Smyth's Homevalue Nominated for GIA Award

It is sponsored in Ireland by the magazine Hardware & Homestyle, which the County Wexford outlet impressed as “a perfect example of what a destination homewares store can be – a cornerstone of the community it serves and so much more.”

Smyth’s was praised for its “exceptional range of products for the home, backed by expert knowledge and customer service that has converted a generation of shoppers into loyal repeat customers – all while continuously pushing the boundaries of what a local homewares store can be, and yet never losing sight of its traditional values.”

Representatives of the store are to be honoured in a special ceremony in Chicago in March, which forms part of The Inspired Home Show, held annually in the Windy City.

“Over the moon” was the reaction of proprietor Dermot Kavanagh who, along with wife Betty, son Jack and their hardworking crew, keeps the wheels turning both in Enniscorthy and also in Gorey. The Gorey store, Smyth’s Decor, is a specialist paint and wallpaper store.

“We are absolutely over the moon to see Smyth’s Homevalue recognised on the global stage as Ireland’s representative in the GIA Global Innovation Awards. For a family business that my late father Jack proudly built up from 1979, this honour means the world to us. It’s a testament to the loyalty of our customers, the dedication of our incredible team in Enniscorthy and Gorey, and the values of service, quality and community that have guided us for generations.

While we’ve continued to evolve — expanding our homewares departments, strengthening our paint and décor offering at Smyth’s Decor, and introducing new initiatives like DID Essentials — we’ve always stayed true to the personal touch that defines us. To be counted among the very best retailers from around the world at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago is both humbling and hugely exciting.

This recognition belongs to our whole community in County Wexford who have supported us for more than four decades. We’re proud to fly the flag for Wexford and for Ireland.”

The store has been in the family since being acquired by Dermot’s late father, Jack, in 1979 and has seen several iterations and expansions over the years while still remaining true to its traditions of customer service and quality products. Now boasting homewares, electrical, paint, lighting, garden and DIY departments, Smyth’s has had a busy year and things are showing no signs of slowing down in 2026.

In addition to the latest GIA award, they last year received a major paint retailing award and last autumn launched their new DID Essentials offering.

“The expansion underlines the commitment of Homevalue and DID Electrical to delivering greater choice and convenience to households across the county,” said Jack Kavanagh.

For now, all eyes are on Chicago where, this year, 31 outstanding home and housewares retailers from 30 countries around the globe, including three totally new to the GIA programme – Croatia, Indonesia and Paraguay – will be honoured at The Inspired Home Show 2026, which will take place March 10–12 in Chicago.

“The GIA programme was created by IHA and The Inspired Home Show to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing throughout the world. Since the launch of GIA in 2000, there have been over 600 GIA retail award winners from 60 countries on six continents,” explains Hardware & Homestyle National Sales Manager Dermot Casey.