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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.

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…

Market Opportunities: Top Five Trends in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, India

IHA Offices and Representatives IHA brought insights from around the world to Global Forum attendees with short presentations by its offices in varied regions. At the close of the final presentation, all joined in a group discussion to respond audience questions. Tom Johnston & Lourdes Ramirez – IHA Office for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean In-store department…

Key Market Update: Costa Rica and Central America

Vanessa Sadi, general manager, La Cocina Ideal Market Review Speaking from San Jose, Costa Rica, Vanessa Sadi, general manager of housewares distributor La Cocina Ideal, summarized market demographics in Costa Rica, a Central American country with more than five million residents. Minimum wages begin at US$450/month, with middle class incomes starting at US$750. Because…

Key Retailer Update

Shifting Consumer Behavior and Trends in Housewares Categories and Ecommerce in India Santanu Debroy, senior manager, BD and AM, Other Hardlines, Amazon India Marketplace and Sidram Kaudaki, international brand partnerships /business development manager, International Sourcing, Amazon India Marketplace Speaking from Bangalore, Santaru Debroy and Sidram Kaudaki addressed…

Key Retailer Update: Canadian Tire Corporation

Douglas Young, vice president, Merchandising—Living Division, Canadian Tire Retail Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), founded in 1922, has grown to more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets with tens of thousands of employees across Canada. CTC aims to grow its business to provide Canadians with everything they need for life. Recent acquisitions include the 2018 purchase of…