ViewPoint
Summing Up The Benefits Of U.S. Supply Agility
I’d like to take credit for summing up why expanding U.S. manufacturing and warehousing programs by housewares companies have regained favor among retailers. But I can’t.
The credit goes to Chris Robason, national retail sales manager for veteran U.S. cookware producer Regal Ware, who, while being interviewed for a story in this issue, said, “Now [retailers] can manage their business instead of managing their inventory.” Sums it up nicely, doesn’t it?
Continued...
I’d like to take credit for summing up why expanding U.S. manufacturing and warehousing programs by housewares companies have regained favor among retailers. But I can’t.
The credit goes to Chris Robason, national retail sales manager for veteran U.S. cookware producer Regal Ware, who, while being interviewed for a story in this issue, said, “Now [retailers] can manage their business instead of managing their inventory.” Sums it up nicely, doesn’t it?
Continued...
Take Control Of Your Future Before It’s Too Late
The New York Tabletop Market confirmed the housewares-wide optimism is set in stoneware, if you will.
Proposals for meaningful orders during the market were well received by retailers hungry for new goods. Still, the fragility of a tabletop recovery— of an even broader housewares rally, actually— was not lost in all the enthusiasm.
Continued...
The New York Tabletop Market confirmed the housewares-wide optimism is set in stoneware, if you will.
Proposals for meaningful orders during the market were well received by retailers hungry for new goods. Still, the fragility of a tabletop recovery— of an even broader housewares rally, actually— was not lost in all the enthusiasm.
Continued...
Keep Walmart’s Door Open To Secondary Resources
NEW YORK— Around this time last year, an industry executive shared with me his competitive mindset: “If you’re not number one, you’re done.”
Continued...
NEW YORK— Around this time last year, an industry executive shared with me his competitive mindset: “If you’re not number one, you’re done.”
Continued...
What A Difference A Year Makes In Chicago
CHICAGO- An industry colleague theorized the difference between this year and last year in the overall tone of the Home + Housewares Show.
Continued...
CHICAGO- An industry colleague theorized the difference between this year and last year in the overall tone of the Home + Housewares Show.
Continued...
Don’t Let Gloomy February Freeze The Momentum
NEW YORK— Whoever decided to make February the shortest month of the year was on to something.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Whoever decided to make February the shortest month of the year was on to something.
Continued...
Housewares Gets Back To Business In Frankfurt
Heading into Frankfurt’s Ambiente, I expected the show to provide the year’s first broad-scale barometer of the housewares industry.
Continued...
Heading into Frankfurt’s Ambiente, I expected the show to provide the year’s first broad-scale barometer of the housewares industry.
Continued...
The Consumer Has Last Word On Design Awards
NEW YORK— I’m always struck by just how democratic the annual Housewares Design Awards competition is.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I’m always struck by just how democratic the annual Housewares Design Awards competition is.
Continued...
Some Drops Of Retail Expansion Are In Forecast
There was a day last month when, within minutes, our editors posted two news reports on homeworldbusiness.com about new stores planned this year from prominent retailers.
Continued...
There was a day last month when, within minutes, our editors posted two news reports on homeworldbusiness.com about new stores planned this year from prominent retailers.
Continued...
A Preview Of Something Much Bigger, Perhaps
NEW YORK— A preview, in essence, should be a representation of something bigger to come.
Continued...
NEW YORK— A preview, in essence, should be a representation of something bigger to come.
Continued...
Digging Out From The Economic Blizzard Of ‘09
NEW YORK— Here I am on the eve of Christmas Eve ‘09, still sore from digging out from the Blizzard of ’09, chuckling with a colleague who wondered aloud why everybody seems to make a mad dash to stock up on milk, bread and eggs before a big storm.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Here I am on the eve of Christmas Eve ‘09, still sore from digging out from the Blizzard of ’09, chuckling with a colleague who wondered aloud why everybody seems to make a mad dash to stock up on milk, bread and eggs before a big storm.
Continued...
Looking Back 20 Years Puts Future In Perspective
NEW YORK— The first decade of the new millennium is almost over.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The first decade of the new millennium is almost over.
