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…

executive education

CHESS 2018 Focuses on Adapting in the Face of Change

The U.S. economy is doing well but traditional retail is challenged against the dramatic changes brought on by the ever-growing options consumers have for purchasing products. Driving this change is the world of e-commerce, which has expanded from what is now considered traditional digital retailing, such as Amazon, Wayfair and brick & mortar retailer websites, to…

Let’s Go – Let’s Grow: Reaching Success Factors for Global Growth

As a preview into the upcoming IBC Global Forum, to follow is additional information on the Executive Education Session presented by Dr. Richard Ettenson, Professor of Global Marketing and Brand Strategy of Thunderbird School of Global Management. Dr. Ettenson is an entrepreneur who has founded three start-ups and has published extensively, producing nearly 100 articles,…

Executive Education: International Negotiation Strategies

As a preview to his Executive Education session during the upcoming IBC Global Forum, the following is a brief on Dr. Denis Leclerc, Professor of Cross-Cultural Communication at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Dr. Leclerc’s work has been published in multiple journals with a focus on communication and negotiation, including the written research of the impact of…

Experts To Offer Insight on Navigating Transitional Times

The upcoming presidential election, a changing retail environment, aging consumers and global economic distress are presenting challenging times for the housewares industry. Experts in politics, retail, economics, marketing and supply chain logistics will offer insight into these issues as they explore “Navigating Transitional Times…Through Political, Economic and Cultural…

How Business Can Win Big in the Age of Aging

Boomers and Millennials—Understanding the Needs of Key Consumer Groups IHA’s 2016 CHESS conference, October 6-7, in Rosemont, IL, offers top-level educational presentations for housewares industry executives. One of the valuable programs on Friday, October 7 will be Peter Hubbell’s analysis of how to reach Baby Boomers and Millennials. Hubbell, CEO of BoomAgers, the New…

IBC Global Forum: Part 4 – Pragmatically Approaching Western Europe

This is Part Four of a four part series. Part One Part Two Part Three Action Plans Building upon the reports from the discussion groups, Mr. Boutet offered check lists for how to approach entering a market, centered on the SWOT analysis described earlier. He closed by presenting a case study of his firm’s work with one company as it planned its entry into a new market…

IBC Global Forum: Part 3 – Pragmatically Approaching Western Europe

This is Part Three of a four part series. Part One Part Two Part Four Workshop Session Challenges Attendees to Examine Markets In this interactive portion of the program, attendees were invited to share their questions and perspectives of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) in doing business in Europe. The four discussion groups joined representatives from…

IBC Global Forum: Part 2 – Pragmatically Approaching Western Europe

This is Part Two of a four part series. Part One Part Three Part Four Market Strategies Boutet outlined how to consider price, margins, rebates and logistics and special demands. He concluded by challenging the audience to examine their own companies’ SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats before entering European markets. Practices vary on these key…

IBC Global Forum: Pragmatically Approaching Western Europe

Speaker: François Boutet, CEO, START’HOM Europe In 2002, François Boutet founded START’HOMEurope, a commercial consulting agency that helps consumer goods suppliers implement their sales strategies throughout Europe. Prior to founding START’HOMEurope, Mr. Boutet worked within the consumer goods industry for Leifheit in France and Hills Industries Ltd. within Europe. With…

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