Design store LUC. has been named the gia Australia winner and will be representing Australia this March in Chicago at the global gia Awards.
Based in Hobart, Tasmania, the store is well known for its iconic design brands that attract customers who recognise quality, says owner Lucy Given.
“Our brand is built on the philosophy ‘buy once, buy well’,” she explains. “We have a reputation for representing classic design brands and we want to educate our customers that great design doesn’t necessarily have a hefty price tag.
“Simple, elegant, classic design does not have a use-by date and is not trend-driven. Our social media platforms have led to a large following due to dedication to highlighting great design―our Instagram account now has more than 300K followers.”
She adds that the single most used phrase when customers enter her store is ‘what a beautiful shop’.
“Our space is in a unique, heritage-listed, waterfront warehouse and we present our products in a gallery style format where customers can walk around displays and we mix our brands to highlight how they can work together. We want customers to feel that every corner has something new to offer and we have set the store so it takes time to walk around it. It also smells great.”
LUC. was established in 2013 and Given says that while she has travelled the world Tasmania will always be her home.
“I grew up here in Hobart but lived away for most of my adult life because I believed the ‘rest of the world was out there’.
“I have been lucky enough to live not only in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but in London, Florence and (my special home) Byron Bay. But Tasmania is like the Hotel California―you can check out but never leave.”
This year is shaping up to be a good one for Given. Besides being named gia Australia winner and flying to Chicago in March to compete on the global stage, she is soon launching a secondary business, LUC. Trade, where she will source product for customers and professionals to save them time and money.
“We decided to service the designers and architects instead of competing with them,” she says.
The gia program was created by the IHA and International Home + Housewares Show in 2000 to foster innovation and excellence in home and housewares retailing throughout the world.
For more information on the gia Awards visit www.housewares.org/show/gia-retail
By Marion Gerritsen
