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Jumbled Joy

by Michelle Hespe The owner of Australian IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) Global Honoree JUMBLED has always focused on choosing the right products to create sparks of joy in an enchanting place that has a true sense of soul and community. When it came to setting up her now thriving business JUMBLED, Pip Brett listened to some sage advice from her mother, who is also a…

Retail Profile: The Common Housefly

Location: Black Mountain, N.C. Owners: Michael and Marcia Liss Founded: 2005 Square footage: 1,500 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Own Michael Liss likes to joke that his store, The Common Housefly, has 3,000 square feet of product “crammed” into 1,500-square feet of space. That sort of abundance lends well to the store’s tagline “A Toy Store for Foodies.” Or as Liss describes it a…

Perfectly Porland

Porland of Turkey, one of the five gia Global Honorees this year, has a long, rich and colorful history. We look into what makes this manufacturer and retailer of porcelain stand out from the rest. by Michelle Hespe Porland’s logo features a ballerina executing a perfect pirouette. This elegant symbol conveys both beauty and strength, reflecting the grounding philosophy…

Global Retail Intelligence – April

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: April 17 – Canadian Tire Expands Loyalty Program Canadian Tire is expanding the reach of its loyal program members by offering collection and redemption at more than 100 new partner locations including Atmosphere Hockey Experts, L'Entrepôt du Hockey, Sports Rousseau and some Sports Exports outlets. The…

Ocean Contract Negotiations Moving Forward

The 2019-20 ocean contract negotiations have officially begun for cargo moving from Asia to the United States. Based on the initial proposals from the ocean carriers, it is clear they are trying to capitalize on last year’s space crisis. Carriers stated earlier this year that shippers should expect to pay higher rates in the 2019-20 ocean contracts. Further, they stated that…

What Does Hyperconnectivity & Digital Disruption Mean for Housewares Suppliers & Retailers?

“Digital disruption has fundamentally changed the shopping journey,” Erika Sirimanne, head of home and garden at global market research provider Euromonitor International, told an audience today at the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show. The keynote presentation provided housewares retailers and suppliers with practical insights to tackle the big challenges in adapting…

The Art of Organization

We speak to Sharon Tindell— President and Chief Merchandising Office at The Container Store — for an insider’s view of how this iconic 40-year-old retailer retains its coveted spot as the leading organizational store in the U.S. by Michelle Hespe People love to buy things. To own things. It’s what most of us do — gather things to improve our lives or add something…

Grounded | Spring Summer 2019

by Rebecca Charlton, Trend Researcher, Trend Bible Trend Bible is a home and interiors-dedicated forecasting agency working with leading international brands to help them understand the future of their market. They forecast future trends in the behavior of consumers in a two-to-five year timeframe and analyze how this will impact the home environment. A longing sense of…

Retail Profile: Grand Fête

Retail Profile: Grand Fête Location: Hudson, Wis. Founded: May 2017 Co-owners: Kay Timm, Jane Wegand and Lynn Ulrich Square Footage: 1,800 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Rent The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a grande fête as a way “to honor something with a large party or public celebration” and that’s the mood the trio of owners of the Grand Fête in Hudson seek to set…