Good showing for greetings and stationery as industry’s hard work and resilience is honoured
Notable greeting card retailers as well as several publishers did the industry proud as they picked up trophies in the recent inaugural The Gift Awards 2022.
Uniting The Gift Of The Year Awards from the Giftware Association with Max Publishing’s The Greats Awards, this glittering first-ever event saw over 400 retailers, publishers, suppliers, manufacturers, reps and agents attend the evening celebration, held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel that was hosted by comedian Charlie Baker.
Paper Tiger in Edinburgh, Presentation in Barrowford, Mooch Cards & Gifts in Bewdley and Stourport-On-Severn, Nest in Leicestershire, Cranbornes in Dorset, Maybugs on the South Coast, and Brocante in the South West were among the worthy Greats gift retailer winners.
Andrea Pinder, owner of Presentation Cards & Gifts in Barrowford, admitted she felt: “Totally shocked, with an overwhelming sense of emotional achievement,” when her shop was announced as the winner of the North, Northern Ireland & Scotland category.
Andrea added: “Also, having the opportunity to share it with my colleague Lisa Thomason made it very special indeed. It’s a night I won’t forget, that’s for sure – and our trophy is standing very proud in our widow.”
Greg Rose, co-owner of Maybugs in Hailsham and Eastbourne, winner of the Greats London, South, South East & East Anglia category, exclaimed: “We’re over the moon to have won this award! It means so much to everyone at Maybugs to have been recognised at such a high level within the industry that we love.”
From her three Nest stores in Broughton Astley, Stoneygate and Thurlaston, owner Samantha Gibbs, winner of the Greats Midlands & Wales category, enthused: “We’re all thrilled and still on cloud nine! It is such a huge honour to be part of such an amazing bunch of contemporary forward-thinking shops! We will continue to champion bricks and mortar retailers and the energy and positivity they bring to our local High Streets.”
Sam added: “With The Greats success behind us, I feel like you have given us a wonderful boost, as if to say, you know what Sam, keep going, you’re doing okay!”
In the GOTY product categories, Shroot’s Greens & Greetings Collection won the Best Card & Wrap Product Or Range award; Rocket68 won Best International Product Or Range with its London Calling Global Collection; The Merry & Bright Village Advent Calendar DIY Craft Kit from Two For Joy Illustration took the title in Best Festive & Occasions Product Or Range, while Vent For Change’s Sucseed Notebook won Best Stationery Product Or Range.
The night’s biggest winner was The Plantable Children’s Book from Willsow, which won both the Best Ethical & Sustainable Gift Product Or Range and Best Children’s, Educational & Pre-School Product Or Range categories as well as taking the overall Judges’ Award.
A fitting finale to the awards ceremony saw Lesser & Pavey founder and chairman Ronnie Pavey’s longstanding and continuing contribution to the gift industry be presented with The Greats Outstanding Achievement Award.
In her welcome speech Sarah Ward, ceo of The Giftware Association, told guests: “This is a special birthday for The Greats, which celebrates its 20th birthday and, indeed, for the Gift Of The Year Awards, as we’re now in our 45th year. Both awards this year have been bigger than ever before – no mean feat given the current circumstances.
“Yet it is exactly in challenging times that we need to come together, that awards like ours here this evening gain even greater prominence. Why? Because this is where we show strength, where we connect the whole industry. Because this is where we shout from the rooftops about you all – each finalist here who deserves to be buoyed by an industry coming together to champion your excellence. Because this is where change comes, this is where business is done, this is where you are propelled into a future with more people knowing your name and knowing what makes your brand special. This is where we futureproof each other and our industry.”
Joining Sarah on stage was Sue Marks, editor of Progressive Greetings’ stablemate Progressive Gifts & Home/GiftsandHome.net, who added: “With so much uncertainty at the moment it’s important to celebrate any uplifting moments, with both the Gift Of The Year and The Greats awards recognising and rewarding achievements during 2021, a year massively affected by Covid, with both retailers and suppliers demonstrating just how resilient the gift sector has shown itself to be.”
