NHMA exhibitors focus on health, environment, at-home lifestyle items - National Housewares Manufacturers Association

Discount Store News, Jan 7, 1991 by Mary Ellen Kelly

NHMA Exhibitors Focus On Health, Environment, At-Home Lifestyle Items

CHICAGO -- Licensed and upscale tableware, new home organizers, health-oriented appliances and environmentally aware product packaging and materials will be featured at this week's Housewares Show at McCormick Place.

The estimated 13,000 housewares buyers attending the National Housewares Manufacturers Association's convention will also find the roughly 5-year-old buzzword, "cocooning," alive and well as a number of new products capitalize on the trend toward at-home activities. With the current recession nibbling away at the power of consumer paychecks, at-home entertaining and cooking may become a necessity as well as a choice.

In the licensing area, Betty Crocker licensed products are being introduced by Durand International, Julie Pomerantz, Burwood Products, Welcome Industrial, The Tin Box and Oneida Silversmiths. The pattern incorporates fruits and flowers in a blue, peach and green color pallete.

Combining licensing and environmental awareness, the Center for Homewares Design will debut a similar pattern called "Mother Earth." Working with a handful of CHD members such as Anchor Hocking Glass, the pattern consists of the words Mother Earth surrounded by soft sketches of produce. All packaging and product materials are either entirely recyclable or degradable.

Corning and Anchor Hocking are among traditional tableware suppliers to the mass market that are introducing new upscale collections. Corning will debut Silk and Roses cookware and related products with a Victorian flair, as well as Prego Villa dinnerware collection with glossy white interior and six jewelstone rims: hunter, burgundy, royal blue, plum, mahogany and black.

Unlike Corning, Anchor Hocking is forming an entirely new company for its department store products called Maison Faire, a collection of 22 karat gold-rimmed glass serving pieces. While these pieces are not geared toward the mass market, similarly styled glass serveware without the gold trim will be introduced at the Housewares Show.

The steady growth of the organizer category through discount stores, home centers and the explosive specialty store channels fostered a plethora of new products and new product designs from organizer vendors.

Among the more extensive new products offered at the show come from Fellowes Manufacturing. The company is unveiling five new organizer patterns, as well as revamped packaging and extensive consumer advertising campaign.

Clairison International is bringing five new freestanding Closet Maid organizer products as well as new items to Clairson's Cabinet Maid line. Contico Manufacturing will introduce Work Bin, an organization product geared toward boating, camping, garage or workshop applications.

Pollenex, Teledyne Water Pik and Intrasonics Laborabories are among the makers introducing or re-introducing massagers for the continuing athletic lifestyles of Americans, as well as the country's aging demographics.

Other health-related new product introductions include a new dental care appliance by Braun; an electronic temperature and humidity monitoring device by Bionaire called Climate Check; Epi Products is launching EpiDent, an electric toothbrush; and Purebrush Associates will show its Toothbrush Santizer.