Last Sunday evening, the International Housewares Association (IHA) announced and awarded the winners of the Global Innovation Awards (gia) for excellence in retail and product design during a gala dinner at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago held in conjunction with The Inspired Home Show.
2025 gia GLOBAL HONOREES FOR RETAIL EXCELLENCE ANNOUNCED
The five Global Honorees awarded for retail excellence were:
- CUK – Argentina
- Mud Australia – Australia
- Album de Famille – France
- Balmuda Inc. – Japan
- Balthazar Kookwinkel – Netherlands
The global gia jury, consisting of four retail/visual merchandising experts and seven editors and publishers of co-sponsoring housewares trade publications from around the world, selected the gia Global Honourees from a pool of 31 national winners that were selected earlier this month.
The judges also selected winners of two other special awards: The Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising was awarded to Morandin Regali of Italy. The gia Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing was awarded to IN8 Home of Brazil and Schafer of Turkey.
The gia program was created by IHA and The Inspired Home Show to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing throughout the world. Since the launch of gia in 2000, there have been close to 600 gia retail award winners, from 57 countries on six continents.
The competition is structured on a two-tier level, national and global, evaluating retailers within the following 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
Co-sponsoring the country-specific gia award programs with IHA are housewares trade publications worldwide, which sponsor national gia programs in their respective countries. This year, 31 national gia winners from 30 countries were selected by the co-sponsoring trade publications with targeted distribution in over 50 countries on five continents. All winners were automatically entered in the global competition at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the 2024-2025 gia winners were recognized and prominently featured in a special display at The Inspired Home Show in the Grand Concourse Lobby, introducing the national winners to visitors and exhibitors.
Both gia national winners and Global Honorees are also recognized in a gallery
Carol’s Nicetys (Canadian Retail gia Winner)
Although our Canadian national winner (which the CHPTA selects and sponsors) Carol’s Nicetys from Oakville, Ontario, did not win one of the global awards, we would like to once again acknowledge their excellence in retailing and customer service within the Canadian marketplace—they represented our country well.
Established in 2017, Carol’s Nicetys is a family-owned business dedicated to providing curated, high-quality kitchenware that transforms everyday cooking into a joyful experience. Their practices are designed to offer convenience, personalized service, and access to the best products from around the world. The store is a destination for timeless, heirloom-quality products and expert guidance on their care, but they also offer innovative items that bring new ideas to the kitchen, including hard-to-find and unique pieces. Fostering a strong sense of community—and prioritizing trust and transparency—Carol’s Nicetys is a store where quality products and personal relationships thrive.
In attendance at the show and gala awards dinner were store owner Carol Lacher, Carol’s niece and store manager, Paige Lacher, and assistant buyer, Maureen McKee. Once again, congratulations!
WINNERS OF 2025 IHA GLOBAL INNOVATION AWARDS (gia) FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCT DESIGN ANNOUNCED
Meanwhile, on the product side, fourteen new and innovative products from up-and-coming companies and well-established brands were selected as Global Honorees in the International Housewares Association’s (IHA) Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Excellence in Product Design. The Global Honoree in each of 14 categories was announced during the annual gia Gala as well.
The 2025 Global Honorees are:
- Bath + Personal Care: Eko Development Ltd. – Bento Bath Storage Caddy Large
- Cleaning: Scrub Daddy, Inc. – Tub n’ Tile
- Cook + Bakeware: FIREUP Cookware Limited – FIREUP Cookware Set
- Home Décor + Gifts: Umbra LLC – Wavy Jewelry Organizer
- Home Organization + Storage: Wrap-It Storage – Clip ‘n Carry™ Storage Strap
- Household + Home Electrics: Cricut – Cricut Maker® 4 Smart Cutting Machine
- Kitchen Electrics: tbdx.inc – xBloom Studio
- Kitchen Hand Tools + Cutlery: That Inventions – ScoopTHAT Deluxe
- Kitchenware: Dreamfarm – Nocutu
- Luggage, Travel Goods + Accessories: RovR Products – RollR 45 Wheeled Cooler, Coral
- Pet Products: Dexas International, Ltd. – Dexas Snack & Distract Elevated Licking Mat
- Smart Home: ChefsTemp – ProTemp S1 Smart Grill Gauge Thermometer Hub
- Sustainable Products: Roam – Roam SodaTop
- Tabletop: That Inventions – HeatTHAT Tea
“IHA’s gia program recognizes the creativity that is so important to the home and housewares industry,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO, in a press release. “Innovative new products that not only solve problems but also inspire and delight consumers will always be a key driver for growth.”
Entries were judged by an independent panel of industry experts, which included designers, media, retailers, and buyers from Cooks Warehouse, Dillard’s, Divertimenti, Friedman Design, HTI Buying Group, In The Kitchen, Leon & Lulu, the National Building Museum, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Pampered Chef, Quality Products, Sign of the Bear, Toque Blanche, and Yestis.
The panel selected five finalists in each of the 14 categories after an initial round of judging in February. These finalists were then evaluated in a second round of judging this past weekend to determine global honours.
Each of the 14 categories of Global Honourees was on display at the Show in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Grand Concourse Lobby in the North Building. All 70 finalists could be viewed in the New Product Showcases in the Buyers Clubs, located in the North and South Buildings.
All product finalists can also be viewed online at https://www.theinspiredhomeshow.com/awards/gia-product/.
The Inspired Home Show brings together more than 1,600 exhibitors and buyer attendees from more than 100 countries. To search for other new products at the Show, visit Connect 365, the Show’s online directory.
