Here are some things we’ll be looking at during the International Home + Housewares Show that runs Saturday – Tuesday in Chicago:

• High-end labels are making an expanded push in licensed housewares. Italian appliance supplier SMEG, best known for its 1950s-retro looking appliances, will show a line of Dolce & Gabbana toasters and kettles which are priced at $600. Peugeot is extending its reach in housewares from its base in pepper, salt and coffee mills to include cutlery, cutting boards, glassware and spice holders. In addition, the Peugeot Lion logo was redesigned for housewares with a more youthful look and now incorporates the word “France” in reference to the country’s culinary tradition. And cookware supplier Clipper will be introducing extensions of its product line carrying the premium Viking license.

• Barware is making a comeback as “Millennial households increasingly have some sort of home bar set up. That is all about artesian craft beer and having something that is special and unique,” says Project Partners Network’s Leigh Ann Schwarzkopf. Corona licensee Silver Buffalo is unveiling line of glasses that will target specialty chains such as Spencer Gifts and Urban Outfitters, says Joester Loria’s Debra Joester, whose firm represents the brand. The Corona line is an expansion for Silver Buffalo, which also has an Anheuser-Busch InBev license for Budweiser.

• Though most aren’t licensed, smart home products will be everywhere; the International Housewares Association again is carving a separate Smart Home Pavilion with products from 30 suppliers. Products include such things as Bluetooth-equipped pressure cookers, coffee makers, toasters and outdoor grills. For example, Tastetro will demonstrate a spice system appliance that stores and creates spice blends. It has 50 pre-programmed blends and can be updated via Bluetooth to add new spices and recipes. And Instant Pot Co. will be demonstrating its Bluetooth-equipped pressure cookers that can be monitored from a smartphone, tablet or PC. Voice recognition technology, be it Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri, is also finding its way into housewares. In home security, Xtreme Cables will show its Energizer-licensed security system that features an app that connects to motion sensors and security cameras.

• Though brands licensed by celebrity chefs aren’t quite as prominent as in the past, there still will be a healthy representation, including Paula Dean, whose licensed products have shown resurgence in sales< Meyer Corp. has said. Meyer Corp. is extending its line of licensed cookware featuring the Food Network’s Ayesha Curry, host of Ayesha’s Home Kitchen, introducing a new flight of 160 products to supplement the 54 SKUs (cookware and knives) that debuted at Target and J.C. Penney last fall; it will be more widely distributed this year. Meyer also is featuring its Paula Dean product line; the company says the brand continues to regain ground (and shelf space) it lost during her very public troubles earlier this decade. Bradshaw International’s Emeril Lagasse-licensed cookware is continuing to expand distribution. And Brand Liaison will be seeking deals for Chef Robert Irvine and Mr. Food; the latter is the brand of the late TV chef and cookbook author Arthur Ginsberg. Chef brands “are coming back around, but they are not quite there yet and it’s been a struggle” to approach the sales levels achieved at the peak of popularity a few years ago, says Brand Liaison’s Steven Heller. “The sheer volume of chef brands hurt the business.”

Contacts:

The Brand Liaison, Steven Heller, Pres., 561-302-7838, steven@thebrandliaison.com

Clipper Corp., Erik Reid, VP Sales and Licensed Brands, 310-347-3064, erik.reid@clippercorp.com

Joester Loria Group, Debra Joester, Pres., 212-683-5150 x302, djoester@tjlgroup.com

Meyer Corp., David Trigiani, Senior Sales Dir., 214-750-7535, davidt@meyer.com

Project Partners Network, Leigh Ann Schwarzkopf, Pres., 612-310-6295, leighann@projectpartnersnetwork.com

Silver Buffalo, Greg Alprin, EVP, 212-268-4754, galprin@silver-buffalo.com

SMEG, Christian Boscherini, Marketing Specialist, 212-265-5378

Peugeot, Yvette Laugier, General Mgr., 708-667-7610,ylaugier@peugeot-saveurs.com