Research shows it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. A report by Forbes called “Retentionomics: The Path to Profitable Growth,” found there is a 60 to 70% probability of selling something to an existing customer, compared to 20% for a new prospect.

It also showed that existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products, and spend 31% more money in your store than new customers. According to Forbes, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% yields a 25% increase in profits, and in some cases, far more.

Clearly, the case for keeping current customers in the fold is very compelling. But for specialty barbecue retailers who sell premium grills with lengthy – or, in many cases, lifetime warranties – the opportunity to sell an existing customer a new grill doesn’t come around very often. In the meantime, accessories can be a great way to build long-term relationships with existing customers and keep them returning to your store again and again to grow sales.

Accessories are good conversation starters because they focus on everyone’s favorite topic – food! They are a good way for customers to test out a new technique – such as smoking or making pizza – with a relatively minor investment, that might ultimately lead to the sale of another big-ticket appliance. They generate fun and excitement on the sales floor, are an ideal way to keep stores’ merchandise selection new, fresh, and on-trend, and, thanks to good margins, can be a sure and significant way to boost profits.

“As people become more proficient grillers and want to experiment more, they are looking to add accessories to try different types of outdoor cooking,” says Jim Ginocchi, president of Coyote Outdoor Living. “We’re seeing a growth trend in accessories.”

Of course, every griller needs a cover, a long-handled spatula and tongs, a grill brush or scraper, and a food thermometer, and some retailers find success in bundling an assortment of these items together and selling the set at a discounted price at the time of a grill purchase. Perforated grill racks, griddles, skewers, vertical roasters, and wok-style grill baskets are other must-have basics that enable grill owners to expand their skills and repertoire.

But there are many other accessory products to help customers try new techniques, make grilling easier or more convenient, or simply enhance the outdoor cooking experience. Here are some of the latest accessory trends you’ll want to stock up on.

Adrenaline Barbecue Company’s Slow ’N Sear.

Smoking Is Still Smokin’

“Our customers are doing a lot of smoking,” says Lee Roeder, Housewares and Seasonal buyer/manager of Strosniders Hardware Stores with three locations in Maryland. “They’re interested in anything that creates the smoke flavor profile, including smoking chips and cedar planks.”

Before investing in a dedicated smoker grill, many customers at Strosniders and other retail stores first get their feet wet with smoke-generating accessories. Perforated metal containers in all types of configurations, such as Montana Grills’ Smokerin Smoker Set, A-MAZE-N Products’ Tube Smokers, and Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Smoke Pucks, are designed to either sit on or under the cooking grid of a gas grill and hold smoldering wood chips, pellets or wood dust to infuse food with smoke.

Adrenaline Barbecue Company’s Slow ’N Sear is a device that corrals charcoal in the base of a kettle grill to create an environment for smoking or low-and-slow indirect barbecuing, or concentrates and intensifies the heat for searing.

Smoke seasonings from Smoke It All.

Smoke It All is a new ready-to-use, no-soaking-required, disposable aluminum tray imported from Denmark that holds a blend of beechwood sawdust, herbs and spices, and sits on the grilling grid, infusing food with its unique smoke seasoning. Available in four custom blends, each tray retails for $3.99, with display shippers available to drive impulse purchases.

“Our sales have grown 30% in the past three years in Europe,” says Ove Vistisen, account manager for Smoke It All. “Interest in smoking is really growing and this product helps people achieve that flavor easily.”

Cedar planks are a great way to create smoke flavor, and cross-cut grilling planks from Montana Grilling Gear look especially attractive for grill-to-table entertaining. New three-tier cedar plank racks from The Companion Group lend smoke flavor to even delicate cheeses, nuts, and vegetables on the cooler, elevated planks, while the main course cooks on the plank at grill level.

Karen Adler, owner of wholesale barbecue cookbook company Pig Out Publications, says books on smoking remain among her best sellers. Dozens of new titles on smoking, planking, low-and-slow barbecuing, pitmaster techniques, live-fire cooking and other related topics have been released in the past couple years alone, with more out for 2017.

