NATIONAL: Fashion retail giants Cue, Country Road, General Pants and Sportsgirl will battle it out tonight at TNT Ragtrader's Fashion Retailer Of The Year Awards.
The five national retailers are all finalists in the most hotly contested category of the awards - chains with over 20 stores.
Category judges Kate Vandermeer and Sarah Gale, both with over 15 years experience in Australian fashion retail, said they were blown away by the resilience of major retailers during a tough trading year.
"Many have taken a microscopic view of categories within their business, addressed issues, responded accordingly and produced some outstanding results," Gale said. "[This] will see them continually grow as formidable forces within the marketplace."
Vandermeer was equally impressed.
"It certainly testimony to some inspirational senior management that many of the retailers we interviewed were either on par or up on last year's figures."
Fashion retailers Farage, Marcs and Metalicus will battle it out for the small chain store category, open to businesses with under 20 stores in Australia.
Other categories in the award program include best independent childrenswear retailer, womenswear retailer and menswear retailer.
Vandermeer has spent the last 15 years working across trend forecasting, marketing, design development and visual merchandising for retailers such as Mimco, Decjuba and French Connection.
Gale has worked as a senior buyer for major companies across Australia and New Zealand, including Portmans, Witchery, Jacqui E, Target and Sportsgirl.
The 2009 TNT Ragtrader Fashion Retailer Of The Year Awards will be staged at the Sydney Opera House's Utzon Room tonight (October 21).