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…

“Hot Housewares for the Holidays” Press Event

June 29, 2010

The International Housewares Association sponsors three press events a year in New York for Show Exhibitors and IHA members. The most recent event, Hot Housewares for the Holidays, was held June 10 at the Hilton New York and included 44 IHA-member companies showcasing their new products for the 4th-quarter gift-giving season. Here are reflections of the event from two…

Building Your Network: International Opportunities

June 23, 2010

Author: Derek Miller, Vice President, International, International Housewares Association It isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do... – Bob Burg (networking guru) Although the IHA doesn’t have keys to open every door in every international market, programs are in-place to provide international…

The Final Lineup of Top Blogs from the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show: The Wired + Well Expo

June 21, 2010

For part three of the top blog posts from the 2010 Home + Housewares Show, we travel over the McCormick Place skywalk and head into the Lakeside Center for the Wired + Well Expo where anything with a cord or focused on fitness and wellbeing is on display. When Tara Met Blog: New Gadgets from The Housewares Show Author Tara Settembre spent only 19 hours at the 2010 Home +…

Best Clean + Contain Blog Posts from the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show

June 16, 2010

In a previous post, Top Dine + Design Blog Posts from the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show, we highlighted blogs that showcased new kitchen gadgetry from the Dine + Design category of the Show. For part two, we move to the Clean + Contain Expo in the North Building of McCormick Place to highlight blogs that feature home products and gadgets focused on cleaning and…

Top Dine + Design Blog Posts from the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show

June 7, 2010

If there is a set of words commonly used to describe the products at the International Home + Housewares Show, the list would include phrases like "the latest and greatest", "the industry's first", "groundbreaking technology" and so on. In conjunction with the thousands of new home and housewares products that move the industry forward each year, IHA has improved the…

Container Space and Equipment Challenges Persist in Asia

June 4, 2010

Author: Jeff Bergman, International Housewares Shippers Association (IHSA) A recent headline on the Journal of Commerce website that read "Carriers Restoring Capacity Faster Than Demand" had many importers scratching their heads. Any person responsible for moving cargo from Asia to the United States understands that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, demand is…

Revisit International Home + Housewares Show Highlights on the Housewares Show YouTube Channel

May 27, 2010

Ask almost anyone who was at the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show and they'll tell you three days was not enough to see it all. One way the International Housewares Association has brought more value to its members is by using the Housewares Show YouTube Channel to bring the Show experience to you at home, in the office and or on your phone throughout the year. At…

What Are Your Hot Housewares for the Holidays?

May 19, 2010

Author: Debbie Teschke, Manager, Media Relations & Communications, IHA Though the calendar says May and most people are making plans for summer vacations, barbecues and pool parties, gift guide editors at newspapers, monthly magazines, product-focused websites and other media outlets are thinking about the winter months and holiday gift giving. To help International…

Housewares Charity Foundation: Defeating this thing called breast cancer

May 10, 2010

Author: Michelle Hespe, mhespe@gmail.com Upon the golden balconies of the Hilton Chicago’s Grand Ballroom, as members of the Party Faithful brass band stood with their drums at the ready for summoning everyone to dinner, it was difficult not to feel humbled by the time, effort and money so many people expend, year after year, for one of America’s finest charity dinners. Since…