“There may be online resources for recipes, but people still love to buy and collect cookbooks,” she says. “They are good sellers and should be part of any barbecue accessories program.”

There are many other products that help low-and-slow barbecuers and smokers do their thing. Rib racks, marinade injectors, and dry rubs are popular, as are meat “claws” that make quick work of pulling pork. Products such as heavy-duty, nonstick Kingsford Grilling Foil are used by many barbecuers to wrap ribs and briskets during the final hours of cooking. The product, as well as Kingsford’s disposable, nonstick grill toppers and pans, are available in floor-stand displays that can be merchandised by the charcoal section or check-out. They offer one-stop-shopping convenience for your customers, and are sure to increase basket size.

Pizza Peel from Bull Outdoor.

Pizza

Pizza is still a big trend, according to Frank Mello, vice president Sales and Marketing at Bull Outdoor Products. To complement its pizza ovens, the company offers a large selection of pizza stones, long-handled peels, brushes, and ash shovels, rolling pins, cutters, infrared thermometers, and other products. “Making pizza in an outdoor pizza oven creates the kind of experience consumers are looking for today,” he says.

Pizza-making is especially popular among kamado owners, and manufacturers such as Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe and Primo offer a wide variety of accessories, such as pizza stones, deep-dish pizza pans, peels, cutters, and more. Companion Group’s Pizzacraft brand of accessories, as well as its freestanding, portable, tabletop Pizzeria Pronto and PizzaQue pizza ovens, continue to sell extremely well, according to Bobbi Pauline, the company’s Sales and Rep manager.

Adaptive kits such as KettlePizza, BakerStone Pizza Box, PizzaQue Pizza Kits for gas and kettle grills, and Fire Box BBQ Pizza Oven, turn standard gas or kettle grills into pizza ovens. They are affordable ways for customers to experiment with pizza-making and are often stepping stones to the purchase of a dedicated wood-fired oven.

Pocket Knife Thermometer from Maverick Industries.

High Tech

“Smoking and pizza-making are both low-tech endeavors, but high-tech is an equally big trend and we are diving in deep,” says Pauline of The Companion Group. “We will be introducing a lot of products that incorporate technology.” In addition to its Bluetooth thermometer that alerts on a wireless device when food temperatures and/or cooking times are reached, the company has launched the “Sound Beam” this year. The innovative product pairs a grill light with a built-in, Wi-Fi-enabled, Bluetooth speaker. “You can listen to music or the ballgame while you cook,” Pauline says. “We expect this to be a huge hit.”

High-tech thermometers and, in fact, all types of thermometers, are a growing category of accessories, according to Darren Keller, vice president Operations and BBQ at Maverick Industries.

“When you’re spending $75 on steaks, or $100 on a brisket, you don’t want to mess it up,” he says. “What’s spending another $35 or $50 on a thermometer to protect that investment every time? People see the value in that.”

The company’s thermometers are showcased on barbecue guru Steven Raichlen’s live-fire television cooking series, “Project Smoke,” driving home to consumers the message that using a thermometer during grilling and smoking is a necessity. In addition to basic probe models, digital remote thermometers, and Bluetooth, app-enabled smart thermometers, Maverick is introducing a new Pocket Knife Thermometer with fold-out corkscrew, bottle opener, and screwdriver that Keller expects will be a popular gift item this year.

Weber’s new high-tech thermometer, the Weber iGrill, is a Bluetooth-enabled system that monitors temperatures, graphs cooking progress, and sounds an alert when food is ready. Available for iOs or Android devices, it can handle as many as four different temperature probes, with read-out up to 150 feet. Users can get assistance from the app’s cooking and internal temperature guides, and can even use it to share a photo of their dish on social media.

“This product can be a safety net for consumers who might lack confidence or simply want to ensure they don’t overcook an expensive cut of meat,” says John Guido, Marketing manager for iGrill. “It’s affordable, easy to use, and makes a great gift.”

iGrill by Weber Stephen.

