online Site
The design of Dean & DeLuca online is simple and uncluttered. There are quick links to the four main categories, Food, Kitchenware, Gifts, and Sale items. A pull-down is also available to quickly to go various subcategories. If you have a catalog on hand, and know what you want, you can also enter the catalog number.
Not all the products that are available in the store, or in the catalog, are available online. The selection offered on the website represents Dean + Deluca’s best, and what they think people most desire, such as Languiole steak knives [FN 1]. Some of the products are exclusive to the website, and not available in their stores.
[FN 1] check out my opinion on Sabatier Languiole-style steak knives at http://www.epinions.com/content_64515444356
Each product is described in less than 40 words conveying all you need to know to judge it VH. A nice photo displayed alongside helps as well. The main reason for believing the product will be as advertised, is Dean and DeLuca’s reputation, as well as a full money back guarantee, or replacement of that product, whichever makes you happy. Products are shipped UPS from their fulfillment center warehouse in Kansas, and sometimes directly from their purveyors.
For the many questions regarding shipping, shopping, and about the store itself, there is a FAQ on their website (you have to click on the customer assistant link) that answers them all, as well as toll-free numbers (to their retail stores, as well as catalog/online site).
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.