International Housewares Association

Perfectly Porland

Porland of Turkey, one of the five gia Global Honorees this year, has a long, rich and colorful history. We look into what makes this manufacturer and retailer of porcelain stand out from the rest. by Michelle Hespe Porland’s logo features a ballerina executing a perfect pirouette. This elegant symbol conveys both beauty and strength, reflecting the grounding philosophy of this manufacturer and retailer of porcelain. The word…

CHESS 2019 – Retail’s Seismic Shift: Understanding the Forces Changing Housewares Consumers

Presented by: Michael Dart, Partner, Consumer/Retail Practice, A.T. Kearney Retail specialist and visionary, Michael Dart advises retail and consumer companies on how best to navigate retail’s seismic shifts. He combines his economics and finance training from Oxford University and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with more than 25 years of experience consulting with A.T. Kearney and Bain & Co. to provide a unique…

Global Retail Intelligence – April

April 14 – JD.com Creates Offline Catering Supply Chain SolutionJD.com with Juqi, a dinning chain in Beijing, announced a supply chain cooperation, positioning JD.com as the first platform in China capable of providing a one-stop supply chain solution covering both the full category of food and materials supply, and integrated warehousing and distribution services. Through the cooperation, JD will also provide intelligent inventory…

Navigating The Wild West of Ocean Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "Good Judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." — Will Rogers Here is how the modern shipping business mirrors the Wild West: 1. The “Gold Rush” Boom and Bust Cycles The Old West was defined by the gold rush with sudden, explosive wealth that created overnight millionaires, followed by devastating busts that left ghost towns behind. Shipping operates on the exact same…

IHA Plans Sourcing Mission to Vietnam

To help members investigate alternatives to sourcing from China, the International Housewares Association will hold a sourcing mission to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, next year. The 2020 Vietnam Sourcing Mission will be offered in two sessions: April 20-22 or April 23-25. Each session is limited to just six companies to provide a high level of service and allow for private meetings and factory tours. The dates were chosen to allow…

Guide to Effective Retail Store Design

by Martin M. Pegler If RETAILING is your chosen path of livelihood, here are some simple guidelines you might like to consider when planning your retail store. 1. Let There Be Light! Without the proper light the merchandise cannot be seen or judged, colors cannot be appreciated, coordinates cannot be assembled, nor buying decisions made. Let your light be the best you can afford to install and use—or, if necessary, skimp on…

Immersion in the Weekend Life

May 20, 2022

The Argentinian gia Global Honoree—PAUL French Gallery—is a hidden sanctuary where relaxed weekend vibes are celebrated through an eclectic curation of beautiful products in a market-like atmosphere. by Michelle Hespe “We wanted to keep the original environment exposed, as we believe in bringing the original sense of things to the surface. To not hide them. We…

IHA Board Spring Strategic Meeting Focuses on Rebuilding Show Based on 2022 Enthusiasm, Continuing to Offer Member Services to Support Industry

May 18, 2022

ROSEMONT, Ill. (May. 18, 2022)—Members of IHA’s Board of Directors and several past Chairs gathered together along with senior IHA staff to review results of The Inspired Home Show 2022 and to discuss strategic direction for IHA, the Show and other IHA member services for 2023 and beyond. After a review of Association activities over the last two years, results of The Inspired…

Embracing New Fine Living

May 9, 2022

Some might assume that an ultra-modern store selling tech-based brands in a steel and stucco tunnel might lack warmth and a sense of hospitality. However, hengstyle is a haven where customers can relax, connect and immerse themselves in the finer things in life. by Michelle Hespe Taiwan’s gia-winning store – hengstyle – is devoted to “enriching life without boundaries.”…

West Coast Port Disruptions

May 1, 2022

Formal contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) begin on May 12, 2022. The ILWU represents port workers in California, Oregon and Washington. The PMA represents carriers and terminal operators at West Coast ports. The current ILWU contract is set to expire on June 30, 2022. Shippers have been…

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act goes to a House-Senate Conference

May 1, 2022

Key to untying the Gordian knot known as the supply-chain crisis is recognizing and addressing unreasonable business practices by ocean carriers. Some of these practices can likely be attributed to consolidation, and a recent report by Commissioner Carl Bentzel, Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), finds the shipping container (“containerization”) was a key factor in this…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – April

May 1, 2022

April 29 – Publix Launches Rapid Delivery in Miami Using Instacart's Carrot Warehouses Retailer is 1st grocer to use nano-fulfillment models. From: Progressive Grocer April 28 – Weis Markets Unveils $150M Cap Ex Plan Weis Markets continues to make record investments in new stores, remodels, fuel centers, IT upgrades and smaller store improvement projects. From: Progressive…

The French Connection

April 29, 2022

The French Global Honoree in the 2021-2022 gia awards—La Maison Pernoise—is housed in a charming stone barn in the South of France. The business was born from passion, imagination and the creative drive of a woman who knows that dreams and wishes can be turned into reality. by Michelle Hespe Old stone houses have always inspired Lau Dejente. As a young girl she would…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – March

April 1, 2022

March 31 – RH CEO Friedman Touts Big Expansion Plans After Q4 Earnings Beat Restoration Hardware CEO Gary Freidman highlighted the company’s active retail expansion and brand extension strategy after releasing fourth-quarter results that saw RH beat a Wall Street estimate on earnings but not on sales. From: HomePage News March 30 – Meijer Readies Sustainability Supplier…

New Contracts Fail to Deliver Relief to Shippers

April 1, 2022

The majority of shippers have finalized their 2022 contract negotiations covering ocean containers shipping from Asia to the United States. The traditional contract period, May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023, will bring many of the same challenges that have plagued the shipping industry over the last two years. Record high freight rates, insufficient container allocation, and…

Perfectly Porland

CHESS 2019 – Retail’s Seismic Shift: Understanding the Forces Changing Housewares Consumers

Global Retail Intelligence – April

Navigating The Wild West of Ocean Shipping

IHA Plans Sourcing Mission to Vietnam

Guide to Effective Retail Store Design

Immersion in the Weekend Life

IHA Board Spring Strategic Meeting Focuses on Rebuilding Show Based on 2022 Enthusiasm, Continuing to Offer Member Services to Support Industry

Embracing New Fine Living

West Coast Port Disruptions

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act goes to a House-Senate Conference

U.S. Retail Intelligence – April

The French Connection

U.S. Retail Intelligence – March

New Contracts Fail to Deliver Relief to Shippers

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