Thirty-one home and housewares retailers from 30 countries were named 2025-2026 national winners of the Global Innovation Award (gia) for retailing excellence by The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA).
The winners, including the first gia recipients from Croatia, Indonesia and Paraguay, will be honored during a special gala on March 10 during The Inspired Home Show 2026, set for March 10-12 in Chicago.
The gia program, created by IHA and The Inspired Home Show, fosters innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing worldwide, according to IHA. Since its launch in 2000, the gia program has honored more than 600 retailers from 60 countries on six continents.
The 2025-2026 national gia winners are:
| Country | Store Name | Store Website |
| Argentina | Seta Bazar | setabazar.com.ar |
| Australia | Kabinett | kabinett.com.au |
| Austria | Franz Eder KG | franz-eder.at |
| Azerbaijan | Italdizain | italdizain.az |
| Belgium | Panache | panachekoksijde.be |
| Brazil | Casa Riachuelo | riachuelo.com.br/moda-casa |
| Canada | Boutique Crème (pictured above) | boutique1101.com |
| Chile | Kitchen Center | kitchencenter.cl |
| Colombia | Alana | alanahogar.co |
| Dominican Republic | Casa Cuesta | casacuesta.com |
| Eastern Europe | Lonci&Poklopci, Croatia | lonciipoklopci.hr |
| France | Le Jacquard Français | le-jacquard-francais.com |
| Germany | Schäffer | schaeffer24.de |
| India | Reliance Retail | relianceretail.com |
| Ireland | Smyth’s Homevalue | smythshomevalue.ie |
| Italy | Giocovivo | |
| Japan | Asplund Co Ltd Timeless Comfort Kitchen and Dining | timelesscomfort.com |
| Middle East | Danube Home, United Arab Emirates | danubehome.com/ae/en |
| Netherlands | Koken en Wonen | kokenenwonen.nl |
| New Zealand | Freedom | freedomfurniture.co.nz |
| Paraguay | Marketplace – Tu Casa Es Tu Reino | marketplace.com.py |
| Poland | Homla | Homla.com.pl |
| Portugal | Armazéns Europa | |
| Saudi Arabia | Home Centre | homecentre.com |
| Southeast Asia | MR.D.I.Y. Indonesia, Indonesia | |
| Spain | Drogueria Rovira | drogueriarovira.com |
| Türkiye | Gallery Crystal | gallerycrystal.com.tr |
| United Kingdom | Fenwick | fenwick.co.uk |
| Uruguay | Punto Design | puntodesign.com.uy |
| USA – Giftware Retailers | Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts | grandpashorters.com |
| USA – Housewares Retailers | The Culinary Institute of America – Marketplace at Copia | ciaatcopia.com/marketplace |
The gia competition is structured on a two-tier level — national and global — to honor independent and multiple-location home and housewares retailers 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, where a global gia jury of our experts representing Asia, Europe and the Americas and editors of co-sponsoring trade publications from around the world will select up to five gia Global Honorees. The gia jury will also select winners of the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising and the gia Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing.
All winners will be honored at the March 10 awards gala. National winners will be features in a special display at The Inspired Home Show.
The gia program is part of a broader IHA education initiative that includes seminars by retail experts, columns in international housewares publications and educational sessions at events in sponsors’ home countries, according to IHA. As part of gia‘s educational offering, the four gia Expert Jurors — Wolfgang Gruschwitz, Scott Kohno, Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen and Denise Foley — will present a special session in The Inspired Home Show Inspiration Theater on Wednesday, March 11.