Participants take advantage of top-level connections, products, trends and new insights
ROSEMONT, IL (March 19, 2026)–Moving business forward was a major theme at The Inspired Home Show® 2026, as home and housewares buyers and sellers from around the world gathered to discover new products, explore new trends and make invaluable connections with top decision-makers.
The International Housewares Association’s (IHA) premier annual marketplace showcased over 1,000 exhibitors, thousands of unique brands, and hundreds of thousands of products to attendees from over 100 countries at Chicago’s McCormick Place from March 10-12, 2026.
“It’s no secret that geopolitical and economic uncertainties have created challenges for retailers and suppliers,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “But these uncertainties also come at a time when consumers are increasingly looking to their homes for cooking, entertaining, comfort, wellness and so much more.”
“Senior leaders from both the supplier and buyer sides are telling us how invaluable it was for them to connect in-person at this year’s Show and identify new partners, products, trends and ideas that will help them gain a competitive edge in the year ahead,” he added.
Nearly all the key retailers brought senior-level executives, DMMs, GMMs and buyers to the 2026 Show. U.S.-based buyers alone attending the Show represented more than 100,000 retail locations and nearly $75 billion in buying power.
Key retailers in attendance included:
| Ace Hardware | Kroger |
| Albertsons | Lowe’s |
| Aldi | Macy’s |
| Amazon | Michaels |
| ASC Brands LLC | Nordstrom |
| At Home | Ocean State Job Lot |
| Bealls Inc. | Ollies Bargain Outlet |
| Belk | Pampered Chef |
| Best Buy | PetSmart |
| BJ’s Wholesale Club | Popshelf |
| Bloomingdale’s | Publix |
| Burlington Stores | QVC |
| Costco Wholesale | Ross Stores |
| Crate & Barrel | Sam’s Club |
| CVS Health | Staples Inc |
| dd’s DISCOUNTS | Sur La Table |
| Dillard’s | Target |
| Dollar General | The Brand House Collective (Bed Beth &. Beyond) |
| Dollar Tree | The Container Store |
| Family Dollar | The Exchange (AAFES) |
| Hobby Lobby | TJX Companies |
| Home Depot | Wakefern Food Corp. |
| Home Shopping Network | Walgreens |
| HomeGoods | Walmart |
| Imperial Distributors | Wayfair |
| Kohl’s | Williams Sonoma |
International buyers from market-leading retailers in attendance included:
| GDN – Argentina | Rewe – Germany |
| TVSN – Australia | Corporación Lady Lee – Honduras |
| INTERSPAR – Austria | Tata Unistore – India |
| Hipermaxi – Bolivia | Hankyu Department Store – Japan |
| Super BH – Brazil | Coupang – South Korea |
| Sam’s Club – Brazil, Mexico | Lotte Shopping – South Korea |
| Amazon – Canada, Mexico, South Africa | Shinsegae – South Korea |
| Costco – Canada | Coppel – Mexico |
| Loblaw – Canada | El Palacio De Hierro – Mexico |
| TJX – Canada, Europe | Liverpool – Mexico |
| Walmart – Canada, Central America, Mexico | Mercado Libre – Mexico |
| PriceSmart – Caribbean, Central America | Do It Center – Panama |
| Almacenes Siman – Central America | Grupo Tova – Panama |
| Ripley – Chile | Saks – Panama |
| Tmall Global, Alibaba Group – China | Homla – Poland |
| Almacenes Máximo – Pepe Ganga – Colombia | Shoprite Checkers – South Africa |
| Cemaco – Costa Rica | El Corte Inglés – Spain |
| SUKASA – Ecuador | Manor – Switzerland |
| Corporación Favorita – Ecuador | Evidea – Türkiye |
| Carrefour – France | Fenwick – United Kingdom |
| EK Retail – France, Germany | Robert Dyas – United Kingdom |
| Pfennigpfeiffer – Germany | El Dorado – Uruguay |
In addition to key global retailers and country-specific market leaders, the Show also attracted over 1,000 smaller independent retailers. Participating exhibitors included everyone from industry leaders and legacy brands to emerging companies and start-up entrepreneurs.
“Buyers consistently tell us how much they appreciate the opportunity to meet with decision-makers from the biggest players in the industry, but also to discover new, emerging brands from all over the world,” said Miller. “This diverse mix of buyers and sellers creates meaningful opportunities for everyone at the Show.”
The Show also received a considerable amount of media attention, with live coverage produced onsite and many more post-Show stories in the works from close to 200 print, broadcast, digital and social media professionals.
