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.

Market Opportunities in Europe: Top Five Trends in UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany 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 each morning and afternoon session. Mark Chapman, IHA UK Office Online Retail: The online retail space in the UK continues to diversify, even in the shadow of Amazon. There are many new, independent online retailers finding their niche in…

2020 Global Forum

IHA’s first live-streamed Global Forum presented three days of informative sessions by experts in Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The series of virtual education programs took place September 22 - 24. As the housewares industry has learned new ways to conduct business remotely this year, suppliers eager to grow their global business and learn about current market…

2020 IBC Global Forum Offers Buyer Connections, Networking Through Virtual Education Series

ROSEMONT, ILL (Sept. 10, 2020)—The 2020 IBC Global Forum, the annual gathering of the International Housewares Association’s International Business Council (IBC), will be held Sept. 22-24 as a series of virtual education sessions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The live-streamed event will offer housewares suppliers new to the international arena or veteran sales executives…

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…

2020 IBC Global Forum: Speakers Announced!

The IBC 2020 Global Forum will be presented in a live-streamed webinar format this year. Attendees can anticipate learning from key industry buyers and IHA’s Global Offices and Representatives. Please save the dates of September 22 – 24 for a twice daily livestream, featuring confirmed speakers from Sodimac (Latin America), Indòmit (Spain & Portugal), EPA (Costa Rica),…

Market Overview: Taiwan and Hong Kong

Presented By: Matthew Ryan - Business Development Manager, citiesocial The final presenter of the 2019 Global Forum discussed opportunities in Asia. Matthew Ryan focused on the retail landscape of Taiwan, but also mentioned Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Since 2017, Matthew Ryan has been the Business Development Manager for Taiwan-based citiesocial. His primary…

Retail Overview: Kulina Czech Republic

Presented By: Patrik Pavlíček - Key Account Director, Kulina Czech Republic Tuesday, September 17th, Global Forum presented speakers who summarized retail overviews of five regions of the world. As Kulina’s key account director, Patrik Pavlíček is responsible for implementing corporate strategy, developing strong relationships with a portfolio of business partners…

Market Overview: United Kingdom

Presented By: Richard Walker - Commercial Director, Eddingtons Ltd. The Global Forum’s second day, Tuesday September 17, offered a full schedule of presentations to introduce retail overviews of five countries/regions. Richard Walker, commercial director of Eddingtons Ltd discussed the UK market and the distribution firm’s reach through the UK and Ireland. He…

Retail Overview: Boyner Turkey

Presented By: Hakan Zihnioğlu - Deputy General Manager, Boyner Grand Retailing Tuesday afternoon September 17th Hakan Zihnioğlu outlined the retail landscape in Turkey and then spoke specifically about Boyner, a leading department store throughout Turkey. Hakan Zihnioğlu began his career as coordinator at the Bosphorus University Foundation. Over the years…

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