The judging process for The Greats 2008 has now been completed and we are pleased to announce the finalists for The 2008 Greats Gift Retailer Awards (listed below) .
The winners are a closely guarded secret and will be announced at the glittering black tie awards event at The Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 22nd May.

Retail Employee Of The Year

Bebe De Fremery
Manager
Oliver Bonas, Windsor

Helen Dunham
Senior Floor Manager
Temptation Gifts, Amersham

Stacey Excell
Operations Manager
Cotswold Trading, Broadway

Karen Giles
Area Manager/Buyer
Velvet Stores, Brighton

Kate Richards
Manager
Mary Sumner House Gift Shop, London, SW1

Tracy Walker
Assistant Manager
Seaweed & Salt, Southwold

Independent Retailer of the Year - South and South East

Alligator Pear, Tadworth, Surrey
Buy The Light, Bury St Edmunds
Cocoa Bean, Windsor
Temptation Gifts, Amersham, Beaconsfield and Berkhamsted
Velvet Stores, Brighton

Independent Retailer of the Year - London

Darch and Duff, London W13
Fairwind, London N8
Huttons, Battersea, Marlow, Putney and Windsor
Sisters and Daughters, Blackheath
The Village Card Shop, London SW16

Independent Retailer of the Year - Midlands and the North

Allans Gift Centre, Coventry
Amanti, Beverley
Celebrations, Carlisle
Cotswold Trading, Broadway
Narborough Hall, Narborough

Independent Retailer of the Year - Scotland

Bohemia, Edinburgh
I Do Gifts, Kilmarnock
JP Pozzi, Buckie
Papyrus, Glasgow
The Post House Gallery, Glasgow

Independent Retailer of the Year - Wales and The South West

Eni, South Molton
Insideout, Tavistock
Lytton & Lily Vintage Home & Garden, Barnstaple
Orange Tree, Topsham
Salt & Pepper, Monmouth

Best Multiple Retailer of Gifts

Dickens & Dolphins, 9 branches
Graham and Green, 5 branches
Oliver Bonas, 18 branches
Shared Earth, 7 branches
The Lemon Tree, 6 branches

Best Department Store Retailer of Gifts

Fenwicks - Newcastle
John Lewis - Oxford Street
Hoopers - Tunbridge Wells
Rossiters of Bath
M&S - Marble Arch

Best Retailer of Licensed Gifts

Boots
Clinton Cards
Debenhams
Forbidden Planet
HMV

Best China or Glassware Retailer

China Place, Ashford
Denby Retail, Denby
Plate Tableware, Fulham
Treeby and Bolton, Keswick
Wrapit, 16 showrooms

Best Newcomer - North

Brauz, Barton Under Needwood
Ginger Jewellery & Gifts, Belper
Heart Gallery, Hebden Bridge
Pad, Chorlton, Manchester
Wax, Wicks and More, Dudley

Best Newcomer - South

Just Because, Pontyclun
Heart & Soul, Lindfield
Orange Tree, Exeter
Seaweed and Salt, Southwold
Temptation Gifts, Berkhamsted

Best Gift Retailer of Jewellery

Bodyneeds Gift Store, Glenrothes
Narborough Hall, Narborough
Ortak, Edinburgh
Presentation, Barrowford
The Bottle Kiln, West Hallam

Best Garden Centre Retailer of Gifts

Bent's, Warrington
Dobbies - Milton Keynes
Otter Nurseries Garden Centre, Ottery St Mary
Van Hage, Great Amwell
Vincent Davies, The Homestore, Haverfordwest

Best Visitor Attraction Gift Shop

Dartington Cider Press Centre, Totnes
Denby Pottery Visitor Centre, Denby
RHS - The Wisley Shop, Woking
The House of Beauly, Beauly
V&A Museum Shop, London

Best Retail Display

Bonkers, St Andrews
Daisy Chain, Histon, Cambridge
The Dulwich Trader, London
Fraiche, Derby
Velvet Stores, Brighton

Best Mail Order Retailer and/or Online Gift Retailer

J D Williams
Grattan
Letterbox
Pressies4princesses
Temptation Gifts

Best Retailer Initiative

Lakeland for its Next Big Thing
Santon Bridge for its Customer Incentives Programme
The Lynn Tait Gallery for its Christmas promotions
Toons for its event programme
Wonder Stuff for its Halloween event

Best Supermarket Retailer of Gifts

Asda
M & S
Morrisons
Sainsburys
Tesco

Gift Retailer of the Year 2008

All independent winners of the other award categories are contenders for this award.

Best Service to the Independent Retailer

Carrie Elspeth
Carte Blanche
East of India
Enesco
Jellycat
Joe Davies
LSA
Widdop Bingham

Honorary Achievement Award

No finalists are revealed for this award, but it will be given to someone who has contributed greatly to the industry and will be announced on the awards night.