While entries to The Retas 2019 greeting card awards pick up the pace as the deadline of March 22 approaches (read more here), so whoops of joy can be heard in the adjacent gift retail arena as the finalists of The Greats awards have recently been announced.
Just as Progressive Greetings is the champion for The Retas, its sister publication, Progressive Gifts and Home is the drum banger for The Greats – and there has been a lot of noise being made by some very happy Greats finalists, the majority of which include greeting cards as part of their offer.
“OMG I’ve just burst out crying! I’m so happy!” exclaimed Jo Williams, owner of Joco Interiors, discovering the Nuneaton-based shop is in the finals in the Best Independent Gift Shop – Wales and the Midlands. “Now I’m bouncing around like tigger!”. At Mooch on St Giles Street and Mooch Bell in Northampton (which are feted in a Newcomer category), co-owners Rachel and Paul Roberts enthused: “Awesome! This has made our day – we’re so thrilled. Dances round the office! We can’t wait to tell the team. They’re going to be chuffed to bits!”
Meanwhile over in North London, on finding out that The Present Shop was in the finals in the London category, owner of the Barnet-based store Louise Rolfe exclaimed: “We are absolutely over the moon. What an honour! We love our shop and it is so exciting to be recognised in this way.”
The Greats 2019 finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
Retail Employee Of The Year 2019
-Mark Alexander, retail manager, National Memorial Arboretum, Airewas
-Louise Franco, shop manager, The Present, Barnet
-Marion Johnstone, sales assistant, Spirito, Glasgow
-Linda Tandy, manager, Joco Interiors, Nuneaton
-Marjory Wilson, head of customer services/store manager, Between The Lines, Farnham
-Beverly Yates, shop manager, Maddisons, Harborne
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – London (Inside M25)
-Caxton, Temple Fortune
-Giftbox, Uxbridge
-Lily King, Willesden Green
-MAP Gift Shop, Holloway
-My Favourite Things, Raynes Park
-The Present, Barnet
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – Home Counties, South & South East
-Arrowsmiths, Broadstairs
-Bert’s Homewares, Brighton and Hove
-Etcetera, Hitchin
-No 14, Ampthill
-Papillion Living, Brighton
-Threads Gift Shop, Harpenden
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – East Anglia
-Daisy Lanes, Rayleigh
–Cloud Nine, Market Deeping
-EmZo, Bacton
-Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea
-Loft & Spires, Bury St Edmunds
-Myriad & Mundfords, Mundford
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – Midlands & Wales
-Bentleys, Stourport, and Maddisons, Harborne
-The Celtic Company, Welshpool
-Chi Chi Gifts & Interiors, Lickey
-Joco Interiors, Nuneaton
-Mooch Gifts and Home, Bewdley and Stourport
– Nest, Stoneygate
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – North & Northern Ireland
-The Bottom Drawer, Portadown
-Hand Picked by Henrietta, Chapel-En-Le-Frith and Poynton
-The Lion Gallery, Penrith
-Pure Inspiration, Ramsey
-Williams of Audlem, Audlem
-Within Reason, Sheffield
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – South West
-Brocante, Fowey, Mavagissey, St Ives
-Daisy Park, South Molton
-Jo Amor, Tiverton
-Number 36, Penzance
-Paprika, Bath and Chippenham
-Soukous, Bristol
Independent Gift Retailer Of The Year – Scotland
-Baxter’s of Stranraer and Gallery 34, Stanraer
-The Lion’s Paw, Renfrewshire
-Orsay, Oban
-Papyrus, Glasgow
-Ruby Red, Milngavie
-Spirito, Glasgow
Best Newcomer – South & Wales
-Barefoot Living, Norfolk
-Highworth Emporium, Highworth
-Huus, Halesworth
-Josies Interiors, Bideford
-Maybugs Gifts and Home, Hailsham
-Sunshine And Snow, Bideford
Best Newcomer – Midlands, North & Scotland
– The Hummingbird at Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury
– Kemps General Store, Malton
– Kimora Fashion & Lifestyle, Barrowford
– Magenta Trends, Annesley Woodhouse
– Mooch on St Giles Street and Mooch, Bell
– Walter and May, York
Best Specialist Multiple Gift Retailer (4 Or More Shops)
–Between The Lines
-House of Cards
-The Lemon Tree
-Menkind
-National Trust
-Vinegar Hill
Best Department Store Retailer Of Gifts
-Daniels of Windsor
-Fenwick, Newcastle
-John Lewis
-One Forty, Cranleigh
-Selfridges, Oxford Street, Birmingham, Manchester
Best Non-Specialist Retailer Of Gifts
-The Baobab, Reading
-Gower Gallery, Mumbles
-Hartley Coffee House and Farm Shop, Cranbrook
-House UK
-Oliver Bonas
-Papilio at Heritage, Thornbury
Best Lifestyle And Homewares Retailer Of Gifts
-The Emporium Interiors, Clitheroe
-House & Garden at Snape Maltings, Snape
-Love Thy Interiors, Thirsk
-The Java Store, Norwich
-Orange Tree, Topsham
-Treehouse City, Aberdeen
Best Gift Retailer Of Jewellery & Fashion Accessories
-Bijouled, Harrogate
-Melbury Gallery, Sherborne and Dorchester
-MiMi (hw), Hartley Wintney
-The Nancy Smillie Shop, Glasgow
-The Silver Shop, Bath
-Uno, Mumbles
–Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Gifts
-Bents Garden & Home, Glazebury
-Burford Garden Centre, Burford
-Garsons, Esher and Titchfield
-Longacres, Bagshot
-Otter Nursery, Ottery St Mary
-Woodcote Green, Wallington
Best Museum Or Visitor Attraction Gift Shop
-Blenheim Palace, Blenheim
-Imperial War Museum, London
-National Memorial Arboretum, Airewas
-Sledmere House Gift Shop,
-Royal Opera House, London
-V&A, London
Best In-Store Or Window Display
-Brit Maison, Cockfosters
-Chi Chi Interiors, Lickey
-Highworth Emporium, Highworth
-Lulu Loves, Stubbington
-Pure Inspiration, Ramsey
-Soukous, Bristol
Best Online Or Mail Order Gift Retailer
-Firebox
-JD Williams
-Oliver Bonas
-The Present Finder
-Prezzybox
-ZSL
Best Retailer Initiative
– Feathering Your Nest, Rayleigh for its Angels Wings window/initiative
-Hand Picked By Henrietta, Chapel En Frith and Poynton for its Henrietta Selfie Saturday promotion
-Josies Interiors, Bideford for its Happy Home Makers Loyalty Club promotion
-Oliver Bonas for its collaboration with UK Youth
-Mooch Gifts and Home, Bewdley for spearheading a two hour parking initiative campaign and a Festive Trail
-Swagger, Chipping Sodbury for its Swag Bag initiative
The Greats Best Service To The Independent Gift Retailer Award
-Ashleigh & Burwood
-East of India
-Enesco
-Gisela Graham
-History & Heraldry
-Joe Davies
-Lesser & Pavey
-Nemesis Now
-Parlane
-Widdop and Co
The winners of the Greats Gift Retailer Awards 2019 will be announced at London’s glittering Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, on Wednesday May 15.
Tickets to the event are available from event organiser Clare Hollick e: clare@createvents.co.uk; tel: 01183 340085. To read more about being at the hottest ticket on the gift industry’s calendar, visit http://www.thegreatsawards.co.uk/tickets/
The event is currently being highlighted online via twitter.com/prog_gifts, and #Greats19.
Visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk
Top: Winners of The Greats Awards 2019 will be announced at London’s Grosvenor House in May.
