Beth Dempsey, Author at International Housewares Association

U.S. Retail Intelligence – June

May 31 – Ultra Credits Target Partnership Royalties for Q1 Comp Sales Gain In a conference call, Ulta CEO Dave Kimball said royalty income from its partnership with Target contributed to the sales gain. From: HomePage News May 31 – Burlington Rides Early Spring Rebound to Q1 Sales, Earnings Gains Burlington Stores readily beat Wall Street first-quarter earnings estimates…

Shipping and Tariff Developments

On Feb. 26, 2024, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) published the final rule “Demurrage and Detention Billing Requirements.” Most of the rule went into effect on May 28 and the catalyst was the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022, which IHA lobbied for to authorize regulations making demurrage and detention billing timelier and more transparent. As explained in the…

Shippers Faced with High Freight Rates and Strong Demand

The Asia to U.S. market is experiencing a heavy surge in demand. The surge has caused freight rates to increase substantially over the last month. This has been costly for shippers that rely on the spot market to move their cargo. Shippers can expect spot rates to continually increase as long as demand outpaces available capacity. The strong market condition has caught many…

The CRA and New Regulations

Concerns among Democrats in Washington, D.C. that Republicans could win the White House in November has caused Biden Administration officials to accelerate their regulatory agenda. This is driven by their fears that a Republican White House and Congress will use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal many new regulations if they aren’t finalized by the spring or summer of…

2024-25 Ocean Contracts Finalized

Service contracts covering containers moving between Asia and the United States have been finalized. It was initially thought that the new service contract rates would remain unchanged or receive slight decreases in some cases. The steady increase in container volume from Asia during the first quarter of 2024 has allowed the carriers to secure modest price increases for the…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – May

April 30 – Nordstrom Adds Marketplace, Upgrades Digital Experience Marketplace customers will get personalized recommendations and thoughtful curation to make it easier to shop for their favorite brands and discover new ones, Nordstrom indicated. From: HomePage News April 30 – The Save Mart Companies to Roll Out In-Store Retail Media Network The chain will deploy tech…

Expect Disputes at Port of Baltimore

The ship owner is denying responsibility for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. Lawyers petitioned U.S. district courts of Maryland citing why the ship owner was not at fault. While the blame game plays out in court, U.S. regulators are expecting a slew of disputes over excess fees being charged to shippers unable to utilize the…

Lacey Act Reporting Requirements

In 1900, Congressman John Lacey sponsored legislation to curb the importation of exotic bird feathers. Lacey Act amendments up to 2008 expanded coverage to fish and animals and established individual and corporate responsibility. The 2008 Farm Bill added wood and plant products, making it unlawful to “import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – April

March 29 – West Elm’s New iOS Mobile App Customizes Shopping Experience The app is available for free in the App Store. West Elm, a Williams-Sonoma banner. From: HomePage News March 29 – Lands’ End Lays Off 10% of Corporate Workforce The layoffs came as Lands’ End faced growing losses and declining sales in the fourth quarter. From: Retail Dive March 29 – Report:…