NEW YORK — The International Housewares Association plans to produce a report this spring on the value of merchandising housewares in supermarkets, Perry Reynolds, vice president of marketing and trade development told SN during the association’s sneak preview here yesterday of the 2010 International Home + Housewares Show, to be held March 14-16, at McCormick Place, Chicago.
The report will be based upon survey information gathered from retailers and suppliers on the value of cross merchandising housewares with food. Reynolds said IHA considers supermarkets a big opportunity because of the willingness of consumers to buy housewares where they buy food and because of their frequency of visits to food stores.
While the Housewares Show lost a few key large supplier exhibitors last year, Perry said some plan to return this year. He noted that last year’s show drew about 400 new exhibitors, especially entrepreneurs who are driven by innovation. Such suppliers made up a large portion of the over 50 suppliers participating in yesterday’s press preview.
The National Association of the Specialty Food Trade was a preview exhibitor and will once again co-locate an event with the Housewares Show. Perry said the association is working with True Value Hardware to attract attendees. True Value hosts a trade show during the same time frame as the Housewares Show.
IHA and The Travel Goods Association have announced plans to co-locate with the 2011 Housewares Show.
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