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IHA’s blog features informative posts written to keep the housewares industry educated and informed about key strategic issues and IHA member services.

gia – Honoring Retail Excellence and Innovation

Every March in Chicago, the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) are hosted by the International Housewares Association. The gia awards, which have been dubbed the Oscars of the housewares retail industry, bring together 25 of the world’s most innovative retailers, all having been voted as the best in their country. The IHA Global Innovation Awards program was created to…

Discovering Design 2016: Meet Charles Viancin Group

Inspired by Nature: Charles Viancin Group Charles Viancin formed the company in 2005 and celebrates its 10th anniversary with its ninth appearance at the International Home + Housewares Show. While Viancin spent time in Asia, he was inspired by the beautiful form of a water lily in bloom. He sketched his first product—and the LilyPad® lid started the company that makes…

Housewares Industry Forecasters Peer Into The Future Of Consumer Trends, Millennials

Colors & Design Trends, Millennials’ Shopping Habits, Supermarket Shoppers Turning supermarket shoppers into housewares buyers, how millennials shop, color and design trends, and consumers’ mindset about color will be explored during the keynote educational sessions at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show, March 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. These programs are…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Howard Lim, HOW Creative

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator, IHA Howard A. Lim is president of HOW Creative, a California agency that offers legal, business development, branding, public relations, marketing and advertising services. Through nearly 30 years of experience serving some of the best-known brands in many industries, the firm’s unique approach integrates strategy, implementation…

January Promotion for Housewares Guests at Hilton Chicago

Upgrade your stay to Business Class accommodations at a $199 rate and receive: 10X Hilton HHONOR Points Complimentary guest room internet Complimentary Athletic Club access, including the indoor running track and pool Limited number of January Promotion rooms available to be sold Book the $199 January Promotion with Andrew Herrington You may also book at the standard rate…

Always Keep Looking (for The Right Staff)

Labor issues are making headlines nationwide as communities debate the pros and cons of the minimum wage, employee scheduling practices and other workplace concerns. For independent gourmet retailers, who make their living by standing apart from the big box stores, finding and keeping good employees is a key business strategy, and one of the trickiest to get right. At…

Community – the New “C”

It takes more than the two “C”s caught between the “S”s to spell SUCCESS in retail today. It used to be about COMFORT and CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE. It always was somewhat about COST CONTROL. Lately it has been about COMMUNITY SPACES and CONSERVATION—though by going “green” you are serving the community as well. Let’s talk about COMMUNITY SPACES. Anybody who lives in or near New…

Chicago’s Recipe for Culinary Icons – Passion+Inspiration=Today’s Top Chefs

In the culinary world, if you asked most people to name the leading trend-setting U.S. cities the answer would be easy – it follows a line across the United States from New York to Chicago to San Francisco. These cities are often the birthplace of hot new concepts that flow out in waves and trickle down to the masses. And as culinary diversity grows across the country, these…

Trends: Dieting Gives Way To Healthy Eating

Every January as consumers begin the new year with resolutions for a new body, research shows that when it comes down to actually eating, Americans are less focused on dieting and more focused on adopting a healthier lifestyle. Instead of turning to diet aids and products, consumers are looking for the authenticity and purity of the foods they eat, according to The NPD…