The winners of The Gift Awards 2022 are:
The Greats Awards 2022 – Retail Awards Categories
London, South, South East & East Anglia (sponsor: Gift Republic)
Maybugs, Eastbourne and Hailsham
Midlands & Wales (sponsor: Widdop And Co)
Nest, Broughton Astley, Stoneygate, and Thurlaston Garden Centre
North, N Ireland & Scotland (sponsor: Joe Davies)
Presentation Cards & Gifts, Barrowford
West & South West (sponsor: Abysse Corp)
Cranbornes, Dorchester and Shaftesbury
Best Newcomer Gift Retailer (sponsor: Life Charms)
Gifts Of Wales, Welshpool
Best Specialist Multiple Retailer Of Gifts (sponsor: Lesser & Pavey)
Brocante
Best Department Store Retailer Of Gifts (sponsor: Carte Blanche Greetings)
Austins, Newton Abbot
Best Non-Specialist Retailer Of Gifts (sponsor: Talking Tables)
Lovely Libby’s, Rayleigh
Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Gifts (sponsor: Enesco)
RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford
Best InStore/Window Display (sponsor: Gisela Graham)
Mooch Gifts & Home, Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn
Best Retailer Initiative (sponsor: Candlelight)
Paper Tiger, Edinburgh
The Greats Outstanding Achievement Award (sponsor: British Allied Trades Federation)
Ronnie Pavey, founder and chairman of Lesser & Pavey
The Gift Of The Year Awards 2022 – Product Award Categories
Best Beauty, Bath & Spa Product Or Range (sponsor: Ankorstore)
Remedial Aromatherapy Candle Collection from ChilliWinter Isle Of Wight
Best Branded Gift Product Or Range (sponsor: Brand Licensing Europe)
Peter Rabbit Collection from Blade & Rose
Best Card & Wrap Product Or Range (sponsor: Progressive Greetings Live)
Greens & Greetings Collection from Shroot
Best Children’s, Educational & Pre-School Product Or Range (sponsor: The Insights Family)
The Plantable Children’s Book from Willsow
Best Commemorative, Collectable & Charitable Product Or Range (sponsor: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home)
Guide Dogs For The Blind Association Accessories Range from Just Trade
Best Contemporary Gift Product Or Range (sponsor: Spring Fair)
Smart Moon Lamp from Gingko Design
Best Design & Craft Product Or Range (sponsor: Yodel)
RecycleMe Kits from Inside Out Toys
Best Ethical & Sustainable Gift Product Or Range (sponsor: Products Of Change)
The Plantable Children’s Book from Willsow
Best Fashion Accessories Product Or Range (sponsor: Top Drawer)
Whistler Tree Cork Collection from Blank Canvas Eco
Best Festive & Occasions Product Or Range (sponsor: Progressive Gifts & Home)
Merry & Bright Village Advent Calendar DIY Craft Kit from Two For Joy Illustration
Best Food & Drink Product Or Range (sponsor: Pringles)
Indian Spice Tin and Silk Sari Wrap from Spice Kitchen
Best Home & Garden Product Or Range (sponsor: Creative Industries Association)
Window Dressing from Fallen Fruits
Best Home Fragrance Product Or Range (sponsor: Cardzone)
Memories Candles Collection from FYG
Best International Product Or Range (sponsor: Faire)
London Calling Global Collection from Rocket68
Best Kitchen & Dining Product Or Range (sponsor: HousewaresNews.net)
Halo Cotton Dish Covers from Clayspoon
My Gift Of All Time (sponsor: Wallace & Gromit)
The Modular Collection from Concrete & Wax
Best Novelty Product Or Range (sponsor: Autumn Fair)
Heinz Tomato Ketchup Grow Your Own Tomatoes Kit from Kimm & Miller
Best Own Label Product Or Range (sponsor: Sourcing Support Asia)
Wetland Wildlife Origami Kit from Clockwork Soldier
Best Pet Gift Product Or Range (sponsor: The Giftware Association)
Doggy Baking Co’s PawLicking Baking Kits from The Bottled Baking Co
Best Stationery Product Or Range (sponsor: PGBuzz.net)
Sucseed Notebook from Vent For Change
Best Tech &/Or Gadget Product Or Range (sponsor: Aspin)
Arcade In A Tin Collection from Fizz Creations
Best Gift Under £15 (sponsor: Method UK)
Dunked Collection from Dunked
Judges’ Choice (sponsor: Home & Gift)
The Plantable Children’s Book from Willsow
To flick through The Gift Awards 2022 photo album visit www.thegiftawards.com; www.giftoftheyear.co.uk; www.thegreatsawards.co.uk. Plus, you can watch some of the highlights on https://youtu.be/XRSjZVhgvyE