Vegetarian and Healthy Grilling Solutions

With more people opting for a vegetarian or vegan diet, or at the very least, eating more meatless meals, it’s important to offer accessories designed to make grilling vegetables and other non-meat items easier.

Cookina Barbecue Grilling Sheets are reusable, reversible, and easy-to-clean non-stick sheets that rest on the cooking grid. The surface is thin enough to transfer grill marks, but prevents vegetables, fish, tofu, seiten, seafood and other delicate foods from falling through the slats. New nonstick Cookina Paks are designed for steaming foods on the grill in their natural juices without fats or heavy sauces.

Napoleon’s Healthy Choice Starter Kit set includes a grill topper, wire-mesh basket, and skewers designed for grilling fish, vegetables, tofu and other delicate foods.

Serious Tools for Serious Cooks

As weekend warriors evolve into serious barbecuers, they want quality gear. No more “Kiss the Cook” aprons or flimsy tools; today’s grill chefs want professional-quality, heavy-duty accessories. Chefs-apparel maker, Medium Rare, introduced a new line of made-in-North America barbecue aprons created from heavyweight duck and denim materials with leather straps and ties. In addition, it offers T-shirts, hoodies and hats sporting designs cool enough for Millennial pit masters, or customizable with a retailer’s store logo.

“The reception in the barbecue industry has been fantastic,” says Andrew Dallman, Medium Rare’s CEO. “These products were first developed for restaurant chefs, but barbecuers want the same quality and style. And with 40 to 50% margins, it’s smart for retailers to carry them.”

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet’s Grill Grate Scraper.

Cast-iron cookware is enjoying a culinary renaissance thanks to exposure on television programs such as “The Pioneer Woman,” and the growing interest in live fire, camp-style cooking.

“Cast iron is so popular again,” says Candace King, co-owner of Hearthlink International, distributor of Morsø premium cast-iron cookware. “People are interested in natural cooking methods and fuels. Cast iron is naturally nonstick, really holds the heat, and lasts a lifetime.” King says the brand’s superior quality and clean, modern designs command a price comparable to Le Crueset premium, cast-iron, enameled cookware. “The margins are excellent,” she says.

According to Travis Simon, director of Marketing at Camp Chef, articles on cast-iron cooking and maintenance are the most viewed on the company’s website. With 70 different cast-iron cooking products, including skillets, griddles, Dutch Ovens, and bakeware, Camp Chef has one of the largest offerings in the industry.

“It is the ideal cookware to take the heat of the grill, and it creates an amazing sear,” says Simon. “People want to know how to cook with cast iron, so it’s good to incorporate the products into cooking classes and demos.”

Consumers are also eagerly experimenting with grilling on Himalayan salt. The slabs of ancient, mineral-rich, pink salt have great heat retention and impart a complex flavor without being “salty.” The salt plates are excellent for everything from searing steaks to grilling seafood and vegetables, to warming up a wheel of brie directly on the surface of the salt. They can be used over and over again, and go from grill to table for a dramatic presentation.

Himalayan salt is available from a variety of manufacturers in large square or rectangular cooking slabs. The Companion Group also offers individual serving-size salt plates, salt-plate presses, salt cone poultry roasters, and salt chunks, as well as related products such as metal holders/servers, storage bags, scrubbers, and graters. Adler says the much-anticipated new book “Salt Block Grilling” by Mark Bitterman, has been a big seller this year.

All-Natural Fuels and Lighters

A chimney lighter with a wad of newspaper has long been the go-to, chemical-free way to light charcoal. But as consumers increasingly get their local news online, spare newspaper is not always available. Manufacturers are introducing a host of other alternative products to light coals without having to resort to petroleum-based lighter fluids.

GreenFlame by Green Biologics, is a new, patented, bio-based charcoal lighter derived from natural corn. The product functions like traditional liquid charcoal lighter, but without the chemical odors and tastes associated with chemical-based fluids.

