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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.

Discover Design: Meet Articulate Scotland

IHA speaks with Colin Gilchrist, co-founder of Articulate (Scotland) Ltd, creators of unique picture frames for displaying children’s dimensional art. Articulate Scotland makes its first appearance in Discover Design at the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design in booth N8610. Colin, tell us about how your company began. “The Articulate Gallery” is an…

Discover and Enjoy Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

As a thank you, the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park would like to offer the following amenities to their housewares guests: A recently reduced rate of $189 for all attendees Complimentary wireless internet in guestrooms 15% off in the hotel’s food and beverage outlets, including Columbus Tap, Millennium Room, THE BAR and In-Room Dining 15% off in…

Detention and Demurrage Charges

Shippers may finally have some recourse when it comes to detention and demurrage charges. Shippers have been complaining for years that detention and demurrage charges are being charged even when it is no fault of the shipper. For example, everyone remembers the 2014-15 West Coast congestion and the gridlocked that brought the ports to a standstill. Shippers did their part…

Tabletop Beyond Bridal

Tabletop categories are household staples, but the way in which people shop for place settings, flatware and dinnerware is changing, and independent retailers who carry tabletop are adapting as the category shifts gears. Where the bridal registry was once the holy grail of tabletop sales, now many consumers are skipping registries; even skipping buying tabletop for wedding…

Top Retail Trends for Consumer Engagement

by Michelle Hespe At the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, the four Expert Jurors of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) – Wolfgang Gruschwitz, Scott Kohno, Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen and Anne Kong – revealed the “Top Retail Trends for Consumer Engagement.” The key message from the Expert Jurors was: “Nothing is more important than engaging with…

Housewares Executives Ready to Capitalize on Investments; Positive Momentum in 2018

In many ways, the housewares business is in a better place than just one year ago, and housewares executives say they’re ready to capitalize not only on positive momentum in the U.S. economy but also the many investments and adjustments they made at their companies in 2017. “There’s obviously tremendous change going on in our marketplace,” said Brett Bradshaw, president of…

Discover Design: Meet SANS

IHA speaks with Tracy Miller, president of SANS, LLC, to learn about their latest products for healthy living that will be shown at the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design booth N8232. Tracy, tell us about how your company began. Time and time again, we found ourselves wasting fruits and vegetables that had gone bad before we had a chance to use…

HCF to Honor Three Industry Veterans at March Gala

Shelley Salomon, vice president Home, Pets and Toys at Amazon; Bill Dillard III, senior vice president, Dillard’s; and Georg J. Riedel, owner, Riedel, will be honored for their philanthropic endeavors by the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) during its 21st annual gala on Monday, March 12 during the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. Salomon will receive…

The Fresh Face of Retail

by Michelle Hespe We speak to Anne Kong, expert juror from the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia), about fresh trends in sustainable retailing. When brands like Apple make big changes in their approach to retail and branding, you know there’s change a-foot. In Apple’s new stores, the products are still the main drawcard, but the clever place-making is what makes people…