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 of this manufacturer and retailer of porcelain. The word…

CHESS 2019 – Retail’s Seismic Shift: Understanding the Forces Changing Housewares Consumers

Presented by: Michael Dart, Partner, Consumer/Retail Practice, A.T. Kearney Retail specialist and visionary, Michael Dart advises retail and consumer companies on how best to navigate retail’s seismic shifts. He combines his economics and finance training from Oxford University and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with more than 25 years of experience consulting with A.T. Kearney and Bain & Co. to provide a unique…

Global Retail Intelligence – April

April 14 – JD.com Creates Offline Catering Supply Chain SolutionJD.com with Juqi, a dinning chain in Beijing, announced a supply chain cooperation, positioning JD.com as the first platform in China capable of providing a one-stop supply chain solution covering both the full category of food and materials supply, and integrated warehousing and distribution services. Through the cooperation, JD will also provide intelligent inventory…

Navigating The Wild West of Ocean Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Good Judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." — Will Rogers Here is how the modern shipping business mirrors the Wild West: 1. The “Gold Rush” Boom and Bust Cycles The Old West was defined by the gold rush with sudden, explosive wealth that created overnight millionaires, followed by devastating busts that left ghost towns behind. Shipping operates on the exact same…

IHA Plans Sourcing Mission to Vietnam

To help members investigate alternatives to sourcing from China, the International Housewares Association will hold a sourcing mission to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, next year. The 2020 Vietnam Sourcing Mission will be offered in two sessions: April 20-22 or April 23-25. Each session is limited to just six companies to provide a high level of service and allow for private meetings and factory tours. The dates were chosen to allow…

Guide to Effective Retail Store Design

by Martin M. Pegler If RETAILING is your chosen path of livelihood, here are some simple guidelines you might like to consider when planning your retail store. 1. Let There Be Light! Without the proper light the merchandise cannot be seen or judged, colors cannot be appreciated, coordinates cannot be assembled, nor buying decisions made. Let your light be the best you can afford to install and use—or, if necessary, skimp on…

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Container Space Tightens from Asia to US

Due to lack of demand, carriers cancelled 20% of Asia to US sailings for the month of May. They have already announced plans to cancel 20% of their Asia to US sailings for the month of June. The containers already booked for June sailings reinforces that demand is starting to rebound. The uptick in container volume is a positive sign for all stakeholders but also presents…

Covid-Related Business Tools – CARES Act

Employee Retention Credit (Section 2301 of the Act): Refundable payroll tax credit equal to 50% of up to $10,000 in wages per employee, including health benefits, if employer operations were fully/partially suspended due to a COVID-19 governmental shutdown, or if gross receipts declined more than 50% in a quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. Credit applies…

Global Retail Intelligence – May

May 18 – Indian Retailers See Spike as Pandemic Easing BeginsRetailers in India, including Metro Cash & Carry, Lots Wholesale Solutions, Future Group and V-Mart Retail have seen a spike in purchases of fast moving consumer goods and high-value items as measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been eased and more stores are open to customer walk-ins. Retailers have…

Sourcing Shift from China Continues

The prolonged trade war between the US and China plus the emergence of COVID-19 have changed how importers should evaluate risk when finalizing their sourcing options. Importers that rely 100% on China for sourcing are more at risk than importers that have multiple sourcing options. Many US importers have already learned a lesson from relying too heavily on China for their…

Update to Special Reports on Coronavirus Assistance: Federal Legislation and Administrative Actions as of April 24, 2020

This special report is to update previous editions with information on the latest congressional legislation (“COVID 3.5”) and details concerning earlier bills and administrative actions. Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, H.R. 266, or (“COVID 3.5”): On April 24, the President signed H.R. 266 to appropriate some $484 billion in additional federal…

Administration Defers Duties on Certain Tariffs

On April 19, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order based on National Emergency authority declared March 13 to give the Treasury Secretary the ability to defer payments of certain import duties, taxes and fees for 90 days. This was followed by a Temporary Final Rule published April 20 by the DHS Customs and Border Patrol that states the 90-day deferral doesn’t…

Putting Coronavirus in Perspective: What Does it Mean for the Future of Globalization?

By Professor Joshua Ault As COVID-19, or Coronavirus, continues to spread across the country and the world, the most important conversations we are having now are how to stay safe and how to protect the economy from a sudden drop in activity. However, a secondary theme that we are tackling at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management is how COVID-19…

Special Report (2nd Edition) on Coronavirus Assistance

Federal Legislation and Administrative Actions as of April 2, 2020 This special report is to provide basic information on federal legislation and administrative actions in place to help individuals and businesses deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) epidemic. Congress passed and the President signed a $2 trillion recovery bill (the CARES Act) on March 27, and…

Special Report on Coronavirus Assistance

Federal Legislation and Administrative Actions Taken as of March 20, 2020 This special report is to provide basic information to IHA members on federal legislation and administrative actions now in place to help individuals and businesses deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) epidemic. While Congress works on a massive stimulus bill of $1 trillion or more that…

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