Virukeskus
Foodhall
On May 19th, the annual Viru Keskus Gala took place once again, where the glorious past days of the centre were remembered, the best were honored, and energy for the future was gathered in a shared dance circle. Best Service Location was awarded to PaperMill Roastery, the Best Service Representative was Maie Paju from the Viru Keskus information desk, and the Best Shopping Environment was recognized as the Kaubamaja Food World.
Viru Keskus has been recognizing the best service locations, shopping environments, and service representatives for over ten years, as excellent customer service culture is one of the cornerstones of the shopping centre. The best were identified through a year-long evaluation process, including theoretical tests and mystery shopping conducted in stores. “At Viru Keskus, we place great emphasis on the customer service culture, so it is important to consistently recognize the best in their field. The competition is fierce, so all title winners can be very proud of themselves. Thanks to our people, Viru Keskus develops its unique character, and we do everything we can to ensure that customers feel comfortable and happy here,” said centre director Gertti Kogermann.
This time, the best service location was chosen as PaperMill Roastery on Viru Food Hall, offering its customers specialty coffee made from the best coffee beans. Their award included a unique artwork created by jewelry artist Claudia Lepik, a diploma, and also a monetary prize. The same award was given to the Best Shopping Environment, Kaubamaja Food World, which recently underwent a thorough renovation and takes shoppers on a journey of delightful tastes. The best service representative this time was Maie Paju from the Viru Centre information desk, noted for her friendly attitude and great initiative. She received a unique silver brooch created by Claudia Lepik, along with a diploma and a monetary prize.
Best Service Location 2023
1st place – Paper Mill Coffee & Roastery on Viru Food Hall, manager Raul Toomi
2nd place – Confido Aesthetic Clinic in Viru Beauty Sphere, managers Silja Tina and Mari Anton
3rd place – iDeal Apple Premium Salon, manager Jüri Põld
Best Service Representative 2023
1st place – Maie Paju, Viru Centre information desk
2nd place – Heli Kozõrtski, Goldtime
3rd place – Jelena Bunkina, Askona
Best Shopping Environment 2023
1st place – Kaubamaja Food World
2nd place – Rahva Raamat
3rd place – GANT flagship store
Special Awards for the Shopping Environment
Art Lover’s Special Award – Goldtime
Digital Adaptation Special Award – Euronics
Sustainability Special Award – The Body Shop
As almost all stores have undergone substantial renovations during the latest renewal of Viru Keskus, the Best Shopping Environment category and special awards were distributed. The Art Lover’s Special Award was given to the Goldtime flagship store, mainly for displaying Estonian art classics within the store. The Best Digital Adaptation Special Award went to Euronics’ renewed flagship store, primarily for the improved customer experience resulting from the use of electronic price tags. The Sustainability Special Award was given to The Body Shop store for launching convenient packaging reuse options in their Viru Centre store.
Since Viru Keskus celebrated its 20th anniversary in May, the Annual Gala had a style party theme. The opening year of Viru Keskus in 2004 inspired visitors to dress according to the fashion trends of the 2000s, and as a fashion-focused centre, the gala also selected the most outstanding costumes. Guests, who let their imagination soar, charmed everyone with bold colors, striking accessories, and remarkable textures. The festivities were accompanied by music from DawhyNot.
Fotod Kalev Lilleorg ja Marek Metslaid
