| Brisbane based outdoor furniture retailer, Billy’s, was announced as the winner of the Best House/ Homeware category at the National Retail Association Rewards for Excellence in Sydney at the weekend.
Up against well known brands Adairs, Deco Rug, Canterbury Lace and Holy Sheet, Managing Director and Founder Will Ramsay accepted the award from Master of Ceremonies Richard Wilkins in front of more than 400 guests.
“This is fantastic,” said Will in accepting the award. “This is a credit to the hard work of the entire Billy’s team. I’m very proud of what we have been able to achieve. We have a truly unique customer retail experience that has revitalised a traditionally unimaginative market segment and for this to be recognised amongst the nation’s best is exceptionally gratifying.”
Billy’s key staff were present to accept the award after Will generously used the awards ceremony as a way to thank his team for their hard work in establishing the business three years ago and their commitment to the introduction of the new Billy’s brand and the revolutionised shopping experience two years ago when they turned the outdoor furniture retail market on its ear.
“We recognised some time ago that more and more people were focusing on their homes in favour of taking overseas holidays and Billy’s has been able to deliver some excellent products for making a weekend at home even more comfortable and enjoyable, in a retail environment that is attractive to customers” says Will.
“The very important difference with Billy’s is the environment we’ve created to enable customers to imagine how the product will look in their own homes. The store has an easy to follow path that flows through a variety of concept-focused displays that use a variety of flooring and lifestyle visuals, assisting customers to visualise their own homes and how the furniture may fit into the area they have available in terms of both size and aesthetics.”
The announcement has launched the Brisbane business on a national stage on the eve of it’s expansion via franchising.
Now in its 12th year, the Rewards for Excellence are designed to recognise outstanding Australian retailers and promote the pursuit of excellence in retailing through recognition and reward,” according to the National Retail Association.
The awards were attended by Federal Ministers, the Honourable Gary Hardgrave, the Honourable Fran Bailey and the Honourable Dr Sharman.
Billy’s is located at Woolloongabba, Virginia, Jindalee, Maroochydore and now at Robina with two new stores scheduled to open at Albany Creek and Chandler in late June. |
