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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.

Container Lines Own the Leverage

At the beginning of every contract negotiation period, the shipping industry speculates whether the carriers or the shippers have the leverage to drive the contract negotiations. There is no speculation heading into the 2021 contract process. The carriers have 100% of the power barring a major collapse in the global economy. Shippers that fail to accept the new carrier tactics…

Biden Administration Trade and Counterfeit Policies

Despite legal challenges, former Vice President Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the U.S. on Jan. 20, 2021 appears inevitable and he and his team have been announcing their picks for key posts in a Biden Administration. Of particular interest for IHA members will be Biden’s approach to trade and where his policies will differ from the Trump…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – November

November 30 – Dollar Tree’s Remodeled Stores Lead to Third-Quarter GrowthRetailer said its campaign to overhaul Family Dollar stores is starting to pay off, net sales increased by 7.5% for the quarter. From: Store Brands Today November 29 – Buc-ee's Moves Into Two New StatesA groundbreaking in South Carolina and store opening in Georgia mark its latest expansion beyond…

Global Retail Intelligence – November

November 18 – Asda online sales up 72% in Q3 2020Walmart Asda reported earnings for the third quarter of 2020 covering the period from July 1 to September 30, coinciding with the end of the first UK-wide lockdown and reopening of the hospitality sector. Asda’s like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, increased by 2.7% and the strong performance in grocery, back-to-school…

ADA Website Lawsuits Will Continue

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the focus of Title III in the law was, and still is, providing accessibility for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations and commercial facilities. Framers saw Title III’s language exclusively in terms of “brick and mortar” and the internet wasn’t contemplated then.…

Asia to US Container Space is Sold Out

Carriers have informed the shipping industry that container space on ships is sold out through the month of November. Space is sold out even though capacity is up 20% year-on-year. The surge in imports is unprecedented. A similar space shortage happened in 2018 but 2020 is turning out to be much worse for US importers. The carriers claim there is nothing else they can do to…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – October

October 18 – Amazon, Whole Foods Finds Ideal Market in Denver Proving once again that the Amazon-Whole Foods Market partnership is a force to be reckoned with, the retailer opens its latest grocery concept in Denver. From: Winsight Grocery Business October 18 – Wegmans on the Move in Mid-Atlantic In a major play for the Mid-Atlantic, Wegmans plans to open 10 stores and a…

Global Retail Intelligence –October

October 13 – Aldi UK Doubles Size of Deliveroo Trial|Aldi UK has planned to double the size of its trial of grocery delivery with the Deliveroo network, extending the trial to 40 total stores, bringing the trial service area to additional cities in England. From Aldi October 12 – Flipcart, Walmart Invest in NinjacartIndia-based ecommerce marketplace, Flipkart and parent…

Key Market Update: Canada

Brigitte Roy, president, DANESCO Canadian Market Demographics Brigitte Roy, president of the Canadian distributor Danesco, began her presentation on the Canadian market by outlining key differences between U.S. and Canadian culture. Canada is composed of 10 provinces and three territories. The metric system is used for measurements. It is a bilingual country—both…