consumers

Being Smarter About Smart Home

by Joe Derochowski, The NPD Group In the first 11 months of 2017, U.S. dollar sales of home automation products increased 40 percent, with strong growth across all device types, according to The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. Home automation products were among the fastest selling items during the 2017 holiday season – over Thanksgiving week and Cyber Week, home…

Lifestyle Guru Tom Mirabile Shares Insights for Thriving in Today’s Retail Renaissance

“We succeed by embracing change” is his theme at 2018 International Home + Housewares Show It’s no secret the marketplace is experiencing unprecedented and rapid changes in how consumers gather information, shop and buy products. But these changes represent tremendous opportunities for the housewares industry, said Tom Mirabile, consumer trend forecaster for the International…

Home Smart Home

By Michelle Hespe Carley Knobloch knows a thing or two about smart homes: She’s consulted with HGTV on their annual HGTV Smart Home build for years, and is a regular tech contributor on the Today Show. Her home, a blend of California cool and high tech, was just featured in Good Housekeeping. To Carley, “A truly smart home is as beautiful as it is intelligent — the gadgets…

Path to Purchase Around the World: How Consumers Shop for Homewares

IHA tracked down Erika Sirimanne of Euromonitor’s Singapore office to learn about her presentation that will address global shopping behaviors at the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show. At the Show, the Innovation Theater will feature 21 presentations over four days. Topics discussed will include smart home, consumer shopping preferences, branding and global market…

Understanding Influencers

The tools of the trade for retailers have irrevocably changed. Today, it’s not good enough to sell great products and have great staff. Today, social commentary is word of mouth, and influencers can provide a route to gaining more traction in a world where the union of technology and social media is king. Let’s start with the basics and work our way up to a more complex…

Welcome to the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show!

The International Home + Housewares Show is the largest show of its kind. Every March, 2000+ manufactures from all over the globe descend on Chicago to exhibit their new products, as buyers and retailers attend looking for the next hot item to fill the shelves. Here are some facts about the 2013 Show: The 2013 International Home + Housewares Show is expecting more than 60,000…

FREE Specialty Retailer Consulting Sessions at the 2013 Show, Sign up Now!

Saturday March 2 at 12:00 pm through Tuesday March 5 to 2:00 pm South Building Exhibit Floor Booth #S5235 Sponsored by the International Housewares Association these sessions, normally costing thousands of dollars, are free to you as a Show attendee. There is no-charge for these 45-minute sessions that feature experts in many business areas. Sign-up by selecting a…

Knowing Innovation: Robert Zolna and Jonathan Dien, gravitytank

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator At the International Home + Housewares Show in March, the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center will present 21 educational programs, every hour beginning Saturday morning and ending Tuesday afternoon. At the Theater, located in Room E350 (near the entry to the Level 3 Lobby), experts in new product development and launch will…

Knowing Innovation: Brian Whitters, SGS Sustainability Deputy Vice President, and Germaine Zhang, SGS North American Technical Manager, Social Responsibility