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All the world's a stage
[Tue 01/11/2011 11:31:47]
 What better way to keep retailers across the world on their toes and in touch with others in such a competitive field than to have them showcase their innovation and business acumen on a global stage, competing with other international innovators in retail?
They brought the crème de la crème of retail together to create an award that meant something to an industry as a whole and to help those who were excelling in homewares retail, to spread word of their unique approach to other businesses across the globe.
Eleven years of excellence in homewares retail design and innovation was celebrated in downtown Chicago this year on March 6 at gia. The gala dinner and awards ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel attracted, as always, hundreds of people in the retail sphere who actively support the growth of the global homewares industry. The International Home + Housewares Show and IHA, as primary sponsors of the gia program, announced the winners for 2010-2011 to much applaud and fanfare, not to mention a few or more raised glasses.
Four expert jurors—Martin M. Pegler, Wolfgang Gruschwitz, Scott Kohno and Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen—and everyone present could see it was another night to remember for the gia retail awards, as 23 winners from 23 countries took part in the competition including newly participating countries Russia, Sweden, Vietnam and Japan.
“As a whole, this was the best group of stores we have had since gia began,” says Pegler.
“Overall, the visual merchandising and lighting was better than ever, people fed us responses that included appealing to the senses: smell, sound, taste, for example in things such as food and wine tastings and coffee services. And as a group, they were much more upmarket than I’ve seen in years before.”
Reisby Nielsen wholeheartedly agrees.
“The top 12 stores this year had really high standards and at the end of the competition were quite close in the judging,” he says.
“Francfranc from Japan and Loviisan Aitta from Finland were both worthy winners, both in very different ways. The Japanese store was a large store and part of a chain, while the other is a small single store in the middle of the countryside. That's what makes gia so special. The award can embrace that kind of span.”
This year’s gia again was a melting pot of fantastic ideas and different retail perspectives, with five countries awarded as the global honourees for 2011.
Loviisan Aitta is certainly one of a kind—a unique home interior shop located on an old farm. The 110-year-old building was originally built as a barn, but today the 1.2-metre thick stone walls create a solid, atmospheric background to showcase a wide variety of products.
The upper floor tempts with small gift ideas, and there is also a cozy café with a view of the fields outside. The lower floor consists of vignettes in which colorful displays are changed on a monthly basis.
At Loviisan Aitta, customers are pampered with high-quality and rich variety, fresh flowers and inspiring music, enthusiastic staff and a touch of the pure, authentic Finnish nature. The retailer also won the Martin M Pegler Visual Merchandising Award.
www.loviisanaitta.fi
Kookhuys Mafrans has been a culinary success story in and around Leuven for 95 years, becoming the trendsetter for kitchen tools and appliances. With an innovative shop design, Mafrans has taken shopping a step further. The entire retail store is aimed at letting the customer see, feel and experience products with special emphasis placed on the themed cooking islands in the Moroccan souk and in the coffee corner.
"Time has become a luxury product for the consumer," says Mafrans. "We provide our customers with personalised advice and we demonstrate the products immediately, right when their need is greatest. Our goal is to make the overall shopping experience truly high quality time."
www.kookhuysmafrans.be
Marli Trentin’s philosophy is to enchant customers by meeting their needs through three basic pillars that are rooted in the company’s culture: excellent service, differentiated products and a welcoming atmosphere.
That atmosphere can be found in the store itself as Marli Trentin is located in a heritage building built in the early 19th century. It has been carefully preserved to retain many of its original and unique features.
A successful concept found within is the gourmet area that is used to promote events and products, providing opportunities to build awareness and increase sales. A successful initiative called ‘Customer in the kitchen’ was created to improve relationships with customers who are invited to cook and bring friends to taste their creations.
Since 1991, Marli Trentin has been focused on innovation, ready to overcome challenges and exceed customers’ expectations.
www.marlitrentin.com.br
Aoyama Francfranc’s 124 retail stores have firmly established the ‘urban casual’ concept within the Japanese market. It is from these roots that Francfranc conveys to their customers that interiors should be enjoyed in the same way fashion is enjoyed.
Francfranc’s casual and stylish furniture, interior décor and homewares products bring spaces to life through the coordination of products and interiors, targeted at people with youthful minds who embrace fashion trends, design and art to elevate their lives.
Elaborate staging and continual updating of each product display and a wide variety of interior decorations and fixtures ensure that each Francfranc store is different, providing unique shopping experiences across the retail chain. Through these efforts, Francfranc has positively combined fashion with urban causal living, making the retailer successful within the Japanese market for more than 18 years.
www.bals.co.jp
Making firm strides to gain access to new markets that appreciate the vision of luxury and style within Mexico, La Boutique Palacio emerges as a concept store that redefines the meaning of ‘boutique’ offering less of everything and more of the best while always seeking to deliver a remarkable shopping experience.
Born through the evolution of Palacio de Hierro and Casa Palacio and in search of creating a new lifestyle niche, La Boutique Palacio has brought fashion to the already extraordinary home universe. Both worlds intertwine inside the store’s stunning architecture and décor to share the same space harmoniously, creating a dynamic playground for discovery and experimentation.
More information on the International Home + Housewares Show and the Global Innovator Award (gia) can be found at www.housewares.org and www.housewares.org/gia
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