Karlie Orlando, Author at International Housewares Association

2018 gia Global Honoree – The Chopping Block

by Michelle Hespe We catch up with Shelley Young, Founder and CEO of one of the five 2018 gia Global Honorees, The Chopping Block of the USA. There are three major components to The Chopping Block, and although they sit under the same umbrella, they are like three separate businesses. There’s the cooking classes, private events and the retail sector. However, make no…

Truck Capacity Creating Challenges for Importers

The shipping industry has been anything but normal the last five years. During this time period, U.S. importers have dealt with gridlock at the ports, bankrupt carriers, ransomware attacks, customer service failures and severe space shortages. The newest problem looming over the shipping industry is the lack of truck capacity. U.S. importers moving cargo from the ports to…

Retail Profile: Kitchen Kneads

Location: Ogden, Utah Owners: Bruce and Carla Crane Founded: 1973 Square footage (current location): 7,600 sq. ft. The store’s motto is “Shaped by Hands, Powered by Heart” with a company mission to “inspire connections and community by spreading the joy of cooking.” Another motto could well be “All in the Family.” Kitchen Kneads is celebrating its 45th year in…

What’s Ahead for the Smart Home in 2018

By Ashley Daigneault A few years ago, we were talking about the concept of a “smart” home and integrating connected devices into living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms to make everyday life safer, easier and more convenient. But most of the chatter was happening inside the tech and surrounding industries, and the phrase “smart home” had almost no visibility in actual consumer…

Continued Innovation Crucial to Smart Home Device Adoption

By Brad Russell Continued innovation and messaging are crucial for smart safety and security device manufacturers that want to capitalize on new opportunities in the emerging Internet of Things. Early adopters of smart devices are often drawn to the innovative design and technological gadgetry. However, mass market adoption depends on clear and compelling…

Global Retail Intelligence – May

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: May 28 – Walmart and Amazon Battle India’s Strong Players, Traditional Family Run Stores Thousands of “kiranas” throughout India pose a legitimate threat to the models of the Western, organized retailers’ models, as they are well-established, pay low wages and pay little rent. From The Wall Street…

May Currency Outlook

In their May 2018 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief First quarter U.S. GDP showed higher level of growth than anticipated The USD appreciated 2.4% in April GBP sunk due to Brexit uncertainties Euro-zone’s economic recovery has reached…

2018 gia Global Honoree – Manufactum

by Michelle Hespe At the 2018 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago, German retailer Manufactum was announced as one of the top five most innovative stores in the world. Here we take a look at what makes this retail store so great, and so grounded. In today’s technology-driven world, where so much of life is lived online, and there’s a distinct lack of human…

Advancements in Smart Security Creating a Safer Smart Home for Consumers

By Brad Russell Recent advances in smart security and safety devices offer consumers new and expanded solutions to help them trade in worry for peace of mind. Companies invested in IoT technologies are leading that effort by producing smart, connected products and services that promise to make the smart home safer than ever. Home security is the most influential market…