Merchandise Monday: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love is in the air, and Hinda has plenty of Valentine’s Day gift ideas. From flowers and candy to perfume and jewelry, look no further than Hinda for all the sweet treats you need for your loved ones.

1-800 Flowers® Rose Elegance™ Premium Dozen Roses-Red

The stunning Rose Elegance arrangement of ruby-red roses has been hand-selected by floral designers for the ultimate in perfection. 

1-800 Flowers Valentine Splendor™

Nothing says “love” quite like this breathtaking assortment of fresh long stem roses, lilies, larkspur, stock and bear grass, beautifully designed by expert florists in a red Victorian glass vase.

Dreambean Love Basket

Enjoy this socially-responsible gift filled with relaxing bath products such as sweet vanilla soy candles, verbena Dead Sea salts and luxurious bath tea pods.

Godiva® Valentine's Day Keepsake Heart

Each red satin box is topped with a fabric rosette and carefully filled with the chef’s special Valentine’s Day assortment of milk, dark and white chocolates.

Jessica Simpson Fancy Love Perfume

Designed by Jessica Simpson, the scent for women features an exhilarating combination of blush champagne, goji leaf and peach blossom.

Lamb’s Farm Chocolate Lover’s Collection

Buttery English toffee, dark, milk and white logo cookies, dipped fruit, enrobed sandwich cookies, dark chocolate nut bark, turtles, nut clusters and coconut patties are all packaged together for a good cause.

Nordic Ware® Cast-Aluminum Sweetheart Rose Baking Pan

Twelve perfect rosebuds make up this delightful cast aluminum pan. From muffins to cakes, it's a sweet presentation. 

Spread the Love with Pandora®!

The Red Hot Love bead, Murano Glass Red Love bead and Love You Black Enamel bead represent a few of the Pandora charms in Hinda’s collection.

Pandora True Love Bracelet

This lovely bracelet is made of the best quality sterling silver and features a Pandora clasp, one Love and Hugs 14k charm, one Nostalgic Romance bead and one Open Your Heart charm. Bracelet measures 7.5".

Paramount® Nick Jr.™ Favorites: We Love Our Friends

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your friends from Nickelodeon®! Episodes such as “Dora’s Best Friends” and “Diego’s Sammy Valentine” showcase the themes of friendship, love and celebration.

Merchandise Monday: Trends from the Trade Shows

PART 2 - PPAI Expo

We continue our trade-show wrap-up with a visit to the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo, which took place in Las Vegas on Jan. 14-18, the week following CES. The PPAI Expo is the largest promotional products show in the industry, and if you’re looking for something new, you’ll find it here – along with over 11,000 promotional consultants and 1,400 suppliers in the grand exhibit hall.

PPAI is all about branding. By definition, a brand is the "name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller's goods or services as distinct from those of other seller's." Initially, branding was the act of burning a symbol into an animal’s skin with a hot iron stamp as a means to differentiate one’s cattle from another. This tactic was subsequently adopted in business, marketing and advertising – albeit somewhat less painfully.

 

Top Emerging Trends

From colors and textures to lifestyle and entertaining, new trends were out in full regalia at PPAI this year.

Let’s focus on fashion. As they say, everything old is new again. Neon from the ‘80s and brilliant pops of color ignite everything from clothing to accessories in 2013. Gold and black jewelry are on the rise, along with chunkier watches and bangle sets. Black diamonds are back, and rose gold is a must have.

Fashion handbags are getting bolder and brighter, as well. Patent leather is hot for spring, and cross-body style bags, which are perfect for commuters and multi-taskers who need their hands free, are trending right now. Pick one up with a pop of neon and you’ll be the trendsetter of your social group!

Are you a thrill-seeker? Well 2013 looks to be your year. Experience and lifestyle options were a big trend at PPAI. Everything from outdoorsy activities to unique adventures is emerging as popular categories. Coinciding with this, the health and wellness category is trending with products for working out on-the-go and staying healthy while traveling.

Speaking of outdoor living, backyard entertaining was also a big trend this year at PPAI, and portable and space-saving grills are all the rage. The latest grills are lighter-weight and easy to clean but still offer all the grilling space and quality you need when creating an outdoor meal for your family or your whole block.

 

This is just a smattering of the trends and products emerging this year. Check back frequently for updates via our weekly “Merchandise Monday” column right here on Hinda Blog!

Merchandise Midweek: Trends from the Trade Shows

PART 1 - CES

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas drew 165,000 attendees from 150 countries to browse the latest and greatest from 15 product categories, including audio, automotive electronics, connected home technologies, digital imaging and photography, electronic gaming, entertainment and content. Hinda’s director of merchandising, LeeAnn Schumacher, was on the show floor and reported back with the trends for the coming year.

