Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners of the Greats 2012. It's a wonderful thing to be nominated for awards. We hope that you enjoyed the evening and would like to thank all of you who stock our cards. We consider ourselves very privileged to be serving such a fine host of retailers. For those of you we are not supplying, what are you waiting for?! Click here to stock us.
The Greats Awards Winners 2012 are:
Temptation Gifts win overall Gift Retailer of the Year 2012
The Honourary Achievement Award went to Oliver Tress, founder of Oliver Bonas
Oliver adds this Greats Award to a clutch of very prestigious awards, including Retail Week's Rising Star Award. The Evening Standard recently listed him as among the top 1000 most influential Londoners and, earlier this month, he sat alongside the BBC's economics editor on the panel of TV’s The Apprentice You're Fired.
Judy Stock, sales assistant, Blue Dog, Clare, Suffolk is Retail Employee of the Year
Finalists
Luke Cherry, assistant manager, Utility, Liverpool
Kim Hancock, display supervisor, Forget-Me-Not, Stubbington, Hants
Hannah McMurray, manager, Orange Tree, Topsham, Devon
Prathiba Serasinghe-Yapa, sales assistant, Fenwick, Brent Cross, London
Sharon Statton, head of sales, Pebbles of Tavistock, Tavistock, Devon
The Inside Man, Wandsworth won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - London (inside M25):
Finalists
Gill Wing, Islington
Grand Passion, Battersea
In Spitalfields, Spitalfields Market
The Gift Box, Uxbridge
Cocoa Bean, Windsor win Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - Home Counties, South and South East
Finalists
Flutterbyes, Bromley
Inklings, Hungerford
Penny Royal, Battle, Rye and Hastings
Pink & Brown, Sunninghill
The Bottle Kiln, West Hallam won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - Midlands and East Anglia
Finalists
Blue Dog, Clare
Breeze, Cambridge
Iapetus Gallery, Great Malvern
Jupes, Melton Mowbray
Cane & Able, Cwmbran won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - South West & Wales
Finalists
Heritage in Thornbury, Bristol
iota, Bristol
Lumin-Essence, Poole
Wonderstuff, Treorchy
Jam, Wakefield won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - North and North East
Finalists
Cherry Tree, Knutosford
Fagans, Cockermouth
Give The Dog a Bone, York
The Attic, Ambleside & Windermere
About Living, Glasgow won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - Scotland
Finalists
Baxters, Stranraer
Bonkers, St Andrews
Charisma, Dunblane
Scarlet Ribbons, Falkirk
La De Da! Cheltenham won Best Gift Retailer - Newcomer South and Wales
Finalists
Florrie’s Gifts and Homewares, Street
Fresh, Witney
Okapi House, Leighton Buzzard
Ruby blu, Southgate
Celebrations, Stourbridge won Best Gift Retailer - Newcomer North and Scotland
Finalists
Decisions, Barnoldswick
Limetree, Stewarton, Ayrshire
Marmalade Meringue, Hinckley
The Orchard, Leicester
Between The Lines won Best Specialist Multiple Gift Retailer (4 or more shops)
Finalists 2012
Collectables in the North East of England
Ortak in Scotland & the North of England
Temptation Gifts in the Home Counties
Utility in Liverpool, Preston & London
Rooms of Coventry won Best Department Store Retailer of Gifts
Finalists
Jarrold, Norwich
John Lewis, Oxford Street
Heal’s, London
Selfridges, Oxford Street
Paperchase won Best Non Specialist Retailer of Gifts
Finalists
Cards Galore
Dunelm
M&S
Steamer Trading
Orange Tree, Darts Farm won Best Gifts Lifestyle and Homewares (interiors)
Finalists
Hamptons, Penarth
Oliver Bonas, London
Plate Tableware, Fulham
Yummy Home, Pinner
Melbury Gallery, Sherbourne won Best Gift Retailer of Jewellery
Finalists
Bloomsbury, Bath
Denham & Finney, St Margaret’s, Twickenham
Saswa, Cardiff
Leila, Crouch End, Islington and Muswell Hill
Mains of Drum, Banchory won Best Garden Centre Retailer of Gifts
Finalists
Brookfields Garden Centre, Nottingham
Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree, Essex
Scotsdale Nursery & Garden Centre, Great Shalford
Webbs of Wychbold, Droitwich
Aston Pottery, Oxfordshire won Best Museum/Visitor Attraction Gift Shop
Finalists
National Gallery Shops, London
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Royal Collection Shops, London
World of Beatrix Potter, Bowness-On-Windermere
Dulwich Trader, Dulwich won Best Retail Display
Finalists
Cocoa Bean, Windsor
Housing Units, Nailsworth
Salt & Pepper, Monmouth
Tiger Tiger, Newbury & Marlborough
Temptation Gifts won Best Online Gift Retailer, to include Mail Order
Finalists
Bloomsbury
Lakeland
The Brilliant Gift Shop
Treather, Treathim
Wonder Stuff – Personalised Shopping won Best Retailer Initiative
Finalists
Daisy Park – Keep It Local
Jeyes of Earls Barton – Royal Wedding Street Party
Something Special – Improve the High Street
Fairwind – Fair Trees
Winners of Best Service to the Independent Retailer
Joe Davies won Gold
Widdop Bingham won Silver
Yankee Candle won Bronze
Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Carte Blanche Greetings
East of India
Enesco
History & Heraldry
Nemesis Now
Robert Taubman
Think Pink
Now in their tenth year, The Greats Awards have become the accolades to strive for and the Awards event itself has become one of the most exciting and vibrant in the country. It brings together the entire gift industry for a night of celebration.
The Greats Awards are owned and organised by Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide (published by Max Publishing). They recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally, but also one-off niche retailers, garden centres and supermarkets as well as outstanding retail employees.
The Greats 2012 'big night' was held this week on Thursday 17 May at the Lancaster London celebrating their 10th anniversary of The Greats with a ‘Circus’ themed event.
NB: Wherever possible the names of the shops are clickable for you to be able to see finalists website and social media links.
All gift retailers who have been named as a Greats winner or finalist over the past 10 years of the Greats are invited to attend a special Greats Party at PG Live next week on Tuesday May 29th at 3pm at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Contact Ian Hyder through the PG Live website for details www.progressivegreetingslive.com.