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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.

Stats: Meal Kits Still Out at Home

Despite aggressive social media campaigns, meal delivery services are not coming close to replacing home-cooked meals. Yet. According to research from The NPD Group, the buzz around meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, “may be greater than those who currently use the kits.” NPD says only about 3 percent of the U.S. adult population (18 and older) tried…

September Currency Outlook

In their September 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief Revisions of second quarter US GDP showed higher level of growth than anticipated Brexit negotiations start up again, but have gone nowhere Stock indexes thrived, hitting all-time…

2017 Global Forum Recap: Networking Reception

Attendees from over 10 countries at the 2017 IBC Global Forum gathered poolside at the East, Miami Hotel to network with old colleagues and to make new friends! The Global Forum is sponsored by the International Business Council (IBC), a special interest group of International Housewares Association members dedicated to increasing their international business.…

2017 Global Forum Recap: Export 101

The 2017 IBC Global Forum in Miami opened on Sunday afternoon September 17 with a one-hour session jam-packed with information for new exporters. This session, Export 101, geared for new Global Forum attendees and those who are new to the export business, also served as a refresher for experienced international marketers. Led by IBC Board member, Paul Michalowski, senior…

Trends: Organic Goes Mainstream

If you’ve thought you have heard more about organic this year, you have. Sales of organic everything, from produce to prepared foods to clothes are spiking. Organic is not just a category for hippies anymore. The numbers show it is likely your customers are shopping organic as well. Organic sales in the U.S. for 2016 totaled $47 billion, up nearly $4 billion from the…

Export 101: Understanding International Marketing

An extremely important aspect of any business plan is finding customers. No matter how great your product is, you won’t be successful unless you get it in front of a buyer. As networking, face-to-face interaction and relationship building are critically important in international sales, thankfully there are several methods and resources to help you accomplish these…

What’s Trending Now?

Despite vast differences in geography, climate and clientele, retailers across the country point to similar consumer trends they say are helping drive business this summer. For instance, from the Deep South to the Far West, products that inspire healthier cooking are a hit with shoppers; the market for grilling tools continues to flourish year round in all sorts of weather…

Retail Profile: Pamplemousse

Retailing is like parenting: adding another kid (or location) to the family doesn’t double the work— it triples the effort. Diana Manahan, who opened the doors to the second location of her successful store Pamplemousse in Reading, Mass., more than a decade after opening her first store in Salem, Mass., agrees. Partly because the second store is the one she always wanted to…

Future Shift and Transformation: 2017-2037

Futurist David Houle Looks at the Big Picture: Prepare for Massive Changes Day two of the CHESS conference will begin with David Houle outlining his views on global trends that are transforming us. Houle, known as the “CEO’s futurist,” expands beyond the insights about brand shift he shared at the 2015 CHESS and challenges us to consider the dynamics and forces that impact…