Global Opportunities

Benefit from IHA’s International Business Council, which offers opportunities, education and insight to help members succeed in the global marketplace!

2017 Global Forum Recap: Export 101

The 2017 IBC Global Forum in Miami opened on Sunday afternoon September 17 with a one-hour session jam-packed with information for new exporters. This session, Export 101, geared for new Global Forum attendees and those who are new to the export business, also served as a refresher for experienced international marketers. Led by IBC Board member, Paul Michalowski, senior…

Export 101: Understanding International Marketing

An extremely important aspect of any business plan is finding customers. No matter how great your product is, you won’t be successful unless you get it in front of a buyer. As networking, face-to-face interaction and relationship building are critically important in international sales, thankfully there are several methods and resources to help you accomplish these…

Global Retail Intelligence – September

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: September 27 - Carrefour Is Rumored to Being Bought by Amazon According to French publication, "Les Echos", Carrefour share had the largest increase of the CAC 40 ((Cotation Assistée en Continu), a benchmark French stock market index) on Tuesday, an increase of 3.45% to €17.09. This revaluation follows a…

August Currency Outlook

In their August 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief US GDP growth lower than anticipated US Dollar weakened against major currencies such as Canadian Dollar and Euro Stock indexes thrived, hitting all-time records Euro-zone economies…

Export 101: Understanding Pricing

Pricing: Where to Begin Developing an export pricing strategy is one of the most important and complicated aspects of selling overseas. There are many factors to take into consideration when setting prices including your company’s export objectives, market dynamics, costs associated with exporting the product, and sales strategy. When considering your company’s export…

Global Retail Intelligence – August

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: August 28 – Nordic Retailer, H&M Launches New Store, Arket The first Arket store that features fashion and home products opened in London on Regent Street and the company has launched the online store. Additional store openings are planned for Copenhagen, Brussels and Munich. From Business…

Hardware Store Update from the Japan DIY Industry Association

Information provided by the Japan DIY Industry Association shows remarkable development in the sales and number of DIY stores/home centers in Japan since the first DIY store was opened in the country over 40 years ago. There are now over 4,500 DIY stores/home centers in Japan with annual general proceeds reaching 3.95 trillion yen. Annual general proceeds & number of DIY…

Export 101: Understanding Supply Chains

Your supply chain is an integral part of the international sales process as it impacts both the cost of the item and the time it takes to deliver a product. Although there are several variations, this article will discuss four primary supply chain alternatives: Domestic Warehouse, China-based Warehouse, Direct Import and Foreign Warehouse. For illustrative purposes, let’s…

July Currency Outlook

In their July 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief US economic growth outlook downgraded by International Monetary Fund Italy’s election reform failed to pass Prices of WTI Crude sink to 7-month low after North American oil rig…