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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.

Housewares Are Becoming Connected. Is Your Company Ready?

By Michael Wolf The housewares industry is changing, but I wouldn’t blame you for missing it. That’s because industry evolutions happen subtly and slowly and, as a result, it’s often easy to miss the big shifts. Most of us, after all, are busy doing our job. But the old adage “the days are long but the years are short” applies just as much to market evolutions as well as…

Sold-Out 2018 International Home + Housewares Show Brims with Innovation, Vibrant Buzz on Show Floor

The just-concluded 2018 International Home + Housewares Show is garnering rave reviews from the industry with an overall sentiment that the quality of top-to-top buyer and seller attendees was the strongest in years. The Show was sold-out with 2,244 exhibitors from 47 countries and featured a focus on the smart home and connected products. “Even with the impact of the East…

Cleaning Up: How Robot Vacuums Work and What’s Next

By Carley Knobloch In 2002 when they hit the scene, robot vacuums were the stuff of curiosity and silly videos of cats who climb on them and sail around the house. They’re not the stuff of viral videos anymore: With major technological advancements, boosted power and prices falling, robot vacuum cleaners are becoming a mainstay in American homes. A recent study, in fact,…

Home Smart Home

By Michelle Hespe Carley Knobloch knows a thing or two about smart homes: She’s consulted with HGTV on their annual HGTV Smart Home build for years, and is a regular tech contributor on the Today Show. Her home, a blend of California cool and high tech, was just featured in Good Housekeeping. To Carley, “A truly smart home is as beautiful as it is intelligent — the gadgets…

Software is the Heart of the Smart Kitchen Experts Tell Housewares Audience

Seven years ago, Groupon and LinkedIn investor Marc Andreessen said something incredibly important – something that, at the time, few people really understood the gravity of. Andreesen claimed: “Software is eating the world.” Fast forward to 2018, listening to talk about the future of smart kitchens, his comment certainly rings true; however, now one could probably take the…

2018 Gia Global Honorees for Retail Excellence Announced at International Home + Housewares Show

The International Home + Housewares Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, today announced the 2018 gia Global Honorees for Retail Excellence. The Global Honorees are: Tugó - Colombia Manufactum - Germany Pollmann sinds 1890 - Netherlands Harrods - United…

Thirteen Companies Honored with IHA Global Innovation Awards for Product Design

Thirteen housewares suppliers ranging from well-established brands to first-time exhibitors were honored as Global Honorees of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for product design today. The Global Honorees in each of 13 categories were announced during the invitation-only gia dinner on the first evening of the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show. Global Honorees…

Global Retail Intelligence – March

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: March 19 – Alibaba’s New App Focuses on Discounted Products The new App features products that sell below 19.9 yuan (˜US$3). This “Taobao Special Offer Edition” offers products across a large range of categories, including food, clothing and electronics accessories and includes delivery in the cost of the…

Meet with Social Media & Digital Marketing Professionals at #IHHS2018!

Navigating today's marketplace is no easy feat, and the digital landscape can be especially confusing. Whether you're looking for a fresh perspective on your digital marketing strategy, insight on how to successfully take on live video, or just have questions you haven't gotten a straight answer to, the Social Media & Digital Marketing Center is the place for you at…