Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Kendal-based independent retailer Armstrong Ward is celebrating after being crowned a winner in the national Greats Gift Retailer Awards 2015.
Competing in the ‘Best Lifestyle, Homewares and Gifts’ category, Armstrong Ward was challenged by retailers including Homer, Edinburgh and Aberfeldy; JOY; Oliver Bonas; Orange Tree, Topsham and Sparks Yard, Arundel.
The annual Greats Awards recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally. This year’s event was held on May 7 at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Owner Jacqueline Ward said: “We are surprised and of course delighted to have won. When they called our name out at the ceremony, it took a couple of moments to realise it was us! I think the most important factor for us, is to be recognised for all the hard work that goes into the Armstrong Ward brand on a daily basis. It’s most definitely a team effort and a result of the energy and passion that each employee contributes in order to achieve what Armstrong Ward is all about.”
Jacqueline and her husband Andrew Ward opened Armstrong Ward in Kendal’s ‘Wainwrights Yard’, 10 years ago, with a vision to sell products and British brands that were under-represented locally, They now offer a collection of design-led gifts, toys, childrenswear, homeware and furniture, from brands such as Emma Bridgewater and Garden Trading. In 2011, they extended their offering to include a café on the ground floor of their Kendal premises.
Prior to opening Armstrong Ward, Kendal-born Jacqueline worked in new product development with a number of national retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Asda.