Journalists in attendance representing major media outlets included: The New York Times/Wirecutter, Nexstar Media/News Nation, Yahoo, Lifehacker/CNET, Buzzfeed, Real Simple, CNN Underscored, Forbes, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Taste of Home, Oprah Daily, America’s Test Kitchen, Wired, the Indianapolis Star, Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV, CBS2 Chicago, FOX32 Chicago and NBC5 Chicago.
The 2026 Show featured multiple new and returning attractions, including:
- Four expos in two halls located conveniently across the Grand Concourse from each other: Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, Wired + Well, and International Sourcing.
- The Candle Pavilion—created in partnership with the National Candle Association.
- The Pet Products Pavilion—created in partnership with the American Pet Products Association.
- An expanded Debut incubator, highlighting emerging home and housewares companies and smaller new-to-the-Show exhibitors.
- An expanded Inventors Corner, featuring start-up entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and passion projects in the form of a single product.
- Global Design Points, which offered a look into emerging trends from Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Turkey.
- The Pantone ColorWatch Display, showcasing housewares to match the seven palettes in the Pantone® View Home + Interiors 2027 forecast.
- The new SPLiCE Licensing Hub—produced in partnership with the Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence to connect attendees with brands interested in licensing deals.
- The New Exhibitor Gallery, featuring brands and products new to the Show.
- The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia), honoring excellence in home and housewares retailing, product design and student achievement.
- Four Keynotes focusing on the future of home and housewares with the latest consumer trends, growth opportunities and AI strategies.
- A robust Inspiration Theater session lineup featuring analysis and how-to on a number of retail strategies, consumer trends and business topics such as tariffs and licensing.
- Inspired Women in Housewares, which provided networking and a panel discussion for leaders in the industry.
- Networking events for the entire industry, as well as focused events for independent retailers and young professionals.
This year also marked the first year of The Inspired Home Show’s new mid-week date pattern. Feedback for the new Tuesday – Thursday pattern, which was a result of industry polling, was overwhelmingly positive.
The Inspired Home Show 2027 will take place in Chicago March 9-11, 2027 and will continue on the new Tuesday – Thursday pattern. Registration for attendees is now open. The Space Application for exhibitors will open in May. For more information on the Show, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com.
Editor’s Note: Quotes from Show participants follow below. Also, images from the 2026 Show are now available for download. Video and audio recordings from Keynote and Inspiration Theater sessions will be available on the Show site.
-30-
The International Housewares Association (IHA) is the 87-year-old voice of the home and housewares industry, dedicated to bringing buyers and sellers together. IHA hosts its premier exposition of products for the home, The Inspired Home Show, in Chicago every March. Each year, the Show brings together thousands of unique brands and hundreds of thousands of products with both global and domestic buyers; U.S.-based attendees alone represent more than 100,000 retail locations and nearly $75 billion in buying power. The not-for-profit, full-service Association also offers member companies a wide range of services including industry and government advocacy; export assistance; trend reports; executive management peer groups; group buying discounts; and an independent news and information platform, HomePageNews.com.
Follow IHA on LinkedIn and Facebook and The Inspired Home Show on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
* * * * *
The Inspired Home Show 2026 Participant Testimonials
“This was a truly excellent Show. We had a lot of meetings that we couldn’t have had anywhere else. The booth traffic was constant, all our major retailers visited, and we made new connections, which we expect to lead to significant new business.”
–Will Symonds, President, Oggi
“The Inspired Home Show was very successful for us. We were pleased with the buyers that visited our booth, as they were key decision makers and were able to spend meaningful, quality time learning about our products.”
–Drew Brown, President, Frieling USA, Inc.
“This was our first time attending the Show, in the Debut section. First off, a huge shoutout to the showrunners for the incredible support in ensuring we were armed with all the necessary information to make the Show less overwhelming. Secondly, we not only had access to retailers and buyers we didn’t even have on our radar but also connected with media. Someone actually wrote about us even before the Show ended. This kind of visibility is priceless.”
–Awa Kone, CEO & Founder, N/UM
“One of the reasons the Show continues to be so valuable to retailers is its format. Unlike markets spread across multiple buildings and showrooms, this Show allows retailers to move quickly, stay focused, and make the most of their time on the floor. Another major factor is access. Chicago has traditionally been a place where retailers can connect directly with leadership within vendor companies. National sales managers, presidents, vice presidents, and senior leadership teams are often present, which allows retailers to have deeper conversations about products, strategy, and the future of the brands they carry. Those interactions matter, and they help build stronger long-term partnerships.”
