The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organisers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, announced the 2020 gia Global Honorees for Retail Excellence during a live-streamed presentation yesterday.
The Global Honorees – spanning four continents – are:
^Australia – Few and Far
^ Japan – Isetan Shinjuku
^ Thailand – Central Department Store
^Ukraine – PROMENU by MIRS Corporation
^United Arab Emirates – Tavola
In addition, the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising was awarded to Sibler AG of Switzerland.
The presentation also revealed the winner of the gia Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing – awarded to In&Out Cooking of Portugal.
Derek Miller, IHA president recognized the exceptionally high standards of gia national winners and honorees this year. He said: “Congratulations to all of these outstanding retailers. Our expert jury thought this was such an exceptional year for entries they recognised six Global Honorees. All of our national winners provide great examples of best-in-class housewares merchandising.”
The 32 national gia winners – including gia UK winner Jarrold of Norwich –were recognisd in a roll of honour during the live stream.
The global gia jury – consisting of four retail/visual merchandising experts and seven editors and publishers of co-sponsoring housewares trade publications from around the world – judged each entry from the 32 national winners based on a variety of criteria in order to select the gia Global Honorees.
Both gia national winners and Global Honorees are recognised in a gallery on TheInspiredHomeShow.com.
Because the gia dinner was not held this year, the 2019-2020 national winners and Global Honorees will attend the gia awards dinner held during The Inspired Home Show 2021.
The gia program was created by IHA and The Inspired Home Show (formerly the 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 over 460 gia retail award winners, from 48 countries on six continents. Progressive Housewares is the exclusive gia UK sponsor.
