As independent specialty retailers work to build their social media outreach along a variety of platforms, Facebook continues to be the place to go to reach the most consumers. According to the latest surveys from the Pew Research Center, even with Facebook’s recent scandals, Americans are using the social media site in droves. Here is a primer on some of the latest…
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Desperately Chasing Social Media
A long, long time ago in a retail universe far, far away, independent retailers bought newspaper ads to promote their businesses. Then came the internet and social media and a lot of confusion about which social platform would be the best way to reach consumers. There is now a clear winner: Facebook. But don’t look away too soon, because as always in tech, something new is…
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Get Social at the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show!
Stay connected with the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show on social media! To get started, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram now! Mention the official Show account, @HousewaresShow, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to connect with the Show's social team and don't forget to also include the official Show hashtag in all of your posts: #IHHS2018. Before…
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Influencer Marketing: Melissa Maker Interview
Cleaning and baking—two core categories in the housewares industry. CHESS presents two women who influence world-wide audiences about these home activities. Melissa Maker and Gemma Stafford saw fresh opportunities in the emerging social media space and they built their businesses and their audiences the old-fashioned way—with a lot of hard work. Melissa will be joined on by her…
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Understanding Influencers
The tools of the trade for retailers have irrevocably changed. Today, it’s not good enough to sell great products and have great staff. Today, social commentary is word of mouth, and influencers can provide a route to gaining more traction in a world where the union of technology and social media is king. Let’s start with the basics and work our way up to a more complex…
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Visit the Social Media & Digital Marketing Center at #IHHS2017
In 2015, the online sales of housewares and home furnishings "accounted for 18% of the overall market and generated $18.67 billion, an increase of 220 basis points from a 15.8% market share in 2014". Online shopping retail sales in general are expected to grow steadily and the International Housewares Association is committed to maximizing the success of the home products…
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Trends: Going Social
For many retailers, social media has replaced traditional advertising. Fading away (if not gone completely) are newspaper, radio and television ads for stores, replaced by content spread all over social media, ranging from Facebook and Pinterest to Instagram, along with Twitter and LinkedIn. The trick for store owners in this fast-changing world is deciding which social…
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Setting up for Success with Social Media
When Melissa Maker looked critically at her Toronto-based cleaning business in 2006, she knew that with the internet and social media cementing itself in people’s daily lives and with YouTube being recognized as more than just a platform for musicians, she could leverage what was happening in this brave new world of technology to increase her brand visibility and ultimately,…
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The New Rules of Engagement
Get Connected, Stay Fresh, Make It Personal It’s never been more important to view consumers in three dimensions, Tom Mirabile told an audience equipped with 3D glasses at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show. “Today’s housewares consumers are multi-faceted, and embracing change is crucial,” said Mirabile, who is IHA’s lifestyle trend forecaster and the senior vice…
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