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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.

Trends: Top Cheese

With many gourmet retailers carrying cheese, here’s a rundown of the top cheeses in the recent 2019 American Cheese Society (ACS) Competition, held in Richmond, Va., in August. Beecher’ Handmade Cheese was a big winner taking home five awards. The cheesemaker’s aged clothbound cheese, Flagship Reserve, took first place in the clothbound cheddar category, making it one…

Global Retail Intelligence – August

August 19 – France’s Les Mousquetaires Plans Store Openings in Portugal Intermarché, the banner under which Las Mousquetaire’s stores will operate in Portugal, plans invest €200 million to open 105 stores by 2023, of which €60 million will be invested in 2019 to open 15 new…

Retailing Outdoors

Traditionally a way to dump overstock merchandise and have fun with neighbors, street fairs and sidewalk sales are not as popular with independent retailers as they used to be. Most retailers interviewed for this story have participated in sidewalk sales in the past, but now have decided to take a pass on the events, citing staffing issues among other things. “We used to do…

Retail Profile: Perennial Accents

Location: St. Joseph, Mich. Founded: 1995 Owner: Kellye Wilson (since October 2018) Square footage: 5,000 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Rent Perennial Accents, which was launched in a barn in 1995 as a family-owned business growing perennial plants, making dried wreaths and selling cookware, got a turnaround when former Whirlpool executive Kellye Wilson bought the…

Carriers Expected to Fabricate Strong Peak Season

Analysts are now predicting that the peak shipping period from Asia to the US will be mild. This prediction is in stark contrast to last year’s peak when available space on ships was tough to secure. Many shippers were forced to pay hefty rate premiums to move cargo during their preferred shipping windows. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the prediction of a mild peak…

Global Retail Intelligence – July

July 15 – Spar International Plans to Enter KosovoWith the opening of three stores in Kosovo, three more by the end of 2019 and seven additional stores by 2020, Spar International confirmed that it will work alongside the newly established consortium of wholesale and resale partners in the country. From European Supermarket Magazine July 12 – David Jones…

IMO 2020 Will Impact Multiple Stakeholders

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed several mandates to reduce marine pollution. Effective January 1, 2020, container vessels will only be allowed to use fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5%. The current regulation allows for fuel with a sulfur cap of 3.5%. The cost of this new mandate is going to impact multiple stakeholders in the shipping…

Stats: Specialty Cheese Market Expected to Grow

Although it is, ahem, ripe, the market for specialty cheese, while mature, is still expected to grow. Which is good news for those independent retailers who stock bries, blues and cheddars. According to the U.S. Food Market Outlook 2019, a report released by the market research firm Packaged Facts, retail dollar sales of the U.S. natural and specialty cheese market reached…