The Steamer Trading cookshop chain has been honoured twice in this year's Global Innovator Awards (the GIAs) in Chicago, which recognise excellence in housewares retailing around the world.
The International Home + Housewares Show and International Housewares Association (IHA), GIA's primary sponsors, this week announced 17 winners from 16 countries, with Steamer Trading picking up the award for the UK.
And Steamer Trading was also one of five Global GIA Honorees selected by a special global jury from the winners chosen in their respective countries.
Retailers are judged on a number of criteria for the awards: successful operations; depth of product offer; innovative business practices; innovative in-store merchandising displays/techniques; in-store promotions; external marketing/promotions; quality of customer service; and breadth and depth of employee training.
The judges noted that Steamer Trading is a highly successful, family-run chain of 21 specialist cookshops, often in historic buildings that add to the overall theatre of their housewares displays.
They said that the stores love to entertain and delight customers with ingenious methods of merchandising, personalised fittings, food-related events and demonstrations and exemplary levels of customer service, going to great lengths to meet any customer request.
Steamer Trading currently operates 21 cookshops in the south and east of England, with the latest store to open, a flagship outelt in Guildfors, opeining its doors last November. Managing director Ben Phillips has also said there are four more in the pipeline.
The other 2010 GIA winners are: Asia, JIA; Argentina, Fork; Australia, Kitchen Warehouse; Belgium, Dhondt Outstanding Lifestyle & Interior; Brazil, Xarmonix; Canada, Stark & Whyte; Colombia, Ambiente Gourmet; France, A Saint Joseph; Germany, Galeria Kaufhof; Italy, I Love my House Barazzoni; Poland, Abonda; Switzerland, Hasler Das Haushalthaus AG; Turkey, Kutahya Porselen; Uruguay, HOME; and USA, Kitchen Kaboodle and Abt.
The other four Global Honorees are: Stark & Whyte; Ambiente Gourmet; Galeria Kaufhof; and I Love My House Barazzoni.