Department Store Awards 2016
The GDSS’ Official Dinner & Awards Ceremony on 26th May, was another highlight of the Summit programme and celebrated the winners and finalists of the three Department Store Awards.
. World's Best Store Window Campaign at a Department Store 2016
Harvey Nichols won the biennial Summit’s first Window Campaign at a Department Store award for its‘Avoid Gift Face’ campaign. Janet Wardley, Head of Visual of Harvey Nichols, received the trophy from Raul Sanchez, Head of Visual Merchandising at Jelmoli. “It is a great testament to our brand that the visual displays have resonated not only with the leading experts in this field but with the public too” said Stacey Cartwright, CEO Harvey Nichols. “ I am extremely proud of the creative team behind our iconic window displays. Our in house team, headed up by our Head of Display, Janet Wardley, all work so tirelessly to create innovate displays that have clearly captured the imagination of so many admirers around the world. This is a fantastic achievement and I’m tremendously proud of the team.” This category celebrates one of the industry’s oldest and most iconic communication channels and recognises the creativity, innovation and talent of visual merchandising teams. The criteria for this award includes: concept and idea, complexity, artistic component and originality/ zeitgeist; quality of execution; impact on sales and footfall, as well as media coverage. Award finalists Myer (Australia), represented by CEO Richard Umbers and La Rinascente (Italy), represented by CEO Roberto Baldan, received trophies for their respective campaigns ‘Little Dog & The Christmas Wish’ and ‘Edible Monsters’.
. World's Best Sustainability/CSR Campaign by a Department Store 2016
Selfridges won the Summit’s first sustainability award for its ‘Buying Better, Inspiring Change’ campaign. Managing Director Anne Pitcher received the Award from Manish Mandhana, CEO of Mandhana Industries. “More so than ever before, the role of business in society is changing,” said Anne Pitcher. “Sustainability is no longer a bolt-on or a nice-to-have, it is integral to the success of any business. Over the last five years, we have deepened our understanding and commitment to sustainability, which has become increasingly aligned with our business strategy and is now a core part of both what we do, and how we do it.” The award was created to foster greater corporate social responsibility leadership among department stores and reward best-in-class practices. This award has been judged on three criteria: the main idea including its originality and pertinence to the wider context of corporate social responsibility; execution, and resulting audience impact. The two other finalists of the category were represented by their CEOs: Ricardo Bennett, for Paris Department (Chile), and Khalid Al Tayer, CEO Retail of Al Tayer Retail (UAE), for their campaigns ‘Ropa por Ropa’ and ‘I am Different Just like You’.
. The Best Department Store in the World 2016
La Rinascente received the prestigious title of Best Department Store in the World 2016. “Winning this award is a great honour and a source of extreme satisfaction for the little shop established in Milan 150 years ago and now selected as the best department store in the world. It’s a tribute to the work of all the people who ensure that every day la Rinascente is recognised as an ideal destination to enjoy a rewarding and engaging experience” said Alberto Baldan, CEO of La Rinascente, after receiving the winner trophy from Asli Karadeniz, CEO of Re-Orientation and Chairwoman of the Jury. The award recognises an exceptional world player that displays innovation and outstanding performances in all retail segments to all stakeholders. Criteria for the award include an enviable profile; successful developments and executions of product, store, online and service innovation strategies; delivery of an outstanding in-store experience; excellent customer service, and strong financial performance. The two other finalists of the category were also welcomed on stage to receive their trophies, with Managing Directors Anne Pitcher representing Selfridges (UK) and Stephen Sealey for Brown Thomas (Ireland).
More than 7,000 executives from the department store and retail industry – including suppliers and vendors – were invited to vote in the three categories. An international jury, made up of former retail executives and business experts, analysed and judged the entries following the industry vote.
IGDS would like to thank all participating department stores, together with the executives who voted for their favourite stores, and looks forward to presenting success stories of similar quality in 2018.
Organized by Intercontinental Group of Department Stores in collaboration with
