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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.

Sweetly Connected

by Michelle Hespe We catch up with Paul Lowe, otherwise known as “Sweet Paul” to talk about how he injects emotion into his website, magazine, blog and online retail business. Many people have the dream of doing what they love as a living, but Paul Lowe – aka Sweet Paul – literally takes the cake. Sweet Paul has made a living off the things he loves — cooking, baking…

Trends: Brick and Mortar Stands Up to Online

While a vast majority of Americans are now online shoppers, a new survey finds that those same customers also seek out brick-and-mortar stores. According to the survey from the Pew Research Center, some 8-in-10 Americans shop online, compared to a similar study done in June 2000 when just 22 percent of Americans had made a purchase online. Still, the study found that…

Reinventing Retail in the Era of Connected Devices

When it comes to selling connected devices, retailers have a tough job. Smart products are often complex, can require more up-front education and suffer from higher return rates than their more traditional brethren. As a result, efforts by some retailers to expand into the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and smart home ended in disappointment. Office retailer Staples, who…

Brothers in Design

by Michelle Hespe Michelle Hespe speaks to Richard Joseph, one of the brothers behind the Joseph Joseph brand, which beautifully fuses form, functionality and fun. In 2003, twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph launched their now hugely popular design brand, Joseph Joseph. Today, they have 125 employees and offices in the U.K., U.S., Japan, France and Germany. Both…

Retail Profile: Thyme in the Kitchen

Thyme in the Kitchen may be tucked into a historic, Westside neighborhood in Evansville, Ind., but the store pulls in visitors from all over, many of whom are on their way to cities like Nashville some two hours away. The reason? Eye-catching billboards posted along major highways around Evansville, which though a lovely place, is not typically thought of as a destination…

Export 101: Understanding Supply Chains

Your supply chain is an integral part of the international sales process as it impacts both the cost of the item and the time it takes to deliver a product. Although there are several variations, this article will discuss four primary supply chain alternatives: Domestic Warehouse, China-based Warehouse, Direct Import and Foreign Warehouse. For illustrative purposes, let’s…

July Currency Outlook

In their July 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief US economic growth outlook downgraded by International Monetary Fund Italy’s election reform failed to pass Prices of WTI Crude sink to 7-month low after North American oil rig…

Creating an Emotive Space

by Terri Winter, co-owner and founder of retail store top3 by design in Australia. Interior design elicits an emotive response. You can feel energized, calm or cocooned in a space based largely on the choice of color. Color Using color and texture can affect the emotions of visitors to your store or to your home. Explore the opportunity to create various moods in…

Security in a Connected-Aplicance World

My washing machine talks to my thermostat. Amazon Alexa talks to my lights and motion sensors talk to my oven. But as these conversations proliferate in my home (and in the cloud), who’s listening in? Big companies? Hackers? More and more consumers are starting to ask these tough questions, demanding that companies provide answers. Or worse— they’re put off by the whole idea…