GDA Reveals REA Finalists 

By Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 6/19/2007 1:51:00 PM

New York — For more than 50 years, Gifts & Decorative Accessories (and its predecessor magazines) has had the honor of rewarding gift industry achievement with Retail Excellence Awards, the REAs. The awards are presented at a gala cosponsored by George Little Management, during New York International Gift Fair.

This year, GDA will bestow its highest honor, the Industry Achievement Award, on Howard Ganz, who heads up Toronto-based Ganz, a family-run gift company that at 57 years young is even older than the REAs. This year, GDA is also initiating an award for Outstanding Manufacturers' Representative, nominations for which were made by retailers themselves. OneCoast's Chuck Burke will be the first recipient of this new award. Additionally, Gifts & Decorative Accessories will honor one of its own. Larry Rotondi — former publisher of GDA and friend to the gift industry for over 30 years — will receive a special tribute for his years of contribution to the industry. Though last year we lost him too soon, Larry’s memory and the memory of his service lingers.

Following are the retailer finalists for the Retail Excellence Awards. 

Store Design:

Alessi, New York

Elephant Pharm, Los Altos, CA

The Urban Blossom, Addison, TX

Advertising/Marketing/Promotion

Ambiance Interiors & Gifts, Suwanee, GA

Jenss Decor, Amherst, NY

The Burlap Horse, Boerne, TX

Visual Merchandising

Leon & Lulu, Clawson, MI

Santoro & Company, Bridgeton, NJ

Bricks ‘n’ Clicks

Catching Fireflies, Merkeley, MI

Zinc Details, San Francisco

Web Design

Homescapes Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

The Urban Blossom, Addison, TX

The 56th annual Retail Excellence Awards gala will be held at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, on Sunday, August 12. For additional information about the gala, click here.