Tablets, Super-Sized

Last year, mini tablets were all the rage. Now, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction and new larger “slates” are coming to the forefront. Companies such as Panasonic®, Sony® and Lenovo® are introducing tablets that are being billed as multi-user table-top devices that can be used for collaboration in the workplace. These are scheduled to launch in summer of 2013.

In related news, notebooks are appearing lighter, thinner and available at lower price points. Touch will be a big feature for Windows® 8 notebooks. PCs are being developed with tablet flexibility and removable keyboards, and PC gaming is looking to make a comeback in 2013.

Apps, Apps Everywhere

At CES, Apple® announced it had topped 40 billion downloads during the show. But that’s just the beginning. Everywhere you turned, apps were being used for everything from voice-controlling a car to organizing your kitchen.

For example, Ford®’s Fiesta and Focus let drivers manage the Ford app through voice and 16 various radio controls. Samsung®’s T9000 – which is a refrigerator – has an LCD front and comes with pre-loaded, kitchen-friendly app Evernote.

TVs: Smarter, Brighter, Larger

These aren’t your grandparents’ black-and-white-and-rabbit-eared sets. HDTVs are a big business that’s continually evolving. For example, tech giant LG® will be launching a 55-inch OLED screen in March. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode and represents the latest in thin, power-efficient and bright displays. Samsung countered with 85- and 110-inch TVs.

Another trend among TVs is the doing-away with the traditional remote control by making TVs compatible with smartphones and letting users operate their TVs using their phones. We’re also going to see a rise in ultra-HD 4K, OLED, smart integration and large screen displays of 60-inches or more.

Talking Tech Becomes the New Norm

Voice-activated products are making a big splash, especially in automotive technology and developments in television. Software company Nuance will bring more speech-recognition solutions to the near future. Dragon dictation, taking verbal notes on the iPhone® 5 and other solutions prove that it’s all about getting a lot more work done without lifting a finger.

Other News from the Show Floor

Health and fitness is one of the fastest growing product categories in the consumer electronics industry. Wireless technology and portable devices are two major drivers in this market. “Wearable technology“ is hot, and over 60 million sports, fitness and health monitoring devices with Bluetooth® technology will ship by 2015.

Cameras remain a popular category, and 2013 will see an increase in long zooms, Android™ and Wi-Fi® connectivity, larger image sensors, sports/action cameras and camcorders, mirrorless (or compact system cameras) and retro-looking cameras. 

…Stay tuned for Part 2 of our trade show wrap-up, where we’ll be focusing on trends from the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo.

Hindastry News - January 2013

Welcome to the latest issue of "Hindastry News" - Hinda's corporate newsletter.

"Hindastry News" brings you the latest on the happenings at Hinda.

This issue includes:

• Hinda Hits the Trade Show Scene! 
• Dave Peer talks about the IMA with Premium Incentive Products magazine
• Incentives to Encourage Employee Wellness
• Introducing our Newest Hinda Hires 

If you know someone who would benefit from receiving communications like this from Hinda, have them e-mail Alisa Schafer (aschafer@hinda.com) and ask to be added to the distribution list.

Also be sure to check out and subscribe to the Hinda Blog. 

Click here for the current issue of Hindastry News.

Your Monthly Check-Up: New Year, New You!

 

The holidays are a time for indulgence, but once they’re over many people resolve to cut back on sweets and fatty foods, reach for the fruits and veggies and spend more time at the gym. With the New Year upon us, it’s the perfect time to take a look at what your workplace provides by way of health and wellness initiatives.

“Employers are realizing that wellness initiatives represent a solid business strategy with myriad benefits,” says Tom Mason, President of the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota, in the Small Business Trends article “Employers Say Wellness Programs Work” by Rieva Lesonsky.

The article points to a study conducted by the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota called “The State of Workplace Wellness in America.” According to the study:

Business leaders nationwide and in six states were polled to find out what they thought of workplace wellness programs and what challenges they faced in implementing them. Three-fourths of respondents said community-based networks of business leaders would be useful resources to learn about workplace wellness initiatives and share information and ideas. 

The article cites that some of the benefits of these programs include lower healthcare costs and reduced workers’ comp claims, boosts in productivity, lower absenteeism rates and the overall enjoyment employees experience from living healthier lives. More than half of employers in the survey already had workplace wellness programs in place, and the majority (92 percent) stated that improving employee health was their most important goal, followed by reducing healthcare costs, according to Lesonsky’s article.  

