Housewares Direct History

Housewares Direct and Giftware Source is the result of a collaboration of a group of individuals who shared the common desire to improve business in the Housewares Industry through productive use of technology. It was founded in 2000 by David Spencer, an industry veteran in the kitchenware segment, with the support and cooperation of Newnetco Inc. and countless suppliers and retailers who realized the need for a better system of commerce. After many long hours and numerous conversations, the vision was refined and construction on the site began.

The first Housewares Direct.com b2b site went live in August 2001, and was well received by the suppliers and retailers in the industry. Retailers were thrilled by the ease of use and access to new and exciting Housewares suppliers.

In April 2002 we joined forces with Whereoware LLC which was operating a similar business serving the Housewares Industry. We decided to adopt the Whereoware.com e-commerce platform which included additional functionality that would further improve the ease of use and look of our website. Housewares Direct underwent a major site revision, and the transformation of our site to the Whereoware platform was completed by June 2002.

In 2005 Housewares Direct acquired Condimental LLC which operated a similar exchange in the fast growing Specialty Food Industry, expanding its reach further.

In 2006 Housewares Direct assumed operations of the Whereoware.com exchange, creating an entity that covered three large, but parallel industries.

Today, Housewares Direct serves many suppliers, retailers, and representatives by providing access to a wide array of products and services.