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…

gia Awards

Adding History to Your Story

by Martin M. Pegler When you do a display—or merchandise presentation—you tell a “story”. It can be about how the products being featured complement a particular lifestyle or enhance an upcoming holiday dinner, or a new look or trend in home or housewares. Whatever you are trying to promote will benefit if you can illustrate a story in your display, especially if you can…

IHA to Live Stream During 2018 International Home + Housewares Show

The International Housewares Association (IHA) has announced that select events from the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show will be live streamed on the internet. The Show will be held March 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago. All of the action from the Cooking Theater stage can be seen live during the Show at TheInspiredHome.com/cooking-theater-2018. See celebrity…

IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) Winners Announced

The International Home + Housewares Show and International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, today announced the national gia winners of 2016-2017 – including 28 outstanding home and housewares retailers from 27 countries around the globe. The gia program was created by the IHA and…

Martin M. Pegler Retires; Anne Kong to Start as gia Expert Juror

After 16 years as a gia Expert Juror, Martin M. Pegler is retiring from full-time involvement in the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) but will not leave the program entirely, the International Housewares Association (IHA) and the International Home + Housewares Show, the global sponsors and organizers of the gia program, announced today. Pegler, who has been part of the…

Seven Decades of Style

This year, Illums Bolighus not only celebrated seven successful decades in the retail business, but also became one of the top retailers in the world at the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia). When the Marketing Manager of Illums Bolighus, Sofie Molls, took to the stage at the IHA Global Innovation Awards in Chicago, there was a palpable sense of elation in the air. After a…

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 products, product design, and collections found in housewares. Exhibitors are based on recommendations from and approval by the retail and design community. At the 2016 Show, several exhibitors from Discover Design were selected…

Introducing the 2016 gia Global Honorees

Of the 25 national gia Global Innovation Award winners of 2015-2016, five stores were selected the most innovative, outstanding retailers on the planet. We check out what makes them so unique and outstanding. The top five stores declared gia Global Innovation Honorees in 2016 were: Lakehouse from Canada, Illums Bolighus from Denmark, Kitchen Shop from Malaysia, K’OOK! from…

Introducing the 2015 gia Global Honorees

In Chicago last March, five stores from around the world were voted as the most innovative, outstanding retailers on the planet and mentioned as 2015 gia Global Honorees. We check out what makes them so unique and outstanding. The top five stores declared gia Global Honorees in 2015 were: Koskela from Australia, Presentes Rodriquez from Brazil, Hudson’s Bay from Canada,…

11 Design Leaders Named Finalists for gia Honors for Product Innovation

Eleven suppliers of cutting-edge designed products have been named as finalists for gia Global Innovation Awards for product innovation at the 2015 International Home + Housewares Show. The winners will be announced at the invitation-only gia dinner on Sunday, March 8. The finalists are: Best Collection Design: iittala for Ruutu; JIA Inc. for Steamer Collection; and Parallax…

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