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…

theater

Informing Innovation: Designing the Future of Food

Meet LinYee Yuan, MOLD; Kavita Shukla, Fenugreen; Kyleigh Wawak and Eleanor Sandford, gravitytank; Brad Crepeau, Food Cycle Science We think about food several times a day, but may not think about food design when we rush for our morning coffee or dig into our dinner. Design is more than a beautiful food arrangement prepared by a restaurant chef. Design and food connect in…

The Smart Kitchen: Trends and Early Success Stories

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator Informing Innovation: Meet Greg Kahn, GK Digital Media, Santiago Merea, Yummly; Jenny Cooper, Google and Mike Fretwell, Jarden Consumer Solutions Home environments, kitchen appliances, phones—how do they connect and why? Physical products that respond to our activities and communicate with each other and with services promise…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Udo Jansen, GfK Retail and Technology|GmbH

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator GfK, founded in 1934 in Germany, is one of the largest global marketing research companies. With more than 13,000 employees in countries on every continent, GfK identifies and develops strategic opportunities; collects and analyzes large data sets and offers business solutions in many areas from consumer experiences to supply chain…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Stephen Konkle, U. S. Small Business Administration

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator Based in Chicago, Stephen Konkle is the Illinois District Office International Trade Officer at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Before joining the SBA, Konkle worked in treasury and accounting positions for manufacturing firms. He holds a B.A. in economics and an MBA in finance. Stephen, what is the most exciting or…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Stephen Reily, Vibrant Nation

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator Stephen Reily was a male marketer in his early 40s who was surprised to learn that his global consumer packaged goods clients were ignoring some of their most profitable customers: women 45+. After asking women how they interacted in a marketplace that ignored them, he built Vibrant Nation as an online platform for them to support…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Jens Bauerle, Global Brand Vision

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator Jens is founder and owner of Global Brand Vision, an international retail consultancy specializing in assisting retailers to address their difficulties and growth opportunities in home products. The highly qualified team works together with clients to evaluate, change, and develop product assortments, visual merchandising, and…

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

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator We are speaking today with Rick Babick and Janine Michalek. Rick is president and founder of Design Research, the New Jersey-based company he established in 1998 after a 16-year career as head of research and planning for Lenox, Inc. Design Research uses a proprietary program to test new designs and new product concepts in the…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Aaron Ferber, IDEO

IDEO (pronounced “eye-dee-oh”) is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centered, design-based approach to helping organizations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow. The Palo Alto-based firm currently maintains 5 studios in the U.S., two in Europe and three in Asia. IDEO was ranked as one of the most innovative companies in the world by business…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Susan Yashinsky, Sphere Trending

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator As a vice-president and innovation predictor for Sphere Trending, Susan Yashinsky works to infuse an understanding of macro trends occurring within society with retail experience to bring innovative insights for GAP opportunities for products, services and client growth. Yashinsky, who joined the trend forecasting company in 2002,…

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