IHA Member’s Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Discusses Inequality of Postal Rates
The unfair advantage of postal rates given to products mailed from China to the U.S. versus products mailed within the United States was the focus of a Feb. 7 Op-Ed article in The Wall Street Journal by Jayme Smaldone, founder and CEO of Mighty Mug. According to Smaldone, the U.S. Postal Service rate for a […]
IHA Celebrates 80th Anniversary
Created for the purpose of providing a unified trade marketplace for the housewares industry, the International Housewares Association (IHA) celebrates 80 years of bringing manufacturers and buyers together in 2018. Since its incorporation on May 17, 1938, the Association has grown to become the voice of the housewares industry, providing opportunities and programs to assist […]
2018 Global Powers of Retail Report Released
2018 Global Powers of Retail Report by Deloitte In the 2018 Global Powers of Retail Report, newly produced by Deloitte as a collaboration with STORES magazine, authors explore the transformative environment that is enabling consumers to shop however, wherever, whenever and for whatever they want. This disruption of traditional business models has resulted in significant […]
Trends: Looking Inside America’s Kitchen
Consumers, time strapped as they are, still want to make fresh meals at home. In fact, U.S. consumers have a renewed interest in cooking freshly prepared meals, according to a recent survey by the NPD Group, which also found that those same consumers don’t want to spend more time at the stove. It is a conundrum […]
Tabletop Beyond Bridal
Tabletop categories are household staples, but the way in which people shop for place settings, flatware and dinnerware is changing, and independent retailers who carry tabletop are adapting as the category shifts gears. Where the bridal registry was once the holy grail of tabletop sales, now many consumers are skipping registries; even skipping buying tabletop for […]
Housewares Executives Ready to Capitalize on Investments; Positive Momentum in 2018
New IHA Resource for Retailers and Member In many ways, the housewares business is in a better place than just one year ago, and housewares executives say they’re ready to capitalize not only on positive momentum in the U.S. economy but also the many investments and adjustments they made at their companies in 2017. “There’s […]
Retail Profile: The Chopping Block
Retail Profile: The Chopping Block Owner: Shelley Young Location: Chicago Square feet: 12,000, spread over two locations (Lincoln Square and The Merchandise Mart), including six different kitchens Founded: 1997 Twenty years ago, chef Shelley Young opened a small store, more like a cottage, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood to teach cooking classes and maybe sell some […]
Celebrating 80+ Years of Housewares History
The International Housewares Association and the Housewares Industry have a rich history dating back more than 80 years. In honor of IHA’s 80th Anniversary, here is a look back at some of the highlights: 1906 First house furnishing exhibition in the U.S. is held in New York’s Madison Square Garden. It is conceived by Isbon Scott, […]
There’s No Business Like Show Business! Part 2
By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator This is part two of a two part series. Read part one: There’s No Business Like Show Business! Part 1 Pots, Pans and Prosperity: Biggest Gadget Show on Earth From 1939 to 1991, the National Housewares Manufacturers Association (NHMA), based in Chicago, mounted two shows per year. For nearly […]
There’s No Business Like Show Business! Part 1
By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator It’s January, and our calendars are focused on March, when our 121st Show will unite the industry. The current International Home + Housewares Show has evolved into a busy four-day gathering in Chicago, from a complex family tree of Show names, dates and predecessor sponsoring organizations. For 79 years, IHA […]
