inspired home show - review
Reuniting the home and housewares industry
The Inspired Home Show 2022 wrapped up on 7 March at McCormick Place in Chicago, after three highly successful days. Three years since the last in-person show, the event, formerly known as the International Home + Housewares Show, attracted 20,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibiting companies, all hoping to discover new products, reconnect with colleagues, and advance the home and housewares industry.
he said: “Best Show Ever – when you hear something once and then twice and then again, it begins to turn into a trendline, and while that may not have been everyone’s experience, it certainly was for many show participants. Many exhibitors expressed they connected with key retailers like never before – they received meetings, and those meetings lasted longer than anticipated. Retailers expressed that they found new companies, brands and products not seen in the past. Yes, 2022 was different, but different can be good – quality over quantity as they say. “That’s not to imply that those who chose
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he show featured multiple new and returning attractions, including products, retailers and students
honoured at the gia Global Innovation Awards (see page 34 for more) four keynote presentations on consumer trends, retail thought leadership and industry statistics; three days of educational sessions in the Innovation Theatre; multiple networking events including a social media influencer meet and greet and new exhibitor and trending today previews, plus a full slate of celebrity chef demonstrations in the Cooking Theatre, headlined by Martha Stewart. Many of the sessions recorded at the show are set to be released on the show website,
www.theinspiredhomeshow.com. Most important, arguably, was the strong
industry support for the show, demonstrated by the presence of 1,016 exhibitors from 40 countries, and retailers from 49 of 50 US states and 84 countries. Attendees confirmed at the show included not only a strong showing from gift, specialty and independent retailers but also from senior-level executives, DMMs, GMMs and buyers from major retailers and distributors.
While the show was, inevitably, smaller this
year, Derek Miller, President of the IHA, believes the benefits for those attending were “tremendous”. In an open letter to the industry,
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not to exhibit were not missed because they were. While roughly half of the industry came back, there is a need for the entire industry to pull together in 2023 so that we can once again showcase everything we collectively have to offer.”
Exhibiting companies – both those new to the show and those long-time participants – indicated that the show was a great success, citing not only the presence of major buyers, but the ability to have more meaningful time with those buyers during the show than in years past. In addition to the show, IHA is planning digital “Connect” events to continue to deliver high-quality education and product discovery opportunities throughout the year.
Keynote Quotes
Consciousness, connectivity and creativity are top of mind for today’s consumers, according to authors of the 2022 International Housewares Association (IHA) Market Watch report. New proprietary research with insights into consumer mindsets, as well as opportunities for the housewares industry, were shared by the authors of the report Leana Salamah, IHA vice president, marketing, Tom Mirabile, principal of Springboard Futures, and Joe Derochowski, vice president and home industry advisor for The NPD Group, on Sunday morning in a keynote session.
Consciousness
Conscious consumers are deliberate, considered purchasers who are constantly
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evaluating why this product, why this brand and why now. They are highly attuned to issues including health and wellness, social responsibility and reclaiming time/effort. While wellness can mean many different things to different people, survey respondents actually ranked mental wellness as most important (77%) and physical wellness next (73%). This emphasis is unique right now, and therefore a huge opportunity for the housewares industry, noted Derochowski. After a two-year pandemic, “we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired,” he said.
Creativity Creative consumers are excitable and passionate about variety, flexibility and learning. They are highly attuned to experimentation, fluidity, reinvention of home and self and the acquisition of new skills. The survey found that consumers have a strong desire to change many aspects of their homes much more than they currently act on. “Understanding there’s a great desire to
make change is the first step,” said Giannetti. The next step is giving consumers a way to make those changes more accessible. Accessorising or giving people the ability to make incremental changes or updates to their homes is one way to do just that, added Salamah. Another way to allow consumers to try new things without buying each new product outright is rental, particularly among millennials.
Connectivity
Connected consumers like to bring people, products/functions and brands together and see results. They are highly attuned to interpersonal relations, ingenuity/cleverness and sociability/shareability. The Market Watch authors agreed smart home hasn’t taken off the way many thought it would have by now, in part due to quickly changing technology and in part because some smart products have technology just for the sake of it, and are not necessarily solving a consumer pain point. Consumers have trouble conceptualising, so the industry needs to make it easier for
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twitter.com/Housewaresnews March/April 2022
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