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…

retailers

Location! Location?

When Money magazine named Sioux Falls, S.D., on its list of the top 50 places to live last year, it caught some retailers living in Sioux Falls by surprise. Not that they didn’t enjoy the city, but the honorific came along after they had sweated out building a retail business. There was a time Sioux Falls wasn’t close to being on that list. Many independent retailers start…

Sainsbury Wins Battle for Argos Owner, Home Retail

The Wall Street Journal reported April 1 that “Home Retail Group PLC … said it will recommend J Sainsbury PLC’s £1.4 billion ($2.01 billion) takeover of the company, ending a four-month-long battle to buy the Argos owner. “Sainsbury’s said Home Retail directors unanimously recommend its offer, which will be made through a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement and is…

Lowe’s, Home Improvement Retailer, to Buy Rona of Canada for $2.28 Billion

North Carolina-based retailer, Lowe’s announced that it has “reached a friendly deal to acquire Rona”, a Canadian chain. According to the New York Times, “The acquisition will make Lowe’s the dominant home improvement company in Canada.” Read more here. …

Housewares Marketing: Keeping Up with the Changing Trends

The home and housewares industry knows all about trends, changing styles and evolving technology. As much as those concepts apply to products and brands, they hold just as true for marketing practices. For brands to remain competitive and compelling, they not only need to keep their products and technology imaginative and functional, they also have to market those products…

Chicago: Be Inspired by Innovative Retailers “Experience the Best Retail Benchmarking and Comparative Shopping the World Has to Offer!”

Chicago is at the pulse point of the strong U.S. housewares market. Retailers from around the world visit the Chicago retail scene to accelerate their knowledge of visual merchandising and store branding and to find inspiration from unique stores and retail concepts. Examples of Chicago’s must-see retail stores and shops include: Bloomingdale’s Home Known…

Innovation Insights: An Interview with Richard Babick and Janine Michalek, Design Research

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs + Services Learn how to develop and launch the right products for the right customer—with the right methods! The four days of the 2014 International Home + Housewares Show will be packed with events as well as educational sessions. To help you plan your time at the Show, we give you a preview of the presentations that will take place in the…

CHESS Speaker Profile: Ryan Beach

A MULTI-CHANNEL RETAILER’S PERSPECTIVE In this session, learn more about Target’s focus on the changing needs of the Multi-Channel guest and what they are doing to respond to this evolution. Ryan Beach has spent 15 years in Merchandising at Target, including roles in Toys, Domestics, Decorative Home, School and Office and, most recently, Electronics and…

2013 HECNA Global Forum: Registration and Key Details

Registration is underway for the 2013 HECNA Global Forum taking place in Panama City, Panama from September 15-18. Within the agenda are key retailer presentations, networking events and a tabletop tradeshow at which participants will have a chance to showcase their products to Central American buyers. In addition, there will be an optional trip to the Colon Duty Free Trade…

Global Forum Presents Opportunities to Learn from non-US Retail Buyers

Save the date for the 2013 HECNA Global Forum, taking place September 15-18 in Panama City, Panama at the Trump Ocean Club. Registration and hotel booking details will be available by mid-June. With the focus of providing opportunities for attendees to increase exports through networking and education, the 2013 HECNA Global Forum will include: Executive…

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