CHICAGO (March 11, 2012) – The International Home + Housewares Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the Global Innovation Award (gia) program, today announced the five 2011-2012 gia Global Honorees. The Global Honorees are:
- Morandin Regali Italy
- De Bijenkorf the Netherlands
- home&you Poland
- NK Glas, Porslin & Kök Sweden
- Sur La Table United States
The global gia jury, consisting of four retail/visual merchandising experts and eight editors and publishers of co-sponsoring housewares trade publications from around the world, selected the five gia Global Honorees from the winners previously chosen in their respective countries by the national gia sponsors. In addition, the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising was bestowed upon:
- Morandin Regali Italy
- NK Glas, Porslin & Kök Sweden
gia was created in 1999, with the objective of fostering innovation and excellence in housewares retailing throughout the world. Today, gia is the most recognized, high-profile awards program for homegoods retailers around the globe. The competition is structured on a two-tier level, national and global, evaluating retailers within the following categories:
- Overall mission statement and strategy
- Store design and layout
- Visual merchandising, displays and window displays
- Marketing, advertising and promotions
- Customer service and staff training
- Innovation
Co-sponsoring the country-specific gia award programs with IHA are housewares trade publications worldwide, which sponsor national gia programs in their respective countries. Twenty-five co-sponsoring housewares trade publications with targeted distribution in over 30 countries on five continents participated in the 2011-2012 gia program, selecting 25 national winners from 23 countries. All winners were automatically entered the global competition at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, where the global jury selected the final gia Global Honorees.
Both gia national winners and Global Honorees are recognized and prominently featured at the International Home + Housewares Show. A festive gia awards dinner was held at The Four Seasons Hotel. In addition, introducing the national gia winners to visitors and exhibitors of the International Home + Housewares Show, there is a special gia display in the Hall of Global Innovation, in the Lakeside Center Lobby, and large gia winner banners span the walkway connecting the Lakeside Center to the Grand Concourse.
For more information about the gia awards program, the co-sponsors, or participating in 2012-2013, contact Piritta Törrö at piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi. Additional information on the gia program is also available online at www.housewares.org/gia.
Editor’s note: Images of the 2011-2012 gia Global Honorees and the Martin M. Pegler Award winner as well as the gia logo and award photos are available for download at:
