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Industry
NEWS
Greats To Be Back With A Live Event The Winners To Be Revealed Shortly Excitement is building for The Greats Awards 2021 event which takes place on September 23 at London’s Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), where the winners of this year’s competition will be announced. “It’s wonderful to be back with a live event this year, and very exciting to be recognising and rewarding the fabulous winners who have been so resilient during the past year,” comments PG&H/GiftandHome.net’s editor Sue Marks. As always, the lunch and afternoon event, compered by stand-up comedian Stuart Goldmsith, will be a glittering occasion, with prelunch drinks to be served on the lawn, and a specially prepared lunch by the HAC’s chef, followed by the Awards ceremony. Guests will then be able to continue to party and network at the venue at the end of the afternoon.
Below: The Honourable Artillery Club (HAC). Below left: Guests enjoying lunch at The Greats Awards in 2019.
To date, the impressive line-up of Greats sponsors include (in alphabetical order): Candlelight; Carte Blanche Greetings (CBG); Gift Republic; GiftsandHome.net; Gisela Graham; Harrogate Christmas & Gift; Joe Davies; Life Charms: Progressive Gifts & Home; Premier Decorations; Progressive Greetings Live; Spring Fair and Autumn Fair; Wrendale Designs and The Giftware Association. For remaining sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ian Hyder on ianh@maxpublishing.co.uk and Rob Willis on robw@maxpublishing.co.uk. For all other Greats enquiries, please contact Sue Marks on 020 8361 2055 or e: suem@max-publishing.co.uk. For more details, visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk See Countdown To The Greats on pages 20-21.
Josie’s Wins Muddy Stiletto Award James Webster, owner of Josie’s Interiors on Coopers Street in Bideford - a finalist in The Greats Awards 2021 Best Lifestyle or Homewares Retailer of Gifts category - was delighted to hear that his shop had won the Best Interiors Store in Devon Muddy Stilettos Award 2021. “I have actually won every year since 2017, with the exception of 2020, when the Muddy Stilettos were cancelled due to Covid,” said James. “I have worked seven days a week for the past six years, building up Josie’s from working all by myself to now having a team of 14 incredible people around me. Knowing I have built this up from nothing, off my own back, and that people love it is incredibly humbling and makes it all worthwhile!” More exciting new is that on July 23, James opened a new Josie’s outlet concept store in the Affinity Devon Outlet Shopping Centre, offering exclusive interiors at up to 60% off RRP. “It has been a huge success,” James confirmed. Above: Josie’s Interiors won a Muddy Stilettos Award for being the Best Interiors Store in Devon.
Maybugs Opens To Great Acclaim
Lifestyle Pop-Up Shop Lifestyle and fashion accessories company A Gift From The Gods (AGFG) has returned to bricks and mortar retail with a unit in The Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath. The brand has opened a 12 month pop-up, taking advantage of the discounted business rates. “We opened with a soft launch on July1, and the addition of a café area this month will see the implementation of a full marketing campaign,” confirmed founder Jane Reucroft. The 1,800 sq ft ground floor unit, situated adjacent to M&S and River Island, offers AGFG’s full product portfolio – bags, stationery, keyrings, jewellery, home, sleepwear and chocolates - and is complemented by a range of ‘Guest Gifts’ from other brands including greetings cards, accessories and homewares. The inclusion of a small café area with a capsule collection of hot and cold beverages, and branded A Gift From The Gods cakes, will build on the success of AGFG’S chocolate bar range that launched in 2020 and adds an experiential element to the retail setting. Prior to opening in Bexleyheath, the brand previously had retail shops at The Glades Shopping Centre in Bromley, Kent and Canary Wharf from 2007 - 2010. A Gift From The Gods also had a very successful retail merchandising unit in The Broadway Shopping Centre, Bexleyheath (formerly The Mall) in 2006. Left: A Gift From The Gods new pop up shop in Bexleyheath.
A brand new gift superstore, Maybugs - located in a former Laura Ashley building - opened its doors in Eastbourne at the end of July, with dignitaries Caroline Ansell MP and His Worshipful The Mayor of Eastbourne, Cllr Pat Rodohan, cutting the yellow ribbon. “It's so nice to see an independent retailer flourishing after the past 18 months. I wish the Maybugs team the very best of luck,” enthused Caroline, with the Mayor stating: “there's nothing like this in Eastbourne. It gives locals another reason to come back to the town and shop locally, rather than defaulting to online shopping. It's such a beautiful shop, and such a pleasurable experience." With customers queuing around the block an hour before the store officially opened, co-owner John Dale added: "It makes me so proud that all our hard work has paid off. We set out to create something unique - the future of gift retailing - creating an experience as well as an exciting shopping environment." It's a second gift shop for Greg and John who opened their first branch in Hailsham's Vicarage Field in 2018, followed by Flowers by Maybugs, a contemporary florist and floral design studio, last year. Above: Big smiles from happy customers at the opening of Maybugs in Eastbourne.
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