SEPTEMBER 2014 RETAILOBSERVER.COM
35
THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW IS GARNERING
RAVE REVIEWS FROM BUYERS AND SELLERS. THE SHOW WAS SOLD OUT
WITH 2,100 EXHIBITORS FROM 45 COUNTRIES AND RECORDED MORE
THAN 60,000 IN INCREASED TOTAL BUYER ATTENDANCE. THE INCREASE
INCLUDED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
T
he Show kicked off with very high attendance
on Saturday that continued through the close
of the Show on Tuesday," said Phil Brandl,
president/CEO of the not-for-profit International
Housewares Association, which owns and operates
the Show.
"The Show's Saturday morning opening is a
proven success and once again received high
praise from our Retailer Advisory Councils as well
as from exhibitors," Brandl continued. "The 435 new
exhibitors and the more than 10,000 new products
on display drew much attention from buyers and
media alike."
LIFESTYLE GURU TOM MIRABILE REVEALS
THE TOP HOUSEWARES TRENDS FOR 2014
Housewares manufacturers need to adapt, inspire
and motivate in order to have success with today's
ever changing consumer, according to IHA's lifestyle
trend forecaster Tom Mirabile. He explained how to
do so during his early morning seminar, "Top Trends
for 2014—The New Normal: How to Survive and
Thrive in our Erratic Marketplace." Mirabile is senior
vice president, Global Trend and Design, at Lifetime
Brands, Inc.
"Whether you're a retailer, manufacturer or
wholesaler, a single word encapsulates today's
most crucial business imperative: Adapt," he said.
"Today's consumer lives and shops in multi-
dimensional ways we couldn't have imagined a
decade ago. More importantly, they crave—no
demand—innovation. Sometimes these advances
are tangible, delivering improved performance and
expanded function, or savings of time or space.
INTERNATIONAL HOME
+
HOUSEWARES SHOW
"