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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.

gia Global Honoree: USA’s Cooks of Crocus Hill

By Piritta Törrö, International Marketing & Business Development Living the Life at Crocus Hill Karl Benson and Marie Dwyer are the passionate pair behind one of five 2013 gia Global Honorees, Cooks of Crocus Hill. They share their story with Michelle Hespe – about how they got to where they are, and what they’ve been doing since they reached the top of their hill. Cooks…

gia Global Honoree: Canada’s Linen Chest

By Piritta Törrö, International Marketing & Business Development Carrying on the Dream Michelle Hespe looks into the story behind one of the five Global Honorees at this years’ gia Global Innovation Awards in Chicago. Linen Chest from Canada is testament to one woman’s belief in her retail dream. It’s a story loaded with sentiment and a sense of retail history - unfolding…

gia Global Honorees: Netherlands’ Kookpunt

By Piritta Törrö, International Marketing & Business Development World of Its Own Michelle Hespe meets the owners of Kookpunt in the Netherlands after they became one of five Global Honorees in the Global Innovation Awards (gia), which is run by the International Housewares Association (IHA) at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago every March. In…

2013 HECNA Global Forum: Registration and Key Details

Registration is underway for the 2013 HECNA Global Forum taking place in Panama City, Panama from September 15-18. Within the agenda are key retailer presentations, networking events and a tabletop tradeshow at which participants will have a chance to showcase their products to Central American buyers. In addition, there will be an optional trip to the Colon Duty Free Trade…

Key Retailer Profile: Ahmed Abdulrehman & Sons L.L.C. from the UAE

The HECNA key retailer profile this month is on Ahmed Abdulrehman & Sons of United Arab Emirates. See the report for details on the company, including key contact information. This and previously published HECNA key retailer and key distributor profiles are available for download at the HECNA Members Only website.…

Chicago – Inspiration by Architecture

Anyone who has been to Chicago will tell you that the Chicago architecture is the thing that grabs your attention. Take a stroll by foot or an architectural tour by boat along the Chicago River through downtown Chicago, and you’ll start to understand why architects and designers have chosen to make their mark in this city. Take the Aqua  skyscraper in the  Lakeshore East…

2012-2013 gia Winner Contact Information

In 2012-2013, there were 23 gia (Global Innovation Award) winners - representing the very best in housewares and homegoods retailing - from 22 countries on five continents. Contact information for all 23 companies, including key retailers such as Cooking.com, Kookpunt, Matchbox, Coqueluche, Bahne, and ToTT Store can be found on the HECNA Members Only website. Find even more…

Tips to Make your Blog Perform Better on Search Engines

By Larry Stopa and Molly Guendert Blogs are an important tool for improving branding and search visibility. According to a Search Engine Journal study, companies that Blog have 434% more indexed pages than companies who don’t, which means better visibility and more leads. If your brand isn’t seeing the results it would like from its Blogging efforts, you may want to use…