A country of only 66 million people doesn't become the 17th-largest global manufacturer without careful planning. Thailand is the second-largest producer of light pick-up trucks. Carefully constructed strategies along with tangible incentives created this robust manufacturing economy.

Typically bound by short-term leases, displaying products made by others, and run by first-time entrepreneurs with limited capital, shopping mall carts and kiosks have long been considered an unsophisticated small-business underclass. More recently, however, these small-footprint retailers have come to be seen as possessing surprising potential.

The International Housewares Association (IHA), responding to a call from the housewares industry, has created a template for social responsibility issues.