The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA) announced 31 retailers from 30 countries as the national gia (Global Innovation Awards) winners for 2024/2025.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the gia program, which was launched in 2000 by IHA and The Inspired Home Show to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing throughout the world. Some 600 gia retail award winners from 57 countries on six continents have been honored since the launch of the gia program.
This year’s awards program includes winning national retailers from new gia countries Mauritius and Uzbekistan.
The 2024-2025 national gia winners are:
| Country | Store Name | Store Website |
|
Argentina |
CUK | cukbazar.com |
|
Australia |
Mud Australia | mudaustralia.com |
|
Austria |
J.M. Offner | geschenke-offner.at |
| Belgium | ‘t Kookdepot |
kookdepot.be |
|
Brazil |
IN8 Home | in8home.be |
|
Canada |
Carol’s Nicetys | shop.nicetys.com |
|
Chile |
Tiendas Paris | paris.cl |
|
Colombia |
Carmina Villegas | carminavillegas.com |
|
Eastern Europe |
Kaubamaja, Estonia | kaubamaja.ee |
|
France |
Album de Famille | album-de-famille.net |
|
Germany |
Tavola | tavola.de |
|
India |
Home Shop | shoppersstop.com/category/Homestop |
|
Ireland |
Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven | arboretum.ie |
|
Italy |
Morandin regali | morandinregali.com |
|
Japan |
BALMUDA Inc. | balmuda.com/jp/shops |
|
Mauritius |
Cuisinex | cuisinex.mu |
|
Mexico |
Bed Bath & Beyond México | bedbathandbeyond.com.mx |
|
Middle East |
Crate & Barrel ME & Majid Al Futtaim, UAE | crateandbarrel.me |
|
Netherlands |
Balthazar Kookwinkel | balthazarkookwinkel.nl |
|
New Zealand |
A&C Homestore | achomestore.co.nz |
|
Poland |
Gerlach S.A. | gerlach1760.pl |
|
Portugal |
My Kitchen by Ideiassaudaveis | |
|
Saudi Arabia |
Alhadaya Center | alhadayacenter.com |
|
Southeast Asia |
Metro, Singapore | metro.com.sg |
|
Spain |
Fernando González | |
|
Turkey |
Schafer | schafer.com.tr |
|
United Kingdom |
Trevor Mottram | trevormattram.co.uk |
|
Uruguay |
OYSTER Deco Design | |
|
USA (Giftware) |
Perch Home & Company | perchhome.com |
|
USA (Housewares) |
The Artist’s Kitchen Shop (pictured above) | theartistskitchenshop.myshoplocal.com |
| Uzbekistan | Noble Décor |
The gia competition is structured on a two-tier level, national and global, to honor independent and multiple-location home and housewares retailers for excellence in several business categories:
- Overall mission statement, vision and strategy
- Store design and layout
- Visual merchandising, displays and window displays
- Marketing, advertising and promotions
- Customer service and staff training
- Innovation
Each national gia winner is invited to The Inspired Home Show in Chicago. The global gia jury, consisting of four experts representing Asia, Europe and the Americas — plus a rotating group of co-sponsoring trade publication editors from around the world — will select up to five gia Global Honorees, in addition to the winners of the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising and the gia Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing. The global gia jury includes Wolfgang Gruschwitz, who heads Gruschwitz GmbH in Munich, Germany; Scott Kohno, CEO of EJL Entertainment and owner of The Retail Element in the Los Angeles area; Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen, CEO and founder of Reisby Consult in Roskilde, Denmark; and Anne Kong, professor and program coordinator for the Spatial Experience Design Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
National gia winners will be honored at a festive awards dinner on Sunday, March 2, during The Inspired Home Show. The gia Global Honorees and winners of the Martin M. Pegler and gia Digital Commerce Awards will be announced during the awards dinner. The national winners also will be featured in a special display at the Show.
The gia program is part of a larger education initiative that includes seminars by retail experts, columns in international housewares publications and educational sessions at events in sponsors’ home countries. As part of gia’s educational offering, on Monday, March 3, three gia Expert Jurors – will present a special session in the Show’s Inspiration Theater. The session is entitled “The Exciting Retail Experience – A Digital Evolution with AI and Human-Centric Values,” and it will examine how human values and sensory experience will restore meaning, trust and connection to physical retail spaces, even if AI and digital innovations redefine retail convenience.
The Inspired Home Show 2025 will be held March 2-4 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. For more information about the 2025 show and to register for a Show entrance badge, visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com.
For more information about the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) program, the co-sponsors and participating in 2025-2026, contact Piritta Törrö at [email protected]. Select store photos are available for download at https://housewares.smugmug.com/Gia/2025-gia-Press-Photos
