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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.

Market Opportunities – Taiwan, China, Australia/New Zealand and Canada

IHA International Offices and Representatives: Taiwan, China, Australia/New Zealand, Canada On May 19, IHA representatives based in Taiwan, China, Australia/New Zealand and Canada summarized the top five trends in each region. Information on regional responses to global economic challenges and consumer preferences provided valuable guidance for suppliers. Presenters also…

Market Opportunities – UK and Europe

IHA International Offices and Representatives: UK and Europe On May 19, IHA representatives presented market reports from more than 10 countries in Europe and UK. These summaries of the top five trends in each region offered valuable insights about consumer preferences and economic factors impacting retail developments. Presenters also included contact information for…

KEYNOTE: Key Market Update: Burton McCall, UK & Ireland

By Debbie Teschke Burton McCall is an independent, 60-year-old, family-owned specialty distribution company centrally located in the heart of England. It has an established multi-channel network with exclusive distribution agreements in the UK and Ireland, according to Michelle Dickinson, managing director at Burton McCall Ltd, during her keynote address on the second day of…

Market Opportunities – Latin America and India

IHA International Offices and Representatives: Mexico, South America, Columbia, Ecuador and India On May 19, IHA representatives presented market reports from Latin America and India. They discussed the top five trends in each region and outlined economic trends impacting retail developments. The presenters noted eating habits and purchasing behaviors that differed from…

KEYNOTE: Key Retailer Update Mercado Libre — LATAM

By Debbie Teschke Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce retailer in Latin America, offers housewares suppliers access to a market of more than 636 million people in a region with one of the world’s fastest-growing Internet penetration rates. Mariano Migues, cross border trade manager at Mercado Libre, opened Connect GLOBAL, this year’s virtual edition of the International…

Off-Price Rethinks Its E-Commerce Resistance

by Peter Giannetti Off-price retailing for years has been an immovable brick-and-mortar object against the irresistible force of e-commerce. Such physical store reliance, though, was put to the test when most off-price stores had to close—without a meaningful digital commerce fallback—during the early months of the pandemic. Burlington Stores announced suspension of…

Connect GLOBAL Offers Buyer Connections, Market Overviews, Networking Through Virtual Education Series

ROSEMONT, ILL (May 12, 2021)—Connect GLOBAL, a virtual presentation of the International Business Council’s Global Forum, will be held May 18-20, offering housewares suppliers overviews of key international markets through daily keynote presentations given by industry experts. Sessions are applicable for both suppliers new to the international arena or veteran sales executives…

Food52 Cooks Up a Surprise

By Peter Giannetti Recent news that Food52 was acquiring Dansk probably caught more than few industry observers by surprise. Perhaps it was no surprise that Centre Lane Partners, the new private-equity owner of a Lenox business in transition, spun off a Dansk cookware and tableware brand that still holds solid brand equity despite a clear need for a revival. What may…

Tax Hikes on the Congressional Agenda

On March 31, President Biden announced the first half of his “Build Back Better” initiative, the $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan. Presented by the White House as an infrastructure plan, this massive proposal covers a broad range of functions that go beyond the conventional notion of “infrastructure” to include programs such as $400 billion for home and community-based…