Village Green Receives First ICFA Creativity Award
Furniture World News Desk on
1/30/2018
Village Green Home and Garden of Rockford, Ill., recently announced that it has received the first Mary Fruehauf Retail Genius Award, presented by the International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) at its annual Educational Conference here.
Village Green is a destination shopping experience with a unique atrium showroom where natural light floods from ceilings 20 feet above the floor. Customers follow cobblestone walkways through casual furniture displays, including fully accessorized decks and patios featuring over 100 different outdoor resources. The retailer was lauded during the award presentation for creating a sensory environment for shoppers that is innovative, fun and memorable. Judges noted the store’s use of uncommon accessories, dazzling color and dramatic lighting, together resulting in what can only be described as “retail theater.”
The Retail Genius Award was created to recognize retailers whose creativity invokes the spirit of Mary Fruehauf, an industry leader who was known for her unique approach to igniting excitement and emphasizing the fun in outdoor living. The trophy designed for the award was presented today to Village Green’s Jessica Salisbury, CEO and creative director, during ICFA’s Educational Conference program.
“Mary was a dedicated and passionate person whose creativity of expression sparked a sense of enjoyment and discovery in her customers, community and the national casual furniture industry for over two decades,” said Mariah Maydew, who succeeded Fruehauf as president and CEO of Fruehauf’s in Boulder, Colo., after Mary’s death from cancer in 2015.
“We are thrilled that the ICFA is honoring her imagination and the many ways she inspired others. She would love the idea of a ‘Retail Genius’ award to recognize the creativity of others in our industry,” Maydew added.
All ICFA retail members were eligible to compete for the award. Applicants presented a unique and creative display, event, promotion or concept to the judges, who included industry veterans and close personal friends and colleagues of Fruehauf: Mariah Maydew, Cathy Galbreath- Buzbee, owner of ABSCO Fireplace & Patio, Birmingham, Ala., and Brian Lawrence, president of Emigh’s Casual Living, Sacramento, Calif.
More about the ICFA: The International Casual Furnishings Association, based in High Point, N.C., represents manufacturers, retailers, sales representatives and designers of outdoor furnishings plus suppliers to the industry.