The best of the best
The overall winners of the second annual TNT Ragtrader Retailer of the Year Awards were announced last week and, as Ragtrader editor Tracey McEldowney reports, the competition was nothing short of fierce.
For the best part of five months one question has dominated talk around the Ragtrader office - just how innovative are the leaders of Australian fashion retailing?
Now at last we have our answer: exceptionally and undeniably so.
While tough trading conditions during 2005 forced a disturbing number of fashion retailers to the wall, finalists in the 2005 TNT Ragtrader Retailer of the Year Awards clearly and easily distinguished themselves from their competitors.
The process began back in September when the Ragtrader team joined forces with logistics heavyweight TNT to launch the second annual awards event.
Leading industry suppliers were invited to nominate retailers in two different categories - Best Chain and Best Independent. Retailers themselves were also invited to nominate their businesses.
Nominations were received from all over the country and Ragtrader then contacted suppliers and independent sources to identify which businesses were suitable for shortlisting. In all, around 80 independents and nearly a dozen chains across mens, womens and childrenswear, footwear, swimwear, activewear and accessories retailers had their names in the hat.
Award judges Amanda Young, the executive director of the Australian Centre for Retail Studies (ACRS), and Ragtrader's own Belinda Smart then spent four weeks travelling the country visiting each shortlisted nominee and assessing their business according to the award's strict criteria.
The chosen few - five chains and five independents - were handThey say tough times never last but tough people do and General Pants, the winner of the Best Chain category, and Harrold's, named the Best Independent, provided clear anecdotal, as well as physical, evidence of this.
Boasting not only a clearly defined vision of their target markets, the pair also strived to offer customers a well-positioned product through the use of a personality-driven branding and innovative store display. Of more importance is the fact they did so without compromising their relationships with their customer, their staff or their suppliers.
On behalf of the entire Ragtrader team I would again like to congratulate all the finalists and winners of this year's awards and wish you all the very best for an enjoyable and profitable 2006.