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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2018 gia Global Honoree – Manufactum
by Michelle Hespe At the 2018 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago, German retailer Manufactum was announced as one of the top five most innovative stores in the world. Here we take a look at what makes this retail store so great, and so grounded. In today’s technology-driven world,…
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2018 gia Global Honoree – Pollmann sinds 1890
by Michelle Hespe The 128-year-old Dutch retail store, Pollmann sinds 1890, has always had family, personal service and cooking at its heart. Nick and Anke Pollmann, the fourth-generation owners of Pollmann sinds 1890, raised a glass to Nick’s great grandfather, Bernhard Pollmann, at the IHA…
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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
While leaders by nature are observant and perceptive, there is a consistent breakdown across the professional spectrum in the effective communication of vision, strategy and crisis management. In this presentation, Amy Herman engages her audience in a highly participatory dialogue about perception…
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Trends Shaping the Future of the U.S. Retail Landscape
Don Unser’s retail expertise, coupled with NPD’s unique data on industry trends across $1.8 trillion of U.S. consumer spending, will provide attendees with insights into the hottest retail trends, including best-in-class innovations, disruptive commerce trends and shifts in consumer behavior. In…
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Let’s Go – Let’s Grow: Reaching Success Factors for Global Growth
As a preview into the upcoming IBC Global Forum, to follow is additional information on the Executive Education Session presented by Dr. Richard Ettenson, Professor of Global Marketing and Brand Strategy of Thunderbird School of Global Management. Dr. Ettenson is an entrepreneur who has founded…
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Global Retail Intelligence – May
To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: May 14 – Poland’s Eurocash Group’s Sales Rise in Wholesale Divisions Eurocash Group has reported a 7.5 percent increase in sales in the first quarter of 2018, to €1.17 BN. The company sighted that the increase was seen in both…
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May Currency Outlook
In their May 2018 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief First quarter U.S. GDP showed higher level of growth than anticipated The USD appreciated 2.4% in April GBP…
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Why is the USPS Charging You 5x What They Charge Chinese Shippers?
By Jayme Smaldone Below is an elongated version of an OpEd I wrote for The Wall Street Journal, published on February 6, 2018. Please share with anyone that warehouses goods in the US. President Trump recently tweeted about mounting problems with the U.S. Postal Service. Specifically, he noted…
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Truck Capacity Creating Challenges for Importers
The shipping industry has been anything but normal the last five years. During this time period, U.S. importers have dealt with gridlock at the ports, bankrupt carriers, ransomware attacks, customer service failures and severe space shortages. The newest problem looming over the shipping industry is…
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Ocean Contract Negotiations
Ocean contract negotiations covering cargo moving from Asia to the United States are nearing completion. The negotiation process has become very cumbersome for shippers due to the lack of communication provided by the carriers. A large part of the lack of communication can be blamed on the recent…
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Stats: Sales of Housewares Products Rise
U.S. online sales of housewares products increased 18 percent in 2017. That’s according the The NPD Group’s Checkout consumer receipt mining service. On average, nearly a quarter of online buyers purchased housewares in 2017. And when they did, they bought nearly four items online during the…
CONTINUE READINGWhy is the USPS Charging You 5x What They Charge Chinese Shippers?
By Jayme Smaldone Below is an elongated version of an OpEd I wrote for The Wall Street Journal, published on February 6, 2018. Please share with anyone that warehouses goods in the US. President Trump recently tweeted about mounting problems with the U.S. Postal Service. Specifically, he noted…
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Trends: Consumer Daily Coffee Drinking on the Rise
There is a reason coffee bean sales are solid for many specialty retailers in the U.S.: the number of consumers getting in at least one cup of Joe has reached the highest level in the past six years. And home brewing remained the method of choice for most Americans, over even gourmet coffee shops…
CONTINUE READINGInspiration Magazine
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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