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…

design

Brothers in Design

by Michelle Hespe Michelle Hespe speaks to Richard Joseph, one of the brothers behind the Joseph Joseph brand, which beautifully fuses form, functionality and fun. In 2003, twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph launched their now hugely popular design brand, Joseph Joseph. Today, they have 125 employees and offices in the U.K., U.S., Japan, France and Germany. Both…

Creating an Emotive Space

by Terri Winter, co-owner and founder of retail store top3 by design in Australia. Interior design elicits an emotive response. You can feel energized, calm or cocooned in a space based largely on the choice of color. Color Using color and texture can affect the emotions of visitors to your store or to your home. Explore the opportunity to create various moods in…

Discovering Design: Nambé

by Vicki Matranga Design Programs + Services, International Housewares Association IHA speaks with Laura Perri, senior manager, digital content and brand marketing at Nambé, to hear the about the latest developments at the company known for its trendsetting tableware and gift items. IHA: Laura, where does Nambé find inspiration in designing new products? LP: We…

Design Stars – Design Highlights from the gia Product Design Awards

Discover Design, the premier design destination at the International Home + Housewares Show, offers a collection of companies showcasing the latest designs found in housewares. Exhibitors are based on recommendations from and approval by the retail and design community. At the 2017 Show, several exhibitors from Discover Design were selected finalists in the IHA Global…

Recycling and Display Props

By Martin M. Pegler Props, I would imagine, is short for “properties” and “properties” can be anything that adds something to a scene, a setting, a display. If we were to look around us, we would see we are standing in the center of a field of display props: from the furniture in the room, the plants, the unused rolls of wallpaper, the tableware, the collection of pots and…

Incorporating Technology Into Your Independent Homewares Retail Mix

Technology is no longer isolated to tech-heads and gadget nerds. There are a large range of products that integrate technology into your décor, going by the category name - fashtronics . These design-focused objects integrate technology for function – not for technology’s sake. Fashtronics is a growing category in home décor. Examples of this fashtronics trend include…

2017 Student Design Competition Winners Announced

For the first time in the 24-year history of the International Housewares Association’s Student Design Competition, an industrial designer has won first, second and third place, prompting the creation of a new Outstanding Achievement Award for the winner, Dominic Montante, a senior at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) from Rochester, N.Y. The Student Design Competition’s…

Finalists for IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Product Design Announced

The 65 finalists in the IHA Global Innovations Awards (gia) for product design have been announced by the International Housewares Association. Global Honorees in each of 13 categories will be announced in during the invitation-only gia dinner Saturday, March 18. The finalists and Global Honorees will be on display in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center Lobby.…

Discovering Design: Meet GEFU Kuchenboss

Get acquainted with the people behind GEFU Kuchenboss and their stylish products that will appear at the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design. With nearly 70 years of experience, GEFU specializes in high-quality kitchen tools. The line of products is characterized by a harmony of functionality, quality and design. GEFU tools make everybody a culinary…

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