Absolutely Fabulous Honored with an International Award

Rather than try and explain it, the nice people at the press department for the GIA Award wrote this press release that explains everything. We will be traveling to Chicago in March to see if we will be honored as one of the TOP 5 IN THE WORLD!!! To say we are honored and excited would be an understatement.

Here's the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:
Piritta Törrö +358 400 255612 piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi

gia 2018-2019 – IHA GLOBAL INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS FROM 29 COUNTRIES CELEBRATED AT THE INTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW

ROSEMONT, IL (January 7, 2019) – The International Home + Housewares Show and International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, today announced the national gia winners of 2018-2019: 30 outstanding home and housewares retailers from 29 countries around the globe.

The gia program was created by the IHA and International Home + Housewares Show to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing throughout the world. Since the launch of gia in 2000, there have been more than 430 gia retail award winners, from 47 countries on six continents.

The 2018-2019 national gia winners are:
Country Store Name Store website
Argentina - Interio http://www.tallereschicago.com.ar
Australia - Jumbled http://www.jumbledonline.com
Austria - Manufactum http://www.manufactum.com
Brazil - Tania Bulhões http://www.taniabulhoes.com.br

Canada G. - D'Aoust & Cie http://www.gdaoust.com
China - LivingKitchen http://www.euroidea.com.cn
Colombia - Cachivaches http://www.cachivaches.com
Denmark - Bahne http://www.bahne.dk
France - Shoji http://www.shoji.fr
Germany - S-KULTUR http://www.skultur-gunzenhausen.de
India - Ajmal Bismi Enterprise http://www.bismigroup.com/bismi-hypermarket
Ireland - Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven http://www.arboretum.ie
Italy - Abitare Baleri http://www.abitarebaleri.it
Japan - Futako Tamagawa TSUTAYA ELECTRICS https://store.tsite.jp
Mexico - Liverpool http://www.liverpool.com.mx
Middle East, United Arab Emirates - THE One http://www.theone.com
Netherlands - La Cuisine http://www.lacuisine.nl
New Zealand - Città http://www.cittadesign.com
Poland - 9design http://www.9design.pl
Portugal - Pollux http://www.pollux.pt
Russia - Glediz http://www.glediz.ru
Southeast Asia, Vietnam - Kitchen Art Vietnam http://www.kitchenart.vn
Spain - GADGETS&CUINA http://www.gadgetscuina.com
Sweden - Iittala Rörstrand Store http://www.iittala.com
Switzerland - Elsasser-Peter AG http://www.elsasser-peter.ch
Turkey - Porland http://www.porland.com.tr
United Kingdom - Potter's Cookshop http://www.potterscookshop.co.uk
Uruguay - sobremesas
USA - Gift Retailers Absolutely Fabulous Unique Gifts & Décor http://www.absolutelyfabulous1.com
USA - Housewares Retailers Artichoke http://www.artichokeotr.com

The gia competition is structured on a two-tier level, national and global, to honor independent and multiple location home and housewares retailers for excellence in several business categories:
• Overall mission statement, vision and strategy
• Store design and layout
• Visual merchandising, displays and window displays
• Marketing, advertising and promotions
• Customer service and staff training
• Innovation

Each national gia winner is invited to the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show, March 2-5 in Chicago where the global gia jury, consisting of four experts representing Asia, Europe and the Americas, plus a rotating group of co-sponsoring trade publication editors from around the world, will select up to five gia Global Honorees and the winners of the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising and the gia Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing.

On Saturday, March 2, the national winners will be honored at a festive awards dinner where the gia Global Honorees and winners of the Martin M. Pegler and gia Digital Commerce Award will be announced.

The national winners also are featured in the gia showcase in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center Lobby. The exhibit provides visuals of their award-winning store design and branding ideas, exquisite visual merchandising and innovative displays. Banners for the honored retailers can be seen in the walkway that connects the Grand Concourse and the Lakeside Center.

gia is more than an awards program. Representing retailing excellence around the world, it is part of a larger education initiative that includes seminars by retail experts, columns in international housewares publications and educational sessions at events in sponsors’ home countries. As part of gia’s educational offering, on Monday, March 4, the four gia Expert Jurors, Wolfgang Gruschwitz, Scott Kohno, Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen and Anne Kong will present a special session in the Innovation Theater, “Innovative Retail Trends 2019.”

For more information about the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, the co-sponsors, or participating in 2019-2020, contact Piritta Törrö at piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi. Additional information on the gia program is also available online at http://www.housewares.org/show/gia-retail. For more information on the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show and to pre-register for an entrance badge, visit http://www.housewares.org/show/gia-retail.