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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.

Brazil’s Booming Internet Retailing

by Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator Digital businesses are investing in Latin America’s rapidly evolving B2C retailing, according to the September 2014 issue of Internet Retailer, published by Chicago-based Vertical Web Media, LLC. The magazine maps internet retail’s growth in Latin America and describes how web merchants spend heavily and think creatively to…

Industry 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, the annual general proceeds reaching 3.97 trillion yen. Home centers have expanded throughout Japan…

Housewares Exports to the UK Market

Report and analysis by: Laura Spingola, Trade Resources Ltd. The United Kingdom represents a special market for U.S. housewares exporters. Ranking third among global markets for U.S. housewares exporters, many IHA members are active in the UK, yet many more new-to-export and experienced exporters should make “go/no-go” decisions about this important and inviting single market…

Global Retail News: Costco, Sainsbury, Walmart, Auchan, Carrefour

Costco hits the spot in Seville Last month, US-based Costco opened its first unit on continental Europe in Seville, Spain. The warehouse club retailer has proven sufficiently adventurous to venture into the country at a time when Spain is experiencing the nascent twitches of recovery following six years of the worst economic crisis in decades. Source: Planet…

CE Mark Workshop for Illinois Companies

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC) is pleased to partner with the Center for International Regulatory Assistance (CITRA) at Duquesne University to present a day-long workshop at ICNC. Facilitated by CITRA experts and the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at ICNC, the workshop will cover information on the…

IHA’s New Inspired Home Website Announces Editorial Calendar

Features on Halloween and fall-themed entertaining, food preparation and storage; personal care and grooming; home organization; closet and clothes care; garage organization and pet care will launch the new Inspired Home website created by the International Housewares Association. The website, www.IHAInspiredHome.org, is part of IHA’s consumer-focused initiative that will…

gia Global Innovation Awards 2014 – Retailers on Top of the World

Every year, the International Housewares Association (IHA) welcomes retailers deemed the best in their home country to Chicago, where they compete on a global stage in the IHA Global Innovation Awards 2014 (gia) program. This year, there were 23 national gia winners from 22 countries, all representing the very top of home and housewares retailing. The gia Global Innovation…

Design Stars – Winners of the 2014 gia Design Awards

Discover Design, the premier design destination at the International Home + Housewares Show, offers a collection of more than 100 companies showcasing the latest designs found in housewares. Exhibitors are based on recommendations from and approval by the retail and design community. Since 2011, exhibitors in Discover Design have been in contention for gia Global Innovation…

Introducing the 2014 gia Global Honorees

This year’s IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) awards had such a wonderful group of winners and the panel of editor judges and expert jurors found it so difficult to choose just five top retail stores from the 23 regional 2014 gia global honorees that they had to choose six instead. The six top stores declared 2014 gia Global Honorees were: TheSuperCool from Australia, K…