Continued...
Design Award Finalists Embody Industry Pride
Mark your calendars for February 3, 2010. That’s when the 7th annual Housewares Design Awards will be presented at the New York Marriott Marquis. It is with extra pride this year that all involved with the Housewares Design Awards— from HomeWorld Business to the International Housewares Association to sponsors Dupont Teflon Housewares and GLM’s New York International Gift Fair— bring this celebration of design innovation.
Continued...
Mark your calendars for February 3, 2010. That’s when the 7th annual Housewares Design Awards will be presented at the New York Marriott Marquis. It is with extra pride this year that all involved with the Housewares Design Awards— from HomeWorld Business to the International Housewares Association to sponsors Dupont Teflon Housewares and GLM’s New York International Gift Fair— bring this celebration of design innovation.
Continued...
Looking For A Little Respect On Black Friday
NEW YORK— Peruse all those “leaked” Black Friday ads and you’ll get a vivid picture of where housewares rates in the retail food chain heading into this all-important holiday shopping season.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Peruse all those “leaked” Black Friday ads and you’ll get a vivid picture of where housewares rates in the retail food chain heading into this all-important holiday shopping season.
Continued...
Protecting Consumer Is Good Business These Days
NEW YORK— If the recession has taught us one thing, it’s that fear can be quite the purchase motivator.
Continued...
NEW YORK— If the recession has taught us one thing, it’s that fear can be quite the purchase motivator.
Continued...
Selling Off-Price Retailers Nothing To Fear
NEW YORK— This time last year, we were hearing how some big-time housewares retailers, spooked by the prospects of year-end balance sheets saddled with inventory, were canceling or shortening orders with little or no notice.
Continued...
NEW YORK— This time last year, we were hearing how some big-time housewares retailers, spooked by the prospects of year-end balance sheets saddled with inventory, were canceling or shortening orders with little or no notice.
Continued...
Setting The Table To Put Everyone In A Better Mood
NEW YORK— The cover of this edition of HomeWorld Business exclaims how exhibitors at this week’s High Point furniture and New York tabletop markets are showcasing products and programs to stimulate a shopping mood change among consumers.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The cover of this edition of HomeWorld Business exclaims how exhibitors at this week’s High Point furniture and New York tabletop markets are showcasing products and programs to stimulate a shopping mood change among consumers.
Continued...
IHA/GLM Survey Makes You Wonder What’s Next
New York— The results are due on the industry trade show survey co-sponsored by the International Housewares Association and GLM (see story page 1).
Continued...
New York— The results are due on the industry trade show survey co-sponsored by the International Housewares Association and GLM (see story page 1).
Continued...
Confidence In Dot-Coms Up During Downturn
NEW YORK— August ended with a positive sign for the holiday retail sales outlook from the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index: It rose after back-to-back monthly declines in June and July.
Continued...
NEW YORK— August ended with a positive sign for the holiday retail sales outlook from the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index: It rose after back-to-back monthly declines in June and July.
Continued...
Fighting The Recession Was No Summer Vacation
NEW YORK— With Labor Day upon us, the proverbial bell has gone off as the housewares industry hits the accelerator toward what should be a telling fourth-quarter stretch run.
Continued...
NEW YORK— With Labor Day upon us, the proverbial bell has gone off as the housewares industry hits the accelerator toward what should be a telling fourth-quarter stretch run.
Continued...
Saving CIT Factors Heavily In Housewares Outlook
The finance market has become stingy, unforgiving, impersonal and downright ornery during the past year.
Continued...
The finance market has become stingy, unforgiving, impersonal and downright ornery during the past year.
Continued...
SF & Gourmet: Some Things Just Go Together
Some things just go together. Macaroni & Cheese. Ben & Jerry. Lennon & McCartney. San Francisco & The Gourmet Show. The 1990 Gourmet Show was my first trade show with HomeWorld, and it was my first trip to San Francisco.
Continued...
