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…

Gourmet Home

Trends: International Home + Housewares Show Promotes Trends

Looking for the latest housewares trends? Search no further than the International Home + Housewares Show which runs March 2-5, 2019 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. That’s where current product and consumer lifestyle trends are showcased and a host of experts weigh in on just where those trends are headed in the future. From special product displays to the IHA Global…

Small Business Saturday – Business as Usual?

If you are an independent gourmet retailer your store was probably going to be open Saturday, Nov. 24 anyway. But did the fact that the date was Small Business Saturday help your business? “While we are looking forward to a strong, successful Christmas season, we didn’t do well during Small Business Saturday,” says Hannalore Holland, owner of Somethin’s Cookin’ in Panama…

Retail Profile: Somethin’s Cookin’

Location: Panama City, Fla. Owner: Hannalore Holland Founded: 1972 --This is the store’s third location. Square footage: 3,000 sq. ft. Rent or Own: Own When Hurricane Michael tore up Panama City, Fla., packing winds of 155 miles per hour this past October, Hannalore Holland dug into her supply of perishables and fed the first responders. Holland, whose store…

Stats: Foodies of the Future Unite

When it comes to where food trends are going, it is not just Millennials who are shaping eating patterns. According to a new study, a group of consumers that crosses demographic lines is shaping the future of food. Meet “Gen Food.” The report released by FleishmanHillard at the Culinary Institute of America’s re-Think Food conference, shows when it comes to food and…

Trends: Blended Retailing

Holiday shoppers have more retail options than ever this year, from pop ups and local street fairs to traditional brick-and-mortar and, of course, online shopping. And consumers are increasingly exploring all the options, leading to something that is being called “blended retailing.” The distinct separation between brick-and-mortar and online retailing is waning as retailers…

Deck The Stores

The holidays are nearly upon us and retailers are busy building festive decorations into their merchandising strategies. Are they having fun yet? Liana Ottaviani, GM of Fante’s Kitchen Shop in Philadelphia, is. She says she loves this time of year, but admits “It is crazy, but as fun as it can be.” Part of that fun is seeing old friends. “We have wonderful customers, but…

Retail Profile: Fante’s Kitchen Shop

Location: Philadelphia’s 9th St. Italian Market Founded: 1906 Owners: Mariella Giovannucci Esposito, Nick Giovannucci, Daniele Giovannucci Square footage: 4,000 sq. ft. Own or Rent: Rent A Philadelphia institution since 1906, Fante’s remains a family-run business as owner Mariella Esposito handed off control of the highly-regarded kitchenware store to her daughter, Liana…

Stats: Shopping Small is Growing

It’s almost Shop Small Season. American Express launched Small Business Saturday in 2010 as a marketing effort to boost both its business and small, local retailers at a time when the industry was in recession. The idea was to give those retailers support, after the Black Friday mass market retail rush, by promoting the Saturday after Thanksgiving as a time for more leisurely…

Trends: Home Cooking Raises Cookbook Sales

Even though everyone scrolls through internet sites in search of recipes, cookbooks aren’t going away. In fact, retailers who sell cookbooks will be happy to know that cookbook sales are rising at a good clip. According to The NPD Group cookbook sales grew 21 percent in the first half 2018 compared to the same period for the previous year. The reason for that is also…

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