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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 – October 2016

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: October 1 – D Mart, India The Business Standard (Mumbai) reports that India supermarket operator, D Mart “is looking to add over 60 per cent more space in the next three years. The chain, the third largest retailer after Future Group and Reliance Retail, has 3.4 million square feet of retail space now and is…

Forecasting Currency Fluctuations in Uncertain Times

In their October 2016 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, indicates that the globe is going through a period of readjustment as markets find direction in the midst of downside risks to overall economic growth and limits to the scope of intervention by central banks. The two-page report reviews recent currency changes and previews…

2016 CHESS: The Future of Omnichannel Fulfillment

Rick Blasgen is responsible for the overall business operations and strategic planning for CSCMP, an organization whose mission is to deliver leading-edge education and research for the supply chain management profession. He was recently designated Chair of the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Blasgen is a member of…

2016 CHESS: Getting Better with Age

After a witty comical video about millennials, Maureen Azzato, chief brand officer and editor of HFN, addressed the differences between millennials, Boomers and Gen Xers for creators of new products for these groups. She pointed to demographic trends that marketers should focus on for the growth of consumers over the age of 50. Boomers have the greatest disposable income and…

2016 CHESS: Protecting Your Company in China

Attorney Scott Sanders addressed sensitive concerns faced by many CHESS attendees whose companies manufacture products in China. Housewares makers often painfully discover that their intellectual property and supply chain is at risk when working with Chinese factories. Business there has changed dramatically in the past decade and contracts have become critical. Sanders posed…

CHESS 2016: The Evolution of Retail & Industry Impact

The first day’s program set the stage with a panel of housewares executives discussing issues in managing their businesses, followed by two experts who presented CHESS attendees with big picture overviews of the U.S. political scene and global political/economic risks. Day Two offered deep dives into the competitive retail landscape, the complexities of IP protection in China,…

CHESS 2016 Highlights – Keynote Day 1: Where Is Our Country Headed?

Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator In this tumultuous election year, many people in the U.S. and abroad and asking that very same question. Political analyst and commentator Charlie Cook provided some answers to the CHESS audience. He also offered his perspective on the national political scene, for the coming month is sure to bring surprises and upsets with changes…

2016 CHESS: Global, Economic and Political Outlook

After lunch and information about the services offered by CHESS sponsor companies, Bernard Baumohl presented a thought-provoking analysis of current domestic and international economic and political conditions. Baumohl, chief global economist at The Economic Outlook Group, based in Princeton, NJ, specializes in economic analysis, forecasting and geopolitical risk assessment.…

2016 CHESS: Housewares Executives Gather in Chicago

Navigating Transitional Times… Through Political, Economic and Cultural Shifts Chief housewares executives eager to hear the latest from the front lines of the industry learned from experts who addressed IHA’s 2016 CHESS conference on October 6 and 7. The two-day conference, held at the Westin O’Hare hotel, attracts top executives at IHA-member companies who look forward to…