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IHA’s blog features informative posts written to keep the housewares industry educated and informed about key strategic issues and IHA member services.

Navigating AI Security in Ports & Intermodal Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Ignore AI, and you’ll own the next Blockbuster card.” — Arianna Huffington AI is significantly enhancing the security and safety of maritime shipping containers in 2026. This transformation has moved from experimental pilots to practical, real-time applications that protect against both physical and digital threats. These are some of the uses developed…

Groundhog Day and Tariffs

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Feb. 2, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Perhaps businesses impacted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs (the “reciprocal” and “fentanyl” IEEPA tariffs) might have to wait that long for the Supreme Court…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – February

January 30 – Home Depot Laying Off 800 Workers at Atlanta HQ in Return-to-Office Move Our goal is to drive greater agility and position the company to move faster and stay even more closely connected with our frontline associates, said the company. From: HomePage News January 30 – Gen Z Takes Wedding Planning Lead with Minds on Budget, Social Content & AI Based on…

Navigating AI in Open Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity." — Albert Einstein Many of us already use AI technology in our workplace and realize the time and productivity advantages it affords us. We also know that AI is something that must be controlled and checked for accuracy. But through use and mastery, it can become more accurate and…

IEEPA Refunds, CIT Lawsuits and Tariff Retreats

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — With many legal observers predicting the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will rule against President Trump’s ability to use the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on some 200 countries and “fentanyl tariffs” on Canada, Mexico and China, American companies that paid the tariffs…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – January

December 23 – Visa: Holiday Spending Rose 4.2%; In-Store Sales Capture 73% of Spend General merchandise stores saw a 3.7% lift as consumers sought out convenience, Visa noted. From: Chain Store Age December 23 – Deal to Sell 120 J.C. Penney Stores for $950M Falls Through Shareholders include Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – December

November 30 – A Measure of Success: Independent Retailer Index 38% of respondents reported that sales increased in Q2 2025 versus Q2 2024. From: Hardware Retailing November 26 – Belk Set to Debut Smaller Store Concept with Local Flavors Each of the Belk Market stores will offer a curated assortment of national and private label brands in the smaller footprint. …

Navigating China “Nearshoring” to North America?

by Dave Akers, IHSA "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Ancient Chinese proverb, Lao Tzu Most of us have heard this (translated) Ancient Chinese proverb, but the Chinese have adopted this ancient proverb. The essential concept of this proverb is that huge goals must be broken down into smaller, manageable parts and that it can be applied to all…

Potential IEEPA Tariff Refunds

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Nov. 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments on whether the Trump Administration can use the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on some 200 countries and “fentanyl tariffs” on Canada, Mexico and China. The tariff cases, Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v.…