CHICAGO – GlobalShop returned to Chicago, where it started 26 years ago.

The 2018 edition at McCormick Place West exhibited a variety of products and services for a new retail model that combines traditional stores and digital e-commerce.

Sponsored by trade association sponsor, Shop!, formerly ARE, GlobalShop has served the industry as a platform for growth, education and innovation.

This is the only trade show that combines retail design, merchandising, shopper-facing technology and marketing, and was expected to draw some 10,500 industry professionals.

Wood products aren’t the primary focus at the show, which includes all kinds of retail displays and related products made of composites, plastics and metal.

Wood related

Wood-related companies that we saw on the GlobalShop show floor included KC Store Fixtures, Lozier, Newood Display Fixture Mfg. Co., ICM Millwork, Showbest Fixture Corp., TC Millwork, and Windmill Slatwall Products. We also spoke with Mock Woodworking Co., which makes high-end retail displays and wood millwork. They were exhibiting for the first time.

Barrel manufacturing might seem kind of old school on the colorful, high-tech and LED-lit GlobalShop floor, but we saw two wooden barrel makers, both from Maine: Bridgewater Barrels and Maine Bucket Co. Inc.

Product design winners

The International Interior Design Association, in partnership with Emerald Expositions, announced the winners of the annual GlobalShop Product Design Competition. This competition honors manufacturers exhibiting at GlobalShop 2018 for product design advancements in innovation, function, and aesthetics for the retail industry.

Best of Competition was awarded to Shaw Contract for Reimagine What’s Possible. Fixtures category winner was Stylmark for Flexis DisplayMaker wall merchandising system. Flooring category winner was Shaw Contract for Reimagine What is Possible

Also, Materials, Surfacing, and Wallcoverings category winner was Swisstrax for its Turftrax Modular Flooring Tile. Mannequins / Forms category winner was CNL Mannequins for its All In collection. Signage / Graphics category winner was  Mapal Plastics for its PolyCraft - recyclable foam polypropylene sheet for printed signs, POP and displays.

Earlier, GlobalShop announced an agreement to co-locate in 2019 with the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, the world’s largest e-commerce event, and RFID Journal Live! Retail, the only RFID event dedicated specifically to retail application.

RetailX will bring together three distinct shows to create a combination of e-commerce, store design and innovation. The combined event will take place June 25-27, 2019, at McCormick Place in Chicago. See http://www.globalshop.org.