Nine IHA member companies, looking to enhance sales within Colombia or begin exploring this market as a target for new business joined IHA during the recent Colombia Trade Mission.  To begin the Mission, attendees visited home and housewares retail stores in Bogotá during a retail tour.  Having the opportunity to see the retail stores prior to meeting with buyers allowed Trade Mission attendees to review the product lines already found in the Colombia market, as well as investigate how retailers merchandise products, and see the types of complimentary items offered to consumers that may impact success of sales in the market.  Suppliers already selling into Colombia used the store visits to take notes for later discussion on their products when meeting with buyers.

In the days following the retail tour, attendees met one-on-one with retailers in Colombia, including CachivachesGrupo ÉxitoSupermercados y Tiendas JumboSodimac (Home Center), TugóHome SentryINDEX Organíiza-loFalbellaPepe GangaJusto y Bueno. This mix of retail stores offered a spectrum of retailers to include a variety of mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, department stores and discount retailers.  Rony Zavlodaver, International Sales Manager, Architec, represented by Tansoo remarked, “We met with very large retailers and distributors in Colombia, some of which I have been trying to reach for quite some time.  I recommend the Trade Missions to anyone really wanting to understand the different markets around the world.”

In addition to these retailers housewares supplier, ESTRA, a plastics manufacturer in Colombia provided the group with a presentation on the home and housewares sector.  Although known for producing plastic industrial and housewares products, ESTRA also operates eponymous retail stores, stocking not only their own products but also branded products that compliment their lines. Melissa Ballesteros, International Trade Director of ESTRA indicted that the retail arm of ESTRA is expanding into a larger offering of branded products.  This new objective provided yet another opportunity for IHA members to speak to a buyer about potential sales into the market.

Further to the retailers, suppliers had the opportunity to meet with a few distributors in Bogotá, which allowed attendees to learn about their options in another sales channel.   Casa Magna and Stilotex, both distributors of various home and housewares products, met with the suppliers in the group looking to focus on distribution options.

Retail and distributor buyers welcomed the opportunity to meet with IHA members joining the Trade Mission, as they viewed this as an  enhancement to their efforts of attending the International Home + Housewares Show within the ease of their home market.

After a week of work in Colombia, attendees were pleased with their take-aways.  Jennifer Dennie, International Business Development Manager of Progressive International Corporation said, “I found the Colombia Trade Mission incredibly helpful both in learning about the Colombian market and meeting with key retailers, distributors and local representatives.  Not only did the Trade Mission provide concrete leads but it also exposed the suppliers to the culture within Colombia, which is critical in recognizing and understanding business opportunities.”

The final 2018 Trade Mission will take place in France & Spain, November 4-10.  Please contact Lori Szudarek or +1.847.692.0116 for details.

 

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Email
Reddit

Connect on Social Media

Similar Content

New Survey of International Housewares Association Members Indicates Significant Impact of Tariffs on Home and Housewares Industry

To help members explore alternatives to sourcing from China, the International Housewares Association (IHA) is organizing a trade mission to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam June 9-11, 2025. The trip, which will include private factory tours and one-on-one meetings with potential partners, is currently available for a limited number of companies.

Read More »

International Housewares Association Announces New Total Market Research Report For Home And Housewares Industry

The International Housewares Association (IHA) has launched the 2025 IHA State of the Industry report, a new total market resource for the home and housewares industry. The first of the report’s three installments, which provides data and analysis on U.S. market size by category and retail channel, was published today on IHA’s independent news and information platform, HomePageNews.com.

Read More »
Get The Latest Updates

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

No spam, notifications only about new member updates & products.

On Key

Related Posts

IHA Plans Vietnam Trade Mission To Help Members Find Alternative Sourcing Options

To help members explore alternatives to sourcing from China, the International Housewares Association (IHA) is organizing a trade mission to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam June 9-11, 2025. The trip, which will include private factory tours and one-on-one meetings with potential partners, is currently available for a limited number of companies.

International Housewares Association Announces New Total Market Research Report For Home And Housewares Industry

The International Housewares Association (IHA) has launched the 2025 IHA State of the Industry report, a new total market resource for the home and housewares industry. The first of the report’s three installments, which provides data and analysis on U.S. market size by category and retail channel, was published today on IHA’s independent news and information platform, HomePageNews.com.

Picture of IHA

IHA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Log in to gain access to your permitted IHA resources.

Don’t have an account? Register here now!