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Friday October 10th 2008

People in Retail Awards 2008 - The Winners!!

Archived article dated Friday October 10th 2008

People in Retail Awards 2008 - The Winners!!

Hundreds of retailers gathered on Wednesday night to celebrate the 2008 People in Retail Awards, held in association with Kurt Salmon Associates

Following a glittering champagne reception, comedian Chris Barrie entertained guests with his wry take on the retail industry. After a sumptuous meal and a lively awards ceremony the crowd danced the night away until the small hours.

The judges for the 2008 awards were: Richard

Glanville, Chief Financial Officer, Mosaic Fashions, Richard Smith, Managing Director, Lloydspharmacy, Helen Mountney, UK Managing Partner, Kurt Salmon Associates, Nigel J L Rothband, Chief Executive, The Retail Trust, Sonia Sharples, HR Director, Poundland, David Russell, Group HR Director, William Hill, Terry O'Brien, Head of Retail, Vodafone, Gordon Rennison,Head of Corporate Affairs, LaSer UK.

And the winners are .....

Employee Of The Year Winner -Jan Amos, Ernest Jones

The Judges said “The retail industry employs over 1.8 million people, so to win this award is a fantastic achievement. Jan has demonstrated commitment and passion for her job and has been an inspiration to her colleagues. The award was sponsored by Kurt Salmon Associates

Frontline Customer Service Team

Winner - Homebase Showroom Team, Letterkenny

The judges said “Customer care and commitment leapt off the page with many examples of how the team at Letterkenny has gone above and beyond the call of duty.” The Award was sponsored by Securitas

Employer of The Year

Winner -Pets At Home

The judges said “A great example of a retail business which is enjoying outstanding results in a tough trading environment through its people. Their commitment to training and development is clear. Their values have been defined from the “bottom-up” and they've stuck with them for almost a decade.” The award was sponsored by Retail Choice

Store Of The Year

Winner - Iceland,Sheerness

The judges said “This is a store where everyone cares - they care about the business, the customers, and each other. No grievances, zero staff turnover, and high morale coupled with outstanding customer service and company leading performance figures made Iceland Sheerness a clear winner.” The award was sponsored by TNS

Training and Career Development Award

Winner - Vodafone

The judges said “Vodafone is an exemplary example of how investing in the development of people through quality training programmes - many of which lead to nationally recognised qualifications - unlocks the potential of the workforce and creates a high performance organisation.” The award was sponsored by The Training Partnership

Responsible Retailer of the Year

Winner -The Co op Group

The judges said “The Co op has a sincere and sustained commitment to social

responsibility - ethical behaviour is clearly part of their culture. Their work on improving their environmental sustainability has resulted in significant improvements not just within their own organisations, but also in the communities within which they operate.” The award was sponsored by Eversheds.

Customer Initiative Award

Winner -Comet 'click and chat'

The judges said "Really innovative and really simple. and the results in terms of both customer satisfaction and sales conversions are outstanding. A brilliant innovation! The award was sponsored by Vox Pops

Online Customer Service Team

Winner - Bravissimo

The judges said “This was a tough category to judge, with two finalists coming very close. Our winner, however, demonstrates a combination of rigorous processes, a pro-active approach to understanding the needs of customers, and a highly personalised service to those customers”

The award was sponsored by Hudson Communications

Support Team of The Year

Winner - Homebase Retail Support Team

The judges said “Successfully landing major corporate initiatives - particularly when they require behavioural changes at store level is always difficult, but not for this team - a remarkable achievement!” The award was sponsored by Recruit Retail

Team Player of the Year

Winner - Eimhear Kennedy,Principles

The Judges said “With a combination of personal initiative, passion for her brand, and dogged determination Eimhear is a worthy winner whose impact on her region is now resonating across the entire organisation." The award was sponsored by Workplace Systems

Store Manager of the Year - South

Winner - Melanie Knight,Homebase Ewell

The judges said “In a category where the quality of the finalists was extremely high, Melanie stood out as an inspiring role model and leader who has succeeded by taking her people with her and refusing to be intimidated by the sizeable business challenges they have faced.” The Award was sponsored by Retail Kudos

Store Manager of the Year North

Winner -Iain Finlayson,Blackwell UK

The judges said “ Iain's dynamism and innovative flair has seen him widen the reach of his store well beyond its four walls and out into the wider community. An inspiring winner.”


Tagged as: people in retail awards | homebase | ernest jones | iceland | pets at home | BP retail | the coop | World Duty free | MFI | lloydsph

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