Some things just go together. Macaroni & Cheese. Ben & Jerry. Lennon & McCartney. San Francisco & The Gourmet Show. The 1990 Gourmet Show was my first trade show with HomeWorld, and it was my first trip to San Francisco.
Continued...
Don’t Judge Impact Merchants By Size Of Order
As I was informing a retailing executive that one of her company’s buyers had been selected as a HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® Impact Merchant this year, what seemed like genuine gratitude was nonetheless tinged by a bit of cynicism.
Continued...
As I was informing a retailing executive that one of her company’s buyers had been selected as a HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® Impact Merchant this year, what seemed like genuine gratitude was nonetheless tinged by a bit of cynicism.
Continued...
Trade Driving Made-In-USA Housewares Boost
In this edition of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®, we examine the renewed momentum for housewares made in the U.S.A. Many would like to chalk up this trend to a resurgence in pocketbook patriotism, a unifying movement to seek and buy American-made goods as ointment for a distressed economy. That would be a nice story.
Continued...
In this edition of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®, we examine the renewed momentum for housewares made in the U.S.A. Many would like to chalk up this trend to a resurgence in pocketbook patriotism, a unifying movement to seek and buy American-made goods as ointment for a distressed economy. That would be a nice story.
Continued...
As Seen On TV Is Serious Business For Retailers
NEW YORK— Nearly 20 years ago, I moderated a roundtable with executives then at the forefront of an emerging infomercial movement in retail housewares.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Nearly 20 years ago, I moderated a roundtable with executives then at the forefront of an emerging infomercial movement in retail housewares.
Continued...
Shopping Season Heats For Housewares Deals
In a stronger economy, perhaps, staggering companies could hold out a little longer, and upstarts could finance growth more easily. These days, though, urgency has replaced patience in many situations.
Continued...
In a stronger economy, perhaps, staggering companies could hold out a little longer, and upstarts could finance growth more easily. These days, though, urgency has replaced patience in many situations.
Continued...
Unleash The Passion That Drives Your Business
NEW YORK— I learned early in my career that you can’t teach passion.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I learned early in my career that you can’t teach passion.
Continued...
The Right Time To Name Walmart ‘Retail Champion’
NEW YORK— The selection of the annual HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® Retail Champion often follows healthy debate among our editors over numerous qualified candidates.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The selection of the annual HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® Retail Champion often follows healthy debate among our editors over numerous qualified candidates.
Continued...
Making Sure Reps Get The Respect They Deserve
NEW YORK— I had the privilege of addressing members of the International Housewares Representatives Association during the recent Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I had the privilege of addressing members of the International Housewares Representatives Association during the recent Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.
Continued...
Everybody Came To Work The Housewares Show
Memo to everyone who held their breath heading into last week’s International Home + Housewares Show: Breathe!
Continued...
Memo to everyone who held their breath heading into last week’s International Home + Housewares Show: Breathe!
Continued...
Supermarket Opportunity Is Front-Page News
NEW YORK— You might be wondering: Of all the retailers out there, why is a regional supermarket chain on the cover of our biggest issue of the year?
Continued...
NEW YORK— You might be wondering: Of all the retailers out there, why is a regional supermarket chain on the cover of our biggest issue of the year?
Continued...
Looking For Inspiration Wherever You Can Find It
Not all that long ago, the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt was visited by only the most progressive of upscale U.S. retailers looking for European housewares design inspiration that often wouldn’t cross the Atlantic for a year, sometimes longer.
Continued...
Not all that long ago, the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt was visited by only the most progressive of upscale U.S. retailers looking for European housewares design inspiration that often wouldn’t cross the Atlantic for a year, sometimes longer.
Continued...
Remembering My Macy’s As Special Place To Shop
NEW YORK— I will always have a soft spot for Macy’s.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I will always have a soft spot for Macy’s.
Continued...
Hope & Housewares Converge At An Historic Moment
I have to admit, there were some nervous moments as I awaited guests of the 2009 Housewares Design Awards luncheon on January 20 in New York City.
Continued...
I have to admit, there were some nervous moments as I awaited guests of the 2009 Housewares Design Awards luncheon on January 20 in New York City.
