Sing your own praises

Seventeen years have now passed since Queen Elizabeth II uttered the immortal words "anus horribilis" to describe what she considered the worst 12-month period of her family life.

In years to come I am sure many fashion retailers will reflect on the 2008/2009 financial year as being their commercial equivalent.

 As if the everyday trading environment were not competitive enough, many of you were also forced to navigate your way around falling consumer spending, spiralling cost and lower levels of inventory.

And while many of you conquered this sensibly and stoically - you also did it silently, and we think it's about time all that changed.

We here at Ragtrader HQ are firmly of the opinion that your achievements in not only surviving but, for some, prospering in such a challenging environment is cause alone for celebration.

And with that in mind we would like to extend an invitation to you to make your case for winning one of the most coveted gongs of the fashion sector - a TNT Ragtrader Fashion Retailer of the Year Award.

Designed to sort the fashion retailing meek from the retailing mighty, the heavily contested awards now have a history dating back some six years to their inception in 2003.

Pitting boutique against boutique and chain against chain, the awards serve to recognise the fashion retailers using innovation, education and retention to stand out from the crowd.

Our illustrious list of past winners and runners-up include such multi-store category leaders as General Pants, Peter Alexander, Portmans, Morrison, Witchery, Feathers and Sportsgirl and illuminating independents such as From St Xavier, Grace Melbourne and Harrolds.

And in keeping with past experience, we anticipate the 2009 instalment to be just as competitive.
As with other years, nominations for the 2009 instalment will be accepted by suppliers as well as retailers themselves.

While there are many changes to this year's awards program, more on that later, the core structure will remain the same.

The awards will feature the usual five categories - Best Chain Over 20 Stores, Best Chain Under 20 Stores, Best Womenswear Boutique, Best Menswear Boutique and Best Childrenswear Boutique. And following the success of last year's rejigged Best Department Store category, our esteemed judging panel will also hold the fashion department of the country's best department stores up for scrutiny as well.

Entries - available online at ragtrader.com.au or by emailing fashionretailawards@yaffa.com.au - are now open with August 21 being the final day for submissions. A full list of the judging criteria is also available at these sites. Judging takes place in September with winners announced during an intimate dinner in Sydney in October.

Let's turn 2009 into the year celebrating you.