by Michelle Hespe Becoming one of five Global Honorees in the 2018 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago is another step along what is sure to be a long and prosperous road for Tugó — a retail store with a mantra ‘Great design is for Everyone.’ Adriana Cano, Visual Merchandising…
CONTINUE READINGINTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW
Lifestyle Guru Tom Mirabile Shares Insights for Thriving in Today’s Retail Renaissance
“We succeed by embracing change” is his theme at 2018 International Home + Housewares Show It’s no secret the marketplace is experiencing unprecedented and rapid changes in how consumers gather information, shop and buy products. But these changes represent tremendous opportunities for the…
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Housewares Charity Foundation Raises $1.8 Million at 21st Annual Gala
The housewares industry came together to “Unite, Celebrate, Support” and raised $1.8 million during the Housewares Charity Foundation’s (HCF) 21st annual gala on Monday, March 12. Proceeds from the event, held at Chicago’s Navy Pier, benefited the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), the HCF’s…
CONTINUE READINGExecutive Networking
Practical Solutions to MAP and Antitrust Pricing Challenges
As IHA members look for solutions to MAP pricing issues, they must be mindful of the U.S. antitrust laws in the sale and resale of products, both online and at brick-and-mortar stores. A paper, based on a live presentation at the 2017 CHESS Conference, explores five antitrust challenges: illegal…
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CHESS 2017 Recap: Antitrust Pricing Challenges
Attorney Wendelynne Newton, of the Pittsburgh-based firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC is no stranger to CHESS audiences. She has spoken to IHA groups in the past and delivers complex information in a straightforward manner. She set the stage for her remarks by stating that the rapidly changing…
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CHESS 2017 Recap: Future Shift & Transformation 2017-2037
David Houle, Futurist, David Houle & Associates, opened the second day of the conference with a mind-expanding presentation that reframed information presented on the first day and gave the audience a new perspective for sessions to follow. Author, lecturer and educator David Houle has spoken…
CONTINUE READINGGlobal Opportunities
Global Retail Intelligence – April
To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: April 16 - JD.Com Plans to Open 1000 Stores Per Day The Chinese online retail giant opened a store a week in March and announced that their goal is to continue their rapid expansion of franchised convenient stores to reach 1…
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April Currency Outlook
In their April 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 fell by more than half of a percentage The Fed raised interest rate to 1.75%, signaling confidence…
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Export 101: Understanding Export Compliance
Product Testing and Compliance When selling products to international markets, some certifications and compliance testing is likely required before your product can be shipped. The type of product you sell will determine which testing protocol and certifications are required. Certification proves…
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Optimize Shipping Advantages for Your Business
IHA continues successful partnership with International Housewares Shippers Association (IHSA). The International Housewares Shippers Association (IHSA) is the not-for-profit shippers’ association formed by IHA to lower supply chain costs for its members at the highest quality service levels.…
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IHA Member’s Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Discusses Inequality of Postal Rates
The unfair advantage of postal rates given to products mailed from China to the U.S. versus products mailed within the United States was the focus of a Feb. 7 Op-Ed article in The Wall Street Journal by Jayme Smaldone, founder and CEO of Mighty Mug. According to Smaldone, the U.S. Postal Service…
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Truck Power Shortage
The U.S. market is facing a serious shortage of qualified truck drivers. The driver shortage is impacting the carriers’ ability to deliver containers in a timely manner. The shortage is so severe in some U.S. regions that some carriers are refusing to quote new cargo opportunities where door…
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Reason to Cheer? Depends on Where You Live
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce polled small business owners about the state of the economy during the third quarter last fall and found that most were optimistic about increasing revenue in 2018. Most also said their local economies were strong. About one-quarter of those businesses surveyed were…
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Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe
Location: La Grange, Texas Founded: 2006 Owner: Donella Dopslaug-Cernosek Square footage: 7,200, including 5,000 sq. ft. of retail space La Grange, Texas, is a small place with a big kitchenware store. At 7,200 sq. ft., Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe has more square feet of retail space than…
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Being Smarter About Smart Home
by Joe Derochowski, The NPD Group In the first 11 months of 2017, U.S. dollar sales of home automation products increased 40 percent, with strong growth across all device types, according to The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. Home automation products were among the fastest selling items…
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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