Identifying a true winner
Already boasting many animal-like instincts as far as body part realignment and toe nail clipping is concerned, the stakes are raised immeasurably between Dog and Scottish extracted Husband-In-Training (SHIT) when they can no longer go outside to play.
Territorial to the point of ridiculousness, they each spend their jail time indoors dreaming up ways of proving what each considers their physical or mental superiority.
Whether having a sprint off down the passageway, fighting for a share of duvet, scrapping over who gets the last lamb chop, or making themselves ill in a bid to prove who has staying power when it comes to the drink, my boys will find a way to turn everything into a competition.
And as the objective third party - and the only one silly enough to put up with their frequent p*&%ing contests - it often falls to me to become the referee.
I can tell you now, when it comes to them it isn't often I am in a position to reward good behaviour. When it comes to you, however, I am hopeful the tables could at last turn.
So, with a desire to see real competition at work, myself and my team here at Ragtrader HQ would like to invite you to prove to us your commercial prowess through our annual 'appreciation for a job well done' ceremony - the 2007 Ragtrader TNT Fashion Retailer of the Year Awards.
As in other years, this year's awards, the fourth annual, will seek to recognise and award the best of the best among the Australian fashion retail elite.
The success of last year's event - where we switched the awards ceremony from a luncheon to a cocktail evening function and replaced a speech from me with a speech from someone who actually has real stage presence - has prompted us to strive even harder to deliver a bigger and better awards program this year.
While we're keen to save some surprises for later, I can tell you that one of the most obvious changes you will see is the fact we have a host of new sponsors on board to help share in what is shaping up to be a truly magical event.
In keeping with tradition, logistics firm TNT Fashion Express has again been kind enough to sign on as principal naming rights sponsor while merchandising specialist group StoreWorks has also signaled its support for our venture by agreeing to become a silver sponsor for the second year in a row. This year, they will share the spotlight with gold sponsor AMP Capital Shopping Centre and silver sponsor Trak Recruiting, both of which have been kind enough - I prefer to argue visionary enough - to join the fold.
As in other years, nominations for the 2007 awards will be accepted from the industry's leading suppliers as well as from retailers themselves. And in continuing last year's theme, we are in the process of putting together an industry panel - featuring some of the sector's most influential faces - to throw their thoughts into the mix and assist with judging. Our judging criteria too, will follow a similar format to other years with stores scored on first impressions, store layout, customer service, marketing and promotional activity, employee training and business and operation systems.
So, without further adieu we politely request you begin getting your entries together so we can see the real games begin.