Care for some