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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.

IMO 2020 Will Impact Multiple Stakeholders

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed several mandates to reduce marine pollution. Effective January 1, 2020, container vessels will only be allowed to use fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5%. The current regulation allows for fuel with a sulfur cap of 3.5%. The cost of this new mandate is going to impact multiple stakeholders in the shipping…

Stats: Specialty Cheese Market Expected to Grow

Although it is, ahem, ripe, the market for specialty cheese, while mature, is still expected to grow. Which is good news for those independent retailers who stock bries, blues and cheddars. According to the U.S. Food Market Outlook 2019, a report released by the market research firm Packaged Facts, retail dollar sales of the U.S. natural and specialty cheese market reached…

Trends: Consumers Love Snacks

According to the NPD Group’s most recent survey, consumers love snacks! And why not. They like tasty, rich snacks, according to the NPD Group’s “Future of Snacking” report, which says consumers “are giving themselves permission to enjoy indulgent snacks.” For retailers with cooking programs, the trend is an interesting one. Why not consider adding classes on how to whip up…

Special Spaces

by Michelle Hespe The 2019 gia Global Honoree Futako Tamagawa Tsutaya Electrics from Japan is part of a new wave of retailers that understand that to survive in this industry, you can no longer simply sell products. This company has further raised the bar, creating an enticing society for its customers. Don’t be fooled by the name of the store – Futako Tamagawa Tsutaya…

June Currency Outlook

In their June 2019 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief The USD reached its strongest level in 2019, dwindling in the final day of MayAfter major swings, the USD rose by less than half of a percentage according to the Bloomberg Dollar Spot…

Global Retail Intelligence – June

June 19 – Germany’s Metro Expands in MyanmarMetro Wholesale Myanmar is seeking to expand its operations in Myanmar, aiming to open in Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Taunggyi and other major metropolitan locations in the region. From Consult Myanmar June 17 – Costco to Open Its First Store in ChinaFive years after Costco opened its first online store in China, it plans to open…

CBD Products Emerge at Retail

While you still can’t order a CBD latte at Starbucks, the market for CBD (Cannabidiol) products is opening and already on the shelves of small retailers, as well as shown during the 2019 International Home + Housewares show last March. Cannabidiol is the non-THC part of the marijuana plant and can be seen in such housewares products as air diffusers, CBD oil sprays and…

Retail Profile: Sparrow Hawk Cookware

Location: Colorado Springs, Colo. Owner: Sam Eppley Founded: 1979 Square footage: 4,000 sq. ft. Own or rent: Own Sam Eppley knows what makes his store special: customer service. “We have a ton of employees who have been with us at least five years and one lady has been here for 20 years,” he says. Eppley himself has been around for 41 years, “so there is a lot of…