If your company has yet to establish a wellness program for its employees, now is the time to do so, and Lesonsky outlines some steps in her article that you can take to make implementation a little easier:

1. Lead the Way – Model positive habits yourself instead of taking the “Do as I say, not as I do” approach.

2. Designate a Leader – Put someone in charge of the wellness plan and give them a budget and time frame to  work with.

3. Make it Relevant – Ensure your new initiative is tailored to your company’s culture and your employees’ needs.

4. Involve your Insurance Company – Check and see if your carrier offers corporate wellness plans or reduced rates on classes or gym memberships – or have someone come out and talk to your staff about healthy lifestyle options.

The ways in which you can create a healthier environment at your company are nearly endless, and all it takes is a few steps to get your employees engaged in their own wellness and moving toward a lifetime of health and happiness. Why not make your workplace wellness initiation your new year’s resolution?

PPAI 2013 This Week!

Opening on the heels of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show, PPAI 2013 starts today at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. An array of professional development workshops, keynotes and other events are on offer at the expo this year – not to mention over 11,000 promotional consultants and 1,400 suppliers in the exhibit hall. PPAI is the largest promotional products show in the industry, and if you’re looking for something new, you’ll find it here!

Representatives from Hinda have taken up residence on the show floor this week, so come check us out at Booth #8311, located on the Shorelines (level two) level right by PPAI’s brand.™ exhibit. We’ll be here Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so come talk to us about the latest and greatest from Hinda Incentives!

Merchandise Monday: Become a Better Cook

Maybe your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier. Perhaps you noticed your paychecks are a little smaller and have decided to cook more at home. Or you could just be tired of burning your dishes and subjecting your loved ones to less-than-delicious dining experiences.

Here at Hinda, we have everything you need to become a better cook. Let us help you hone your skills, develop new ones and add a little flair to your kitchen and life with new kitchen merchandise available in our assortment.

Chicago Cutlery® Basics™ 4-Piece Steakhouse Knife Set

This wooden knife set never needs sharpening and features serrated stamped blades and natural wood handles. The full tang provides balance, strength and stability, while the extra thick blades give superior control. Steak a little tough? Not to worry when you pick up this set!

Emerilware™ Chef's Stainless 12-Piece Cookware Set

Designed for chef cooking techniques and built to last a lifetime, this stainless 12-piece set has everything you need to whip up fabulous meals in the comfort of your kitchen. Professional stainless construction and aluminum encapsulated bases distribute heat evenly. Comfortable chef’s handles makes it easy to sauté, stir and carry pans. And with great features like elegant hand-polished finishes, measuring marks and see-through glass lids, your guests will never know you’re still a chef-in-training! 

Emerilware™ Hard Anodized Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware

This 12-piece set will give you the professional performance and features to really kick your cooking up a notch. The durable hard anodized aluminum features a nonstick surface for super easy cleaning, and the handles have been ergonomically designed for balance, control and comfort. The set includes 8” fry pan, 10” fry pan with lid, 1-quart sauce pan with lid, 3-quart casserole with lid, 3-quart steamer insert, 3-quart sauté pan with lid and 6-quart stockpot with lid.

Procter Silex® 3-Quart Oval Slow Cooker

This 3-quart, BPA-free oval slow cooker features removable dishwasher-safe stoneware and a glass lid. The keep warm setting means your meal is still hot when you’re ready to eat. A recipe book is included so you won’t want for ideas when you’re hungry and pressed for time!

T-Fal® Stainless Steel with Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator 12-Piece Cookware Set

The unique T-fal Thermo-Spot heat indicator shows when the pan is perfectly preheated to seal in the flavor of your food. The non-stick interior is exceptionally durable, scratch-resistant and safe for use with metal utensils. The set includes 8" and 10" fry pans, 1-, 2- and 3-quart covered sauce pans, 5-quart covered Dutch oven with two stainless steel utensils. Glass lids feature measuring marks for easier cooking and everything is dishwasher-safe.

Vitamix® Blender

Create every course of your home-cooked meal—from frozen drinks to creamy desserts—in minutes. The Vitamix blender is the universal tool for family meals and entertaining. Create smoothies, hot soups and frozen desserts with one machine, and the ability to chop, cream, blend, heat, grind, churn and more with a single machine adds value to the product. The package includes hundreds of chef-tested recipes and a DVD tutorial so you’ll be cooking like a pro in no time!

Wüsthof Silverpoint II 4-Piece Utility Knife Set

This ergonomically designed set features synthetic texture molded handles for a great grip and blades manufactured from one piece of steel that are perfect for all your slicing, chopping and cutting needs. The set includes a 3” paring knife, a 4” serrated paring knife, a 4.5” utility knife and come-apart kitchen shears. Sub-par knife skills be darned when you pick up this classic set!

All this talk of cooking items is making us hungry! Let us know what you think of this great kitchen merchandise – and don’t forget to save us some leftovers!