International Product Preview Opportunities International trade publications want information and photos about the new products you will be displaying at the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show. This is a free editorial placement and a unique opportunity for you to reach international…
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2018 Global Honoree – Harrods
By Michelle Hespe Harrods needs no introduction, however, many people might not realize how progressive and innovative Harrods Home has become in recent years. No words are minced when it comes to the mission statement of Harrods. The iconic store’s goal is “to be the number one department…
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2018 gia Global Honoree – The Chopping Block
by Michelle Hespe We catch up with Shelley Young, Founder and CEO of one of the five 2018 gia Global Honorees, The Chopping Block of the USA. There are three major components to The Chopping Block, and although they sit under the same umbrella, they are like three separate businesses. There’s…
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Regulatory Update, Housewares Hot Seat Panel Announced For CHESS 2018
The most recent round of proposed tariffs on imports from China affecting $200 billion of goods and impacting the housewares industry for both finished product and raw materials may be imposed soon now that the public comment period is finished. In a just-added session for the 2018 Chief Housewares…
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Housewares Hot Seat Panel: Reclaiming Control in the Digital Jungle
Digital commerce has unlocked dramatic new growth opportunities for housewares, but it also has unleashed new dangers. From the spread of counterfeit products to fake reviews to slashed postal rates on China-direct consumer shipments, the housewares industry is on guard as it works to adapt to a…
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The Art of Perception
In what is likely to be the most eye-opening presentation at CHESS, art historian (and former lawyer) Amy E. Herman will train us in new ways to see. Herman applies techniques for analyzing painting, sculpture and photography to real-world needs for acute perception, objective observation and…
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Get Free Publicity Through Trade Publications Before the Show
International Product Preview Opportunities International trade publications want information and photos about the new products you will be displaying at the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show. This is a free editorial placement and a unique opportunity for you to reach international…
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September Currency Outlook
In their September 2018 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief The USD returned to gains, climbing .5% in August against the other major currencies Commodity markets…
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Global Retail Intelligence – September
To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: September 18 – India’s Aditya Birla Shows Signs of Recovery Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail formed from a merger of Madura Garments Lifestyle Retail and Pantaloons Fashion and Retail Ltd, has been struggling since its creation. In…
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IHA Partners with Good360 to Assist in Hurricane Florence Relief
Housewares suppliers can help residents of the Carolinas recover from Hurricane Florence by donating needed products to Good360, the International Housewares Association announced today. IHA is partnering once again with Good360 to provide hurricane victims with home products as they rebuild their…
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Four New Directors Elected to IHA Board Of Directors
Four new directors have been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association (IHA), the full-service trade association for the housewares industry. The new directors are: Scott Henrikson, president, Dexas International; Darrin Johnston, managing director, Meyer…
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Strong Demand Powers Rate Increases
Rates continue to escalate in the Eastbound Transpacific market. Strong demand, reduction of capacity, and the threat of tariffs are all contributing factors that are causing the high rates shippers are being forced to pay to move their cargo from Asia to the United States. Ocean rates to both the…
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Low Chinese Shipping Rates Severely Undercut American Businesses
An international postal agreement has been tipping the scales in favor of Chinese merchants for decades, allowing the e-commerce market to continue to become the domain of the Chinese at the expense of U.S. companies and taxpayers. The USPS is part of an arcane arrangement with the Universal…
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President Trump Issues Memorandum Ordering Level Playing Field for Terminal Dues Charges
On August 23, President Donald Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum addressing the issue of terminal dues, recognizing the damage they are doing to American business, offering a policy for reform and timeline for progress and recommendations if sufficient progress is not made by the deadline,…
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Proposed Tariffs To Have Greater Impact On Housewares Industry
The list of tariffs affecting the housewares industry will have a greater impact on home and housewares products with the proposed tariff rate recently increased to 25 percent from the original 10 percent announced by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The list includes more than 6,000…
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Home Smart Home
By Michelle Hespe Carley Knobloch knows a thing or two about smart homes: She’s consulted with HGTV on their annual HGTV Smart Home build for years, and is a regular tech contributor on the Today Show. Her home, a blend of California cool and high tech, was just featured in Good Housekeeping. To…
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Guide to Effective Retail Store Design
by Martin M. Pegler If RETAILING is your chosen path of livelihood, here are some simple guidelines you might like to consider when planning your retail store. 1. Let There Be Light! Without the proper light the merchandise cannot be seen or judged, colors cannot be appreciated, coordinates…
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Inspiring the Industry: Katrina Markoff
by Michelle Hespe Katrina Markoff is a highly-creative chocolatier and the founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a Chicago-based chocolate maker that inspires people to open their minds and travel the world through chocolate. As is the case with most successful business ventures, there was a…
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