Here is my quiz of the day for you: do U.S. households spend the most on A. housewares, B. dairy products, or C. fruits and vegetables?

The answer, according to the International Housewares Association (IHA), is that U.S. households spent more on housewares than on dairy products, and just slightly less than on fruits and vegetables.

In its fresh-off-the-press State of the Industry report, IHA said the average U.S. household spent $609 on housewares in 2008.

Based on data from its annual membership survey and government stats, IHA gave some good insights that may help U.S. manufacturers to better position themselves:

• More than half (58 percent) of IHA member companies produce all their products offshore. Another third (34 percent) make some products in the U.S.
• Virtual retailers distributed 13 percent of the 2008 housewares sales, which was slightly down from 2007, but gains were seen from manufacturers' direct-to-consumer Web sites.
• Housewares manufacturers may need to follow their audiences closely as they "migrate from the traditional print media to online options."
• Consumers are becoming thriftier and more price-sensitive for the immediate future.

I look forward to covering this year's International Housewares Show, scheduled for March 13-16 at Chicago's McCormick Place, with my colleague Rhoda Miel. Our past coverage focused on latest global business and design trends, Made-in-USA products, sustainability, and so on.

Moreover, we plan to do some video reporting at this year's show. We welcome news leads and ideas.