All Posts

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

January Promotion for Housewares Guests at Hilton Chicago

Upgrade your stay to Business Class accommodations at a $199 rate and receive: 10X Hilton HHONOR Points Complimentary guest room internet Complimentary Athletic Club access, including the indoor running track and pool Limited number of January Promotion rooms available to be sold Book the $199 January Promotion with Andrew Herrington You may also book at the standard rate…

Always Keep Looking (for The Right Staff)

Labor issues are making headlines nationwide as communities debate the pros and cons of the minimum wage, employee scheduling practices and other workplace concerns. For independent gourmet retailers, who make their living by standing apart from the big box stores, finding and keeping good employees is a key business strategy, and one of the trickiest to get right. At…

Community – the New “C”

It takes more than the two “C”s caught between the “S”s to spell SUCCESS in retail today. It used to be about COMFORT and CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE. It always was somewhat about COST CONTROL. Lately it has been about COMMUNITY SPACES and CONSERVATION—though by going “green” you are serving the community as well. Let’s talk about COMMUNITY SPACES. Anybody who lives in or near New…

Chicago’s Recipe for Culinary Icons – Passion+Inspiration=Today’s Top Chefs

In the culinary world, if you asked most people to name the leading trend-setting U.S. cities the answer would be easy – it follows a line across the United States from New York to Chicago to San Francisco. These cities are often the birthplace of hot new concepts that flow out in waves and trickle down to the masses. And as culinary diversity grows across the country, these…

Trends: Dieting Gives Way To Healthy Eating

Every January as consumers begin the new year with resolutions for a new body, research shows that when it comes down to actually eating, Americans are less focused on dieting and more focused on adopting a healthier lifestyle. Instead of turning to diet aids and products, consumers are looking for the authenticity and purity of the foods they eat, according to The NPD…

Stats: Time Facebook Posts for Impact

For many smaller retailers, Facebook pages are a key marketing tool. Retailers post cooking school schedules, holiday sales, as well as daily promotions to the social media network and many keep a more personal log about their stores, as a way to underscore their community presence with local customers. But few track just when they post to Facebook with any regularity.…

Loews Chicago Hotel – A Legendary City Has Some Great New Stories

A low, introductory rate of $169 + tax for the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show. Take advantage of 10% off all hotel food and beverage charges. Guests of the International Home + Housewares Show will enjoy complimentary WiFi in their guest rooms and the hotel lobby. Book Your Discounted Room at Loews Chicago! Breaking into the Chicago skyline is not for the…

Trisha Yearwood, Rick Bayless, Ming Tsai Headline Cooking Theater Line-up at 2016 Show

Country singer Trisha Yearwood, Top Chef Masters champion Rick Bayless and James Beard Award winner Ming Tsai will be will be part of the line-up of celebrity chefs appearing in the Cooking Theater at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show, March 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Also appearing will be Rose Levy Beranbaum, cookbook author, blogger and James Beard…

Retail Profile: Compleat Lifestyles

Retailer: Compleat Lifestyles Owner: Connie Stevinson Location: Centennial, Colorado Founded: 1984 (changed hands in 2011) Square footage: 5,000 sq. ft. (kitchenware store) The full name of her business says much about the way owner Connie Stevinson views the gourmet market: Compleat Lifestyles/Gourmet & Gifts and Home Accents. This umbrella concept is where shoppers…