A global award for retail excellence has been won by Rustan’s Department Store. It took the title in the latest IHA Global Innovation Awards (GIA), announced at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. IHA, the global sponsor and organiser of the program, announced 28 winning home and housewares retailers from 27 countries. Launched in 2000 to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing internationally, GIA has so far recognised more than 370 retailers from 45
countries.
Rustan’s, the Philippines winner for the second time, was founded in 1952 by husband-and-wife team Bienvenido R. Tantoco Sr and the late Gliceria R. Tantoco as a home-based business in their living room. It became the only luxury department store chain in the Philippines. Today, Zenaida R. Tantoco is the second-generation leader of the family-owned business.
The GIA competition has two tiers, national and global, to recognise excellence 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; and innovation.
National GIA winners are invited to the annual Chicago show where the global GIA jury chooses up to five global honorees, as well as the winners of the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising, and the GIA Digital Commerce Award for Excellence in Online Retailing. The jury comprises four experts representing Asia, Europe and the Americas, plus a rotating international group of co-sponsoring trade-publication editors.
The national winners are featured in a special showcase in the Hall of Global Innovation, featuring visuals of their award-winning store design and branding ideas, visual merchandising and innovative displays.
GIA is part of a larger education initiative that includes seminars by retail experts, exposure in international housewares publications and educational sessions at events in the sponsors’ home countries.
