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‘w‘A‘i firiikxi cut-0min: :Weifri‘esdajvl, ritk'eirrbei iii. zbl'i - 1'5 Household China and Gifts celebrates some major milestones in service BY Boa VRBANM. touch for that old time Christmas feel. _. (‘hrunii [P stufl It's that type of customer service that has i f never gone out of fashion at Household t‘s a time of celebration for the family China saidTraudie, and still makes it adesti- ‘ {'1 I behind Waterloo landmark Household nation shopping spot for shoppers. ‘ 7 gm?!“ (Ihina and (rifts. “We have people who have come here ' j n g in addition in celebrating 55 years since from all over North America and Europe . t.“ ‘ I . i (ieorge Kauntz started selling pots and parts when coming back to Waterloo.” said - as a side business to building one of the fraudie. “This is their stop and we're pretty s. longest lasting independent retailers in the proud that we’ve kept that in the family. city. the patriarch of the family )iisi turned “Our customer is No. l and we've kept 85. He is also celebrating 60 years of mar that history of quality and service going.” . , _ riage to wife Edith, the mother of his three A lot of that has been accomplished by a children who kept the household going loyal staff who have been with the store for when George went off to sell that cookware years and share their knowledge and expertâ€" - after spending the day toiling at the BF. ise with the customer. Goodrich tire plant “Our staff is amazing." said l'raudie. And all that hard work is on display at the "We've been pretty fortunate and they know store at .500 King St. N, in what was once the what they‘re doing" edge of town but is now in the heart of the That also means making sure that they ;. - , _ city. His daughter Traudie is now in charge, stock what the customer wants, as well as H , r " ., reinventing the space for the next genera those out of the ordinary things that sepaâ€" ., ., ‘ . firm of customers that come to the twoâ€" ratethem from the big box retailers. _ ‘ ., y "‘ storey retail space for everything front "You meet the needs of the market but '32.” t O . kitchenware to their wedding and baby reg; you also meet the needs of this community," 3. .. isrry said Traudie “That's why we do a lot of func- U “It's interesting to see how he started and tions and fundraisers , we're just pan of the where we are now" said l'raudiei who community : became more titan just ”the daughter“ as "We )ust think it‘stime to give back.” she is afiectionately know by longtime cus- [hat includes offering honest prices and { torners when she took over the operations honest service said Traudie. You could go to 5' from her ailing father iii 2006. bigger retailers for some of the same prod- A “ It's kind of cool how the store has iicts but you won't find it at a more competiâ€" evolved and we've taken the store in new (we price. And they won't be able to answer directions like being one of the first to add a questions about the product With the same cooking school " depth of knowledge q lhat next gent-ration includes grand That's because the goal for Household § ‘ daughter Shannon. who remembers coming (ihina and Gifts is to have customers Come .5 . to her grandparents store and helping to back not just for this generation but for suc- ’7‘ wrap (.hristmas presents as a child cesstve ones. They are now doing gift reg» 3 " [ht-y would ask us ifwe wanted to make istries for the grandchildren of some of their ' some extra money for Christmas and pay us original customers l five cents a box." said Shannon. "We would “You‘ll buy sttiff from here that in lo l have a race and they would keep track of it. years they'll say that cutting board I bought ' and whatever we made my grandmother from you or that knife I bought from you l'm I would doiibleit still using it and l love it." said Iraudie. . "It was nice growtng tip here, and it was “'lhat‘s the basis of a happy marriage all about being part ofthe family ' betwm'n us and our ( iistomers " \lii- was doing the same thing last Wt't'lt And (K .issiorially you can still find (700m? .is the store prepared some ( hristmas gifts hdt k in the store provtding the same type of ‘ for a i lient [ht-y still offer that gift vwapping i iistiimer servo e he did when he started the si~ryii i- to all of their customers ston- despite some health challenges Mid lllI'rl“\ no si nipping on the wrap "it‘s amazing," said Iraiidie “He still has Shannon and Transients-com! “MWMMWM Entity keeping the tie ping paper or the hows, which are imported that sense of humour and Will poke with you dition of customer We alive at Househofd China and Gift; The independent retailer was from thr ll \ to gni' eat it package that right us i ran " started 55 years ago by George Kaunu. the patriarch of the famify. "I! m. 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