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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.

Decidedly Danish

by Michelle Hespe When Bahne was established in 1965 in Denmark, they were already ahead of the game and vastly different from other retail outlets. The business was not just focused on offering customers a store filled with products that they could purchase, but rather, on creating an experience for shoppers. This might be a typical approach in retail now, but it certainly…

2019 Global Forum Offers Educational Sessions on Global Markets

Housewares suppliers new to the international arena or veteran sales executives wanting to grow their global business will benefit from the 2019 IBC Global Forum, to be held Sept. 15-17 in San Diego, Calif at The Guild Hotel. Overviews by housewares buyers and distributors covering Asia, Spain and the United Kingdom along with sessions on opportunities in key markets around the…

Stats: NPD Details What is Selling at Retail

The NPD Group’s home division presented its sixth annual industry performance awards during the International Home & Housewares Show this past March. Awards were given to small appliance and housewares (non-electric) brands with the largest increase in U.S. market share in 2018, compared to 2017, according to dollar sales from NPD’s Retail Tracking Service. Three…

May Currency Outlook

In their May 2019 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 had another month of swings, rising .8% in AprilEconomic performance divergence is a strength for the USD as other currencies struggleBased on Latin safe-haven and oil prices, the Mexican…

U.S. Custom and Border Protection: Steps to Protect Intellectual Property Rights

The Custom and Border Protection (CBP) encourages the usage of their e-Recordation Program to help copyright owners gain enforcement of intellectual property rights. The CBP has the right to detain, seize, forfeit and destroy any merchandise that enters the U.S. if it infringes on trademark or copyright that has been registered. In order to do so, the trademark…

IHA Encourages Member Action on Latest Proposed Tariffs

With the most recent list of proposed tariffs affecting the housewares industry, the International Housewares Association is encouraging members to contact their congressional representatives or provide comment to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on the tariffs’ effect on their business. The List 4 China 301 tariffs proposes up to a 25 percent tariff rate on…

Trends: How Much Coffee Do Consumers Drink?

Many retailers sell coffee and coffee equipment in their stores. But how much coffee do U.S. consumers drink daily? The National Coffee Association keeps tabs on such data. Here is the association’s recent look at coffee drinking trends in the United States: U.S. coffee drinkers consume about 3 cups a day on average. The Association reminds us that research suggests that…

Global Retail Intelligence – May

May 22 – UK’s Marks & Spencer Reshapes Strategy after Annual Profit Decline of 10% With a plan to open larger format food stores, shifting away from smaller convenience outlets and closing other outlets that also sell clothing and housewares, Marks & Spencer’s new approach shows a shift of strategy. From Bloomberg May 22 – Spar International to Expand China…

Coffee’s Retail Buzz

Americans have been waking up to coffee for a while, but now even more U.S. consumers grab at least one cup of Joe every day. According to the latest National Coffee Data Trends report from the National Coffee Association, 63 percent of American adults drink coffee daily. “Coffee is America’s most beloved beverage—and for good reason” says William Murray, NCA president…