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…

IBC Global Forum

The IBC Global Forum brings together strategic planning and pragmatic international information to facilitate sales and business development in key export markets. Extensive networking with housewares buyers, industry professionals and seasoned IBC members presents vast opportunities to increase your housewares industry network and sales.

Key Market Update: Canada

Brigitte Roy, president, DANESCO Canadian Market Demographics Brigitte Roy, president of the Canadian distributor Danesco, began her presentation on the Canadian market by outlining key differences between U.S. and Canadian culture. Canada is composed of 10 provinces and three territories. The metric system is used for measurements. It is a bilingual country—both…

Market Opportunities: Top Five Trends in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, India

IHA Offices and Representatives IHA brought insights from around the world to Global Forum attendees with short presentations by its offices in varied regions. At the close of the final presentation, all joined in a group discussion to respond audience questions. Tom Johnston & Lourdes Ramirez – IHA Office for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean In-store department…

Key Market Update: Costa Rica and Central America

Vanessa Sadi, general manager, La Cocina Ideal Market Review Speaking from San Jose, Costa Rica, Vanessa Sadi, general manager of housewares distributor La Cocina Ideal, summarized market demographics in Costa Rica, a Central American country with more than five million residents. Minimum wages begin at US$450/month, with middle class incomes starting at US$750. Because…

Key Retailer Update

Shifting Consumer Behavior and Trends in Housewares Categories and Ecommerce in India Santanu Debroy, senior manager, BD and AM, Other Hardlines, Amazon India Marketplace and Sidram Kaudaki, international brand partnerships /business development manager, International Sourcing, Amazon India Marketplace Speaking from Bangalore, Santaru Debroy and Sidram Kaudaki addressed…

Key Retailer Update: Canadian Tire Corporation

Douglas Young, vice president, Merchandising—Living Division, Canadian Tire Retail Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), founded in 1922, has grown to more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets with tens of thousands of employees across Canada. CTC aims to grow its business to provide Canadians with everything they need for life. Recent acquisitions include the 2018 purchase of…

Market Opportunities in Taiwan and Australia

IHA Offices and Representatives IHA brought insights from around the world to Global Forum attendees with short presentations by its offices in varied regions to close the day’s programming. Top Five Trends Monica Lee, IHA Representative – Taiwan “Glamping” is the newest vacation trend in Taiwan. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting international travel, families…

Latin American Market Update

Patricia Barreiro, GMM, Home Décor and Garden, Sodimac Sodimac, founded in 1952, has stores in seven countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay. It has been on a steep growth track since 2012, when the company served a market of 137 million residents with 134 locations for sales of nearly US$46 billion. In 2020, Sodimac has served about 480 million…

Latin American Market Update

Juan Francisco Espana, EPA Director EPA is a home center chain that operates in four countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Venezuela. Founded in 1992, EPA has more than 3,000 employees working at its 27 stores, whose average size is 7,000 sq. ft. Speaking from San Jose, Costa Rica, Juan Francisco Espana summarized operations in each country: store…

Spain Market Update

Gabriel Solar, Founder, Yestis Speaking from Barcelona, Gabriel Solar, whose company represents major international brands in Spain, prefaced his remarks on the Spanish market by addressing current conditions. Before Covid-19, Spanish consumers purchased mid-range products, but the pandemic conditions caused households to reduce purchasing and shift toward lower-priced…

Perfectly Porland

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

Global Retail Intelligence – April

Navigating The Wild West of Ocean Shipping

IHA Plans Sourcing Mission to Vietnam

Guide to Effective Retail Store Design

Key Market Update: Canada

Market Opportunities: Top Five Trends in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, India

Key Market Update: Costa Rica and Central America

Key Retailer Update

Key Retailer Update: Canadian Tire Corporation

Market Opportunities in Taiwan and Australia

Latin American Market Update

Latin American Market Update

Spain Market Update

Connect With IHA

Connect With The Inspired Home