Continued...
End The Stalemate With Recession-Coping Message
NEW YORK— Now, we find out if the housewares industry is up to the challenge.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Now, we find out if the housewares industry is up to the challenge.
Continued...
HomeWorld Monitor Measures The Top Design Trends
NEW YORK— This year marks the 20th anniversary of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®.
Continued...
NEW YORK— This year marks the 20th anniversary of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®.
Continued...
Everyone Wants To Believe In Miracles This Year
NEW YORK— I was walking along New York City’s 34th Street recently, and it occurred to me to look for a miracle.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I was walking along New York City’s 34th Street recently, and it occurred to me to look for a miracle.
Continued...
January 20: Quite A Day For Housewares Design
NEW YORK— January 20, 2009, is shaping up to be quite a day.
Continued...
NEW YORK— January 20, 2009, is shaping up to be quite a day.
Continued...
Look For Signs Of Optimism In Economic Turmoil
NEW YORK— The media often is accused of having an almost morbid fascination with the negative, as if a story isn’t worth the ink of its headline without some sort of sensational hook that taps into the darker side of our curiosity.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The media often is accused of having an almost morbid fascination with the negative, as if a story isn’t worth the ink of its headline without some sort of sensational hook that taps into the darker side of our curiosity.
Continued...
Has Housewares Been Shortchanged This Christmas?
Christmas comes every year. If there was ever a year when everyone is banking on that trusty old retailing adage, it’s this year.
Continued...
Christmas comes every year. If there was ever a year when everyone is banking on that trusty old retailing adage, it’s this year.
Continued...
Make The Extra Effort To Get To Know Each Other
You might recall a United Airlines TV commercial from the late 1980s. It’s the one with a company president announcing to his staff how the company was fired by one of its oldest customers because “he said he didn’t know us anymore.”
Continued...
You might recall a United Airlines TV commercial from the late 1980s. It’s the one with a company president announcing to his staff how the company was fired by one of its oldest customers because “he said he didn’t know us anymore.”
Continued...
Tabletop’s Quest For ‘Newness’ Leads To NOUVEAU
Newness. I never heard the word uttered until I started covering the housewares business two decades ago. To be frank, I’m still not convinced it’s a word. Although I found it defined on the Web, I can’t find it anywhere in my trusty old Webster’s.
Continued...
Newness. I never heard the word uttered until I started covering the housewares business two decades ago. To be frank, I’m still not convinced it’s a word. Although I found it defined on the Web, I can’t find it anywhere in my trusty old Webster’s.
Continued...
Design An Emotional Rescue For Anxious Consumers
NEW YORK— It was a common scene at a recent hotel design trade show I attended for HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® sister publications Hotel Business and New Look.
Continued...
NEW YORK— It was a common scene at a recent hotel design trade show I attended for HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® sister publications Hotel Business and New Look.
Continued...
How Will History Record This Housewares Turning Point?
NEW YORK— The words “turning point” are commonly understood to refer to a moment in time that marks an important change of course.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The words “turning point” are commonly understood to refer to a moment in time that marks an important change of course.
Continued...
2009 Awards Amplify Housewares Design Message
NEW YORK— I recently Googled “housewares design” and a staggering 7.78 million results appeared. Part of me wanted to believe the increasing frequency of the words “housewares” and “design” appearing in the same context could be attributed directly to the success of the Housewares Design Awards program created by HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® six years ago with the support of the International Housewares Association.
Continued...
NEW YORK— I recently Googled “housewares design” and a staggering 7.78 million results appeared. Part of me wanted to believe the increasing frequency of the words “housewares” and “design” appearing in the same context could be attributed directly to the success of the Housewares Design Awards program created by HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® six years ago with the support of the International Housewares Association.
Continued...
This Is The Time When ‘Players’ Must Be Leaders
NEW YORK— This issue marks the third year that HomeWorld’s editors present “The Players,” a look at the people to watch in the housewares business during the coming year. That begs the question… what makes a player a “Player?”
Continued...