–KC Lapiana, Chief Executive Officer, HTI Buying Group
“It was wonderful to meet with our existing customers who wish to expand their lines with Gleener and to also meet with quite a few new, major retailers and independents too. In these uncertain times, it is refreshing to see the buying community so engaged and keen to embrace new brands and new products. We will definitely grow our U.S. business as a result with retailers and distributors across the spectrum.”
–Kim Cole, CEO/Founder, Gleener, Inc.
“After each Show, I usually ask myself a simple question: If we look back a few years from now, what will we remember about this moment? For us, this Show will stand out as both strong and meaningful, as we had the opportunity to reconnect with many of our long-time partners and customers, and the conversations felt more thoughtful, more focused, and genuinely forward-looking.”
–Henry Liu, President & CEO, Cangshan Cutlery
“The trip to The Inspired Home Show was absolutely worth it for us. At the fair, we found a number of potential new suppliers for our concept stores, Ambiance & Styles and Culinarion. The show is large-scale yet intimate, which is why we were able to strike up a conversation with every exhibitor who caught our interest. Anyone looking to stand out from the local competition should definitely visit this show.”
–Daniela Dalla Valla, Managing Director, EK France
“The Inspired Home Show continues to be a key driver for KitchenSupply—bringing together our customers and reps to collaborate, strengthen partnerships, and showcase our portfolio of premium kitchen brands. It’s an energizing platform that fuels our growth and keeps us focused on delivering innovative, relevant products that meet the needs of today’s consumer.”
–Kelly Walsh, Vice President, KitchenSupply
“This is our second time exhibiting at The Inspired Home Show in the Pet Products Pavilion, and it has been an incredible journey for us. As a local company, winning the gia award was a proud milestone. The Show provides an outstanding platform to connect with buyers, media, and industry leaders, and we’ve found it to be an inspiring space that truly elevates brands and innovation in the home and pet industry. We’re already looking forward to returning next year and continuing to build on this momentum.”
–Lei Zhang, CEO, PawsPik
“The Inspired Home Show delivered an exceptional level of buyer quality this year. We had meaningful conversations, genuine engagement, and real business opportunities with decision-ready partners—making it one of the most productive shows we’ve participated in.”
— Cze-Chao Tam, CEO, TRINITY International Industries
“It’s been a fantastic trip to The Inspired Home Show 2026. What an amazing Show in an amazing city – and not least because we were so honored to pick up our Top Window award at the gia gala, which was a superb, exciting ceremony. The Show has been fantastic; busy, inspiring, lots of great exhibitors – and friends too. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and it’s been invaluable for us as a retailer looking for new ranges. Trend spotting has been a crucial element too; the innovation we’ve seen has given us such great insight and enthusiasm for what’s coming through. We can’t wait to return!”
–Tom Potter, Director, Potters Cookshop, United Kingdom
“We had a great Show and met with many key buyers. Although traffic may have been down, the old adage of “quality versus quantity” prevailed. We found we had more time with each of our buyers, which paid off in spades.”
–David Zrike, President, R Squared/Zrike Brands
“The Inspired Home Show was an outstanding experience for us. We truly enjoyed being part of the Debut area and loved our location. Even more impactful was the level of exposure and attention we received throughout the Show. Most importantly, the support from the IHA team was exceptional from start to finish. A++ experience.”
–Breanne Stuart, Totem Serve
“We were able to meet with some vendors we currently work with and some new ones we are excited to start working with.”
–Kevin Silverman, Owner, Northside Cutlery, Chicago IL
“Higher attendance Shows sound great, however there is more qualifying of unknown prospects, many not on our target list. We were able to provide clear strategy sessions with quality buyers. The buyers were there. The time was unrushed. Those who presented well were rewarded tremendously! As an added bonus, it was easy to set up and easy to tear down; the weekend allowed for a peaceful and less chaotic set up. Thank you for the great work of keeping our industry Show together.”
–Brian Pomeranc, Bene Casa
“Our trip to Chicago was very worthwhile. At The Inspired Home Show, we discovered exciting trends and met some interesting exhibitors. Furthermore, the insight into the American retail landscape was very valuable for us as a leading Swiss department store chain.”
–Nadia Burri, Senior Product Manager Living (housewares, kitchen and tabletop), Manor AG, Switzerland
“We had a very productive Inspired Home Show, meeting with senior management from all our national retailers. The Show allows us an opportunity to meet face-to-face with customers, strengthening our relationships and formulating strategies for future growth.”
–Tom McMahon, President, Jura, Inc.
“The 2026 Inspired Home Show concluded on a strong and positive note for Gibson, marking one of our most successful Shows to date. Buyer engagement was high throughout the event, and we had meaningful, productive conversations with all key retail partners, as well as encouraging discussions with new prospects eager to grow with us. Our new product introductions were well-received and validated, reinforcing the strength of our innovation pipeline. The Show continues to serve as a cornerstone of our growth strategy. As a long-standing IHA member and exhibitor, it is an essential platform for introducing new products, strengthening our brand and product leadership, and showing our momentum as we move into 2026 and beyond.”
–Sal Gabbay, CEO, Gibson Homewares
“Attending The Inspired Home Show 2026 in Chicago was an incredibly energizing experience. Beyond the scale of the event and the remarkable global brands on display, what stood out most were the ideas shaping the next chapter of our industry. Equally insightful were the retail store visits — exploring standout in-store experiences at Wayfair, The Container Store and Abt Electronics, each demonstrating how physical retail continues to evolve through experience, storytelling and service.”
–Anamika Nandi, Assistant Vice President – Category Management, Tata Unistore Limited, India
“As the industry continues to evolve, so does our approach to the Show floor. The Inspired Home Show marked an important milestone for HIC – Harold Import Co. this year, as we right-sized our booth to better align with today’s retail landscape. The Show exceeded our expectations and remains an essential ingredient in our annual strategy.”
–Robert Laub, President, HIC – Harold Import Co.
“The Inspired Home Show is a powerful showcase of our industry’s strength, bringing together legacy brands and emerging innovators, all driven by a shared spirit of creativity and growth. For Lodge, it provides a unique opportunity to have our entire team together in one place while engaging face-to-face with key retail partners and senior leaders and efficiently sharing our latest product innovations and marketing plans for 2026. The energy and buzz from customers and media in the Lodge booth this year was incredible. Especially in today’s environment, nothing replaces direct conversations and strong relationships, and TIHS continues to deliver meaningful value for our brand and the industry as a whole.”
–Mike Otterman, President/CEO, Lodge Cast Iron
“We come to the Show for discovery of newly released items and to have the opportunity to see the quality of items in person that we may not have bought otherwise.”
–Kevin Felker, Owner, Prairie Kitchen Shop, Iowa City, IA
“Attending the IHA Fair was a very positive experience for us. The event provided an excellent opportunity to understand key industry trends, discover innovative products, and connect with relevant suppliers, particularly those from the American market. We were especially impressed by the quality and diversity of the exhibitors, as well as the strong networking environment. The connections we made were highly relevant to our business, and we look forward to pursuing the opportunities generated during the event.”
–Paula Mesquita, Product Manager, Imeltron (Brazilian Distributor)
“We made amazing connections.”
–Julie McLaughlin, Director, Account Management, Lowe’s (Marketplace – Home Décor)
“2026 was an outstanding show for Hestan, with tremendous energy around our booth, new product introductions, and brand storytelling. We had highly productive meetings with our valued retail partners and media, and it was clear that the demand for premium, differentiated cookware continues to grow. We’re leaving the Show with strong momentum and excitement for the year ahead.”
–Pamela Stafford, President & CEO, Hestan Culinary
“The quality of attendance and participation was strong. We were quite busy for the first two days. Had a few meaningful visits on Day 3. Our follow-up ranged from immediate to 2027 planning.”
–Mark Horstman, Director of Global Sales, Starplast USA
“The Show was an outstanding platform for Bluevua to connect with retailers, distributors, and industry partners from around the world. The quality of buyers and the level of engagement exceeded our expectations. Being recognized with a gia Award during the Show made the experience even more meaningful for our team and highlighted the strong innovation happening across the industry.”
–Melhem Succar, Director of Growth & Business Development, Bluevua
“It’s always our favorite show to attend. It is easy to shop and easy to get there.”
–Carrie Hauser, Owner, Cornucopia Kitchen Shop, Sturgeon Bay, WI
“We’re getting quality time with more buyers…key buyers. We’ve seen everybody we expected to see and more. It’s been a tremendous show.”
—Mark Adkison, President, Kuhn Rikon Corp
“It’s been a great experience for us. It’s the one place that buyers, suppliers, press people and everyone can meet. In a world that is increasingly AI and email, personal relationships matter so much – and I think that’s the best part about being here.”
–Raghav Agarwal, CEO, FIREUP Cookware