“There is a growing demand for all products to be sustainably sourced,” says Dr. Lee Colyer-Speight, one of the developers of the product. “But it’s not good enough to just be sustainable anymore. The product has to perform at a high level. GreenFlame is all-natural and sustainable, and it works great.” Other lighting alternatives include the Looftlighter and the Bison Airlighter, which use forced hot air to ignite a charcoal or wood fire in a grill or fire pit in seconds.

On the fuel side, Weber just introduced a new line of long-burning, all-natural hardwood charcoal briquets packaged in resealable, recyclable, weatherproof bags. Another new charcoal brand, Black Wood Charcoal, offers 100%-organic, sustainable, all-natural, lump charcoal and charcoal briquets sourced from Indonesia. It’s made in a clean-retort system that reduces carbon emissions by 90% compared with traditional charcoal-processing methods. The Alabama-based company is carbon- negative through 2023, thanks to its participation in a reforestation project planting 28 million trees.

Ice Grill Brush from A Brighter Glow.

Grill Brush Alternatives

Grill brush safety is top-of-mind for many backyard chefs and they are seeking alternatives to wire brushes whose bristles occasionally dislodge, stick to food on the grilling grid, and become ingested. “People in our stores are very concerned about grill brushes,” says Roeder of Strosniders Hardware Stores.

Asking your customers what they use to clean their grill is a way to start a conversation about the issue and point out the new alternatives, including heat-resistant polymer brushes, wooden paddles, and metal scrapers. The heavy-duty Ice Grill Brush has a compartment to hold ice cubes that melt through the secure stainless-steel or brass bristles to steam-clean and sanitize the grid while scraping off the gunk. The compartment can also be used to hold paper towels soaked with oil to season the cooking grid.

Knob Where You Need It.

Clever Problem Solvers and Just-For-Fun Items

Knob Where You Need It is a “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?” product that solves the problem of having to awkwardly bend down and reach around a grill to turn the propane tank on or off. Instead, the patented adaptor allows the on-off knob to be conveniently repositioned within easy reach on the grill’s control panel.

“This product came about because I burnt my arm reaching under a hot grill to shut the propane knob,” says co-founder Adam Civilla. “Everyone knows they’re supposed to turn the gas off for safety reasons after every use, but an independent market study showed a lot of people don’t ever do it because it’s inconvenient, out of sight, and hard to reach. People tell us, ‘This is the coolest product I’ve seen.’”

The Companion Group introduced a collection of cool and clever grilling accessories that tie into today’s food trends. Its Hasselback Potato Slicing Rack makes easy work of the thin-sliced potato dish that’s gained traction on Pinterest and internet food blogs this year. Its Bacon Bowl Maker, Blossoming Onion Rack, Crepe Kit, and Crab Cake Grilling Basket are other fun and tasty ways to expand what is possible to cook on the grill, and create memorable experiences.  

If you sell fire pits, a selection of complementary cooking accessories would be a good way to grow sales. Camp Chef offers extendable skewers for roasting marshmallows, as well as long-handled popcorn makers, “puff makers,” and sandwich irons for use with fire pits. Blue Rhino offers a variety of s’mores-making kits, and The Companion Group has a long-handled grilled cheese iron.

Refillable “Growler” jug by Man Law.

Premium barbecue accessories company Man Law introduced refillable “Growler” jugs to hold craft beers. “Barbecue and craft beer naturally go together, so this is a fun product for barbecue retailers,” says Sales manager Kevin Pollard. “Retailers could use it to develop a cross-promotion with a local micro-brewery.”

The experts say whatever accessories you carry, make sure they are displayed prominently and creatively. Instead of simply hanging packages from wall pegs or stacking them on shelving racks, try placing them on grills as they would be used, to spark ideas. If you hold cooking classes or demos, be sure to spotlight accessory products, sauces, seasonings, and cookbooks. Many retailers who do, report the practice triggers after-class impulse sales.

With a little effort, accessories can be the hook to retaining and growing sales with your existing customer base.