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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.

Global Retail Intelligence – October

October 26 – Ikea Acquires Real Estate in London With plans to open a large store on London’s Oxford Street in fall of 2023, Ikea acquired a building previously occupied by Topshop. The 22,000 square meter building was bought for GBP 378 million. From Retail Detail October 26 – Amazon India Announces New Store and Pays Cashback Ahead of the holiday season of Dhanteras,…

U.S.Retail Intelligence – September

September 30 – IHA Announces Global Honorees for gia Top Window AwardThe Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program announced the Global Honorees for the gia Top Window Awards during the Connect FALL “Winning Visual Clicks/gia Top Window Award” presentation by gia…

Infrastructure and “Human Infrastructure” Legislation and Taxes

On August 10, the U.S. Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684, by a 69-30 vote. This is the bipartisan infrastructure framework (or BIF) that would spend $1.2 trillion over ten years on what’s generally considered to be infrastructure, using a combination of $550 billion in new spending and spending offsets including repurposing $200 billion of…

Port Congestion Going from Bad to Worse

Carriers will be increasing capacity from Asia to US West Coast ports by 22 percent. The influx of the additional capacity will last through the end of the year. US East Coast ports will also see an increase in capacity through the end of the year by 14 percent. Carriers had hoped these additional measures would help shippers meet the surging demand which is expected to last…

U.S.Retail Intelligence – August

August 30 – Dollar General Q2 Beats Street With Eyes On FutureDollar General, looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, asserted that it is in good shape despite tough year-over-year comparisons. From: HomePage News August 29 – ShopRite Launches New 'Fresh to Table' In-Store ExperienceA Philadelphia ShopRite store introduces a meal solutions center with a host of fresh, on-trend…

Global Retail Intelligence – August

August 18 – Carrefour Belgium Introduces Eco-ScoreInitially launched in Belgium by Colruyt, followed by Lidl, Eco-Score is an ecological evaluation of products. Carrefour will launch this system by applying the score to rate a product’s sustainability to 1500 products online and plans to roll the program out to additional products and eventually to products sold instore.…

IHA Joins Coalition Backing Federal Bill Aimed at Curbing Unfair Ocean Shipping Practices, Charges

The International Housewares Association has joined a coalition of industry organizations in support of a new federal bill aimed at enacting sweeping changes to the law to curb unfair practices and charges by ocean carriers that have contributed to skyrocketing freight costs and extended delays for U.S.-bound containers. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 is set to be…

U.S.Retail Intelligence – July

July 30 – Infomercial King Ron Popeil Dies On Thursday, July 28, the 86-year old succumb to a brain hemorrhage at a Los Angeles hospital. From: Kitcheware Today July 30 – Amazon Forecasts Slower Growth as it Laps Last Year’s Insane Online Sales Gains Pandemic infused growth will revert to the mean. But more interesting is, did it match with the overall retail slowdown?…

California Bill Would Place New Requirements on Cookware

A bill in the California legislature, California Assembly Bill 1200 (AB 1200), would place new requirements on cookware sold in that state containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. Introduced in March 2021 by Assemblyman Phil Ting, the bill would actually address two supply chains by prohibiting the use of PFAS chemistries in food packaging beginning on Jan.…