NEW YORK— This issue marks the third year that HomeWorld’s editors present “The Players,” a look at the people to watch in the housewares business during the coming year. That begs the question… what makes a player a “Player?”
Continued...
Don’t Leave Your Aftermarket Potential Untapped
NEW YORK— The Brita water filtering pitcher was one of the hot, new products when I joined HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® nearly two decades ago. Covering Brita in its early days taught me a lesson about the unique merchandising requirements when housewares and consumables are conjoined.
Continued...
NEW YORK— The Brita water filtering pitcher was one of the hot, new products when I joined HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® nearly two decades ago. Covering Brita in its early days taught me a lesson about the unique merchandising requirements when housewares and consumables are conjoined.
Continued...
Impact Merchants Raise Bar With Versatile Skills
Reading through the profiles of 2008’s HomeWorld Business® Impact Merchants, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to sit in on job interviews for the next generation of retail housewares buyers.
Continued...
Reading through the profiles of 2008’s HomeWorld Business® Impact Merchants, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to sit in on job interviews for the next generation of retail housewares buyers.
Continued...
Survival Today Requires Asking The Right Questions
At its root, reporting is about asking questions and accurately communicating the answers. Knowing the right questions to ask often can separate excellent reporting from average reporting.
Continued...
At its root, reporting is about asking questions and accurately communicating the answers. Knowing the right questions to ask often can separate excellent reporting from average reporting.
Continued...
To Sharper, LnT: Don’t Let Closings Strand Shoppers
NEW YORK— Every now and then, certain acquaintances, knowing I cover the retail housewares business, like to let me know how in tune they are with current events affecting the business.
Continued...
NEW YORK— Every now and then, certain acquaintances, knowing I cover the retail housewares business, like to let me know how in tune they are with current events affecting the business.
Continued...
No Simple Solution To Gourmet Show Challenges
LAS VEGAS— Put another Gourmet Housewares Show in the books. Despite a crowded springtime trade show slate that continues to challenge the show’s attendance and vitality, it was not hard to find exhibitors and retailers at the Sands Convention Center reporting a productive couple of days here.
Continued...
LAS VEGAS— Put another Gourmet Housewares Show in the books. Despite a crowded springtime trade show slate that continues to challenge the show’s attendance and vitality, it was not hard to find exhibitors and retailers at the Sands Convention Center reporting a productive couple of days here.
Continued...
Exchange The Sinking Dollar For Export Growth
HONG KONG— This is a risky time to gamble on the sinking U.S. dollar, a major topic of anguish among U.S. importers visiting the recent Hong Kong Houseware Fair.
Continued...
HONG KONG— This is a risky time to gamble on the sinking U.S. dollar, a major topic of anguish among U.S. importers visiting the recent Hong Kong Houseware Fair.
Continued...
Inspire Tabletop Shoppers With The Unexpected
It’s about taking advantage of one of tabletop’s strongest assets— fashion— to stand out on shelves and to surprise and inspire shoppers.
Continued...
It’s about taking advantage of one of tabletop’s strongest assets— fashion— to stand out on shelves and to surprise and inspire shoppers.
Continued...
Don’t Let The Bubble Burst After Productive Show
CHICAGO— For three days earlier this month, McCormick Place here was a safe haven for the housewares industry.
Continued...
CHICAGO— For three days earlier this month, McCormick Place here was a safe haven for the housewares industry.
Continued...
Don’t Abandon Strategic Thinking For Quick Fix
CHICAGO— The industry will do its best to serve up a hearty helping of enthusiasm at the International Home + Housewares Show. However, amid the usual fanfare of new product and marketing presentations, the talk on the McCormick Place floors could turn often to the unprecedented convergence of market pressures faced by suppliers and retailers this year.
Continued...
CHICAGO— The industry will do its best to serve up a hearty helping of enthusiasm at the International Home + Housewares Show. However, amid the usual fanfare of new product and marketing presentations, the talk on the McCormick Place floors could turn often to the unprecedented convergence of market pressures faced by suppliers and retailers this year.
Continued...
