With exactly two weeks to go until The Greats Awards 2018, which take place on Thursday May 17 at London’s glittering Grosvenor House, we take a look at this year’s fabulous finalists.
The Greats, which are now in their 16th year, set out to recognise and reward the very best in gift retail, with retailers large and small, independent and multiple, niche and non-specialist, all part of the broad spectrum of finalists.
Suppliers too, are nominated in the Best Service To The Independent Retailer category, plus, there is one other very special award, the Honorary Achievement Award, with the winner announced on the day.
“Gift retailers from all strands of gift retail – from the tiniest village gift shop to multiples, department stores and garden centres – continue to raise the bar year on year,” comments Progressive Gifts & Home’s editor Sue Marks. “This year, the entry was exceptionally high, so it was a very real achievement to have made it through to the finals.”
The Greats 2018 finalists are:
RETAIL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR 2018
–Mark Alexander, retail manager, National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
–Peter de la Mare, store manager, England at Home, Brighton
–Lucy Hamblin, operations manager, Forget Me Not and Lulu Loves, Stubbington
–Monica Leeder, sales, In Time Studios, Hazlemere
–Liana Moran, visual merchandiser, Cloudberry, Barnton and Blackhall
–Angie Pipe, assistant manager, Alligator Pear, Tadworth
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR
LONDON (INSIDE M25)
-The Indigo Tree, Streatham
-Indish Design Shop, Crouch End
-Maiden, Shoreditch
-Max And Melia, Clapham
-Mooch, Ealing
-The Present, Barnet
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – HOME COUNTIES, SOUTH AND SOUTH EAST
-Alligator Pear, Tadworth
-Calliope Gifts, Alton, Dorking and Haywards Heath
-The Chocolate Frog Company, Oakhanger
-Inklings, Hungerford
-Millies of Hailsham, Hailsham
-Something Special, Edenbridge
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – EAST ANGLIA
-Buy the Light, Bury St Edmunds
-Gifted, Norwich
-Love It, Bury St Edmunds and Stamford
-Loveone, Ipswich
-Podarok, Cambridge, London and Oxford
-Quest Gifts, Bury St Edmunds
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – MIDLANDS AND WALES
-The Alphabet Gift Shop, Burton on Trent and Mickleover
-Daisy Chain Gift Company, Stratford upon Avon
-Mooch Gifts & Home, Stourport-on-Severn
-Roobarb, Bridgnorth
-The Tutbury Present Company, Tutbury
-Uno, Mumbles
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – NORTH & NORTHERN IRELAND
-Belly Button Designs, Manchester and Stockport
-The Gift Gallery, York
-Imaginarium, York
-Love Letters, Anlaby
-Swags & Tails, Waltham
-Utility, Liverpool
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – SOUTH WEST
-Bibi’s Home, Weymouth
-Brocante, Fowey
-Cats Whiskers, Bishops Cleeve
-Just Trio, Barnstaple
-Just Delights, Penryn
-Frame of Mind, Illminster and Wellington
INDEPENDENT GIFT RETAILER OF THE YEAR – SCOTLAND
-Cloudberry, Barnton and Blackhall
-The Gift, Beauly
-Keekin’ Glass, Prestwick
-Maia Gifts, Glasgow
-Paper Tiger, Edinburgh
-Pozzi, Buckie
BEST NEWCOMER – SOUTH & WALES
-Bromley & Co, Ipswich
-Highworth Emporium, Highworth
-Josie’s, Bideford
-Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea
-Lulu Loves, Stubbington Green
-Strawberry Blue, Bradford upon Avon
-Stuff & Co., Midhurst
BEST NEWCOMER – MIDLANDS, NORTH & SCOTLAND
-The Bonny Hoose, Alnwick
-Jaine’s Gift Box, King’s Lynn
-Joco Interiors, Nuneaton
-MOOCH on St Giles Street, Northampton
-Mysa, Edinburgh
BEST SPECIALIST MULTIPLE GIFT RETAILER
-Between The Lines (14 stores)
-Chickidee (6 stores)
-Huttons (5 stores)
-Oliver Bonas (70 stores)
-Smart Ideas (8 stores)
-Vinegar Hill (11 stores)
BEST DEPARTMENT STORE RETAILER OF GIFTS
-Barkers Home, Northallerton
-Fenwick Bracknell, Bracknell
-Jarrolds, Norwich
-John Lewis, Oxford Street
-Liberty, London
-Strickland & Holt, Yarm
BEST NON-SPECIALIST RETAILER OF GIFTS
-The Barn At The Hollies, Little Budworth
-Bookends, Christchurch
-Francis Iles Gallery, Rochester
-Luxe Cookshop, Northampton
-PennyClares, Newholme
-Ruby & Scarlet, Felixstowe
BEST LIFESTYLE OR HOMEWARES RETAILER OF GIFTS
-Etcetera, Hitchin
-Graham and Green, Bath and London
-Love Thy Interiors, Thirsk
-The Old School Beauly, Beauly
-Orange Tree, Topsham
-Robert & Ruby, Pockley
BEST GIFT RETAILER OF JEWELLERY & FASHION ACCESSORIES
-Azure, Sidmouth
-Feathering Your Nest, Rayleigh
-The Herbary, Troon
-MiMi (hw), Hartley Wintney
-Pozzi, Buckie
-Soukous, Bristol
BEST GARDEN CENTRE RETAILER OF GIFTS
-Cannon Hall Garden Centre, Cawthorne
-Caulders, Kirkintilloch
-Frosts Group
-Hawley Garden Centre, Hawley
-Ransoms Garden Centre, St Martin
-Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock, Whitchurch and Woodborough
BEST MUSEUM OR VISITOR ATTRACTION GIFT SHOP
-The Eden Project, Bodelva
-Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover
-National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
-National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
-Rheged Centre, Cumbria
-ZSL London Zoo
-ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
BEST IN-STORE OR WINDOW DISPLAY
-John Lewis, Oxford Street
-Just Delights, Penryn
-The Merchants House, Marlborough
-Peppertrees, Northampton
-The Pump Room, Bath
-The Shop At The Emporium, Clitheroe
BEST ONLINE OR MAIL ORDER GIFT RETAILER
-Find Me A Gift
-Oklahoma
-Oliver Bonas
-Prezzybox
-rigby and mac
-ZSL
BEST RETAIL INITIATIVE
-Alligator Pear, Tadworth for its Mother’s Day and Father’s Day promotions
-Dragonfly Cards & Gifts, Knaresborough for its Design A Beanie Boo competition in conjunction with Ty
-The Herbary, Troon for its Gok Wan DreamSpace collaboration
-The Hollies, Little Budworth for its Monty the Mini initiative
-Lulu Loves, Stubbington for its Hygge Weekend initiative
-Womacks of Bawtry, Bawtry for its Christmas initiative
BEST SERVICE TO THE INDEPENDENT RETAILER
(Companies are listed in alphabetical order)
-Carte Blanche
-East of India
-Enesco
-Gisela Graham
-Joe Davies
-Lesser & Pavey
-Parlane
-Sass & Belle
-Widdop and Co
-Yankee Candle
This year’s impressive line-up of Greats 2018 category sponsors currently include (in alphabetical order): Ascential: Spring Fair and Autumn Fair; Ashleigh & Burwood; Boxer Gifts & Books by Boxer; Christmas & Gift Harrogate; Clarion Events: Home & Gift, Harrogate; Dansk; Gift Republic; Gisela Graham; Joe Davies; London Stationery Show/Manchester Stationery Show; NPW; Parlane; PG Live; Premier Decorations; The Giftware Association and Yankee Candle.
