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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.

Global Retail Intelligence – March

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: March 19 – India’s Reliance Retail to Open New Stores Reliance Retail plans to expand its low-cost fashion store network Reliance Trends to 2,500 locations within the next five years. From Retail News Asia March 18 – Walmart Japan Announces Seiyu Is Not For Sale Newly appointed CEO of Walmart’s Japanese…

March Currency Outlook

In their March 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 recovered about half of its January losses in February, increasing .7% The Brazilian Real and South African Rand sank dramatically The Australian and New Zealand Dollars both…

IH+HS Delivers Top Retail Executives & Vibrant Buzz on Show Floor

The just-concluded 2019 International Home + Housewares Show is garnering rave reviews from the industry with an overall sentiment that the quality of buyer attendees was the strongest in years. The Show was sold-out with 2,205 exhibitors from 43 countries and featured a focus on influencers/bloggers, smart/connected products and the specialty beverage movement. It was also…

Color Expert Lee Eiseman Shares Updates to Consumer Color Preferences at 2019 IH+HS

We must be especially clever when trying to attract consumers’ eyes with color, Leatrice Eiseman – executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color expert for the International Housewares Association (IHA) – told the audience last week during her second keynote session, “Color/Texture/Finish: Back to the Future,” at the 2019 International Home + Housewares…

International Home + Housewares Show Changes Name

Next year, the International Housewares Association is changing the name of its flagship trade show from the International Home + Housewares Show to The Inspired Home Show, IHA’s Global Home + Housewares Market. The change, which was announced at the recently completed 2019 International Home + Housewares Show, is part of the Association’s expansion of The Inspired Home…

Retail Profile: Artichoke

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Owners: Karen and Brad Hughes Founded: 2016 Square Footage: 883 sq. ft. Own or Rent: Own If you can’t shop at Artichoke in person, you can visit via a virtual reality version of the Cincinnati store. Available on the Artichoke website, the virtual store allows customers to get acquainted before they come in, something owners Brad and Karen…

IHSA to Introduce “Core Carrier” Program

The carrier landscape has changed dramatically over the last five years. Carrier consolidation has been a game changer. With fewer entities, the carriers now have a much greater ability to manage capacity in their favor. We believe the carriers will continue to manage capacity for the foreseeable future. To help combat this serious issue, IHSA will be nominating four carriers…

Tom Mirabile Shares Latest Lifestyle Trends

We’re now in a consumer-centric period of retail where the consumer is in control, said Tom Mirabile, trend expert for the International Housewares Association (IHA), during “Top Trends 2019: New Consumer Insights and How to Thrive in the Retail Revolution,” his annual keynote address at the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show today. As a result, housewares suppliers and…

Prepare for a Kaleidoscope of Colors in the Next Two Years

Diverse color palettes with never-ending patterns and combinations will be the name of the game more than ever before, said Leatrice Eiseman – executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color expert for the International Housewares Association (IHA) – today at the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show. Her remarks were part of her annual keynote address, this…