gia

2017 gia Global Honoree – Loft

Michelle Hespe speaks to Mr. Satoru Iimura, Executive Director of Loft — a chain of retail stores in Japan that became one of the five Global Honorees at this year’s IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) at Chicago’s International Home + Housewares Show. Loft was celebrating more than its gia win in Chicago this year. “2017 marks 30 years since the first Loft store opened in…

2017 gia Global Honoree – Rustan’s

Mr. Donnie Tantoco, President of the Philippines luxury retailer, Rustan’s, speaks to Michelle Hespe about becoming one of five Global Honorees at the 2016-2017 IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) in Chicago. It’s the second time that this leading business has been the recipient of a gia in the past decade. With passion, forward thinking and dedicated drive, in 1952, the…

2017 gia Global Honorees for Retail Excellence Announced

The International Home + Housewares Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, today announced the 2017 gia Global Honorees for Retail Excellence. The Global Honorees are: Potten & Pannen – Staněk - Czech Republic (KitchenAid Concept Store & Gourmet…

Thirteen Companies Honored at IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Product Design

Thirteen housewares suppliers ranging from well-established brands to first-time exhibitors were honored as Global Honorees of the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for product design today. The Global Honorees in each of 13 categories were announced during the invitation-only gia dinner on the first evening of the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show, now taking place…

Introducing Anne Kong: gia’s New Expert Juror

The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program is guided by a wealth of housewares industry and retail expertise: the national gia sponsors are the leading professional housewares trade publications in their own countries and adding credibility to the program, the four expert jurors are internationally recognized experts in visual merchandising, store design and marketing. The…

Finalists for IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Product Design Announced

The 65 finalists in the IHA Global Innovations Awards (gia) for product design have been announced by the International Housewares Association. Global Honorees in each of 13 categories will be announced in during the invitation-only gia dinner Saturday, March 18. The finalists and Global Honorees will be on display in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center Lobby.…

Inspiring the Industry: Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen

gia Expert Juror and CEO of ReisbyConsult, Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen, is inspiring the retail industry. Michelle Hespe finds out how he does it. Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen would never use the word “bored” because he is continually entertained by how much inspiration there is around him. He has drawn from this inspiration to carve out a career for himself in retail,…

On Trend

The four gia expert jurors — Martin M. Pegler, Wolfgang Gruschwitz, Scott Kohno and Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen — are from different sectors of retail, including store design and architecture, branding, visual merchandising and displays, marketing and technology. They always need to be at the forefront of trends driving the retail world, so who better to present the latest…

Lake Living

The Lakehouse from Canada was one of the five global honorees at this year’s IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia). The store reflects the spirit of the community in which it’s based, inspiring locals with products to suit their lifestyle, and offering tourists a taste of lake living that they can take home. Five years ago, Sue and Ben Boschman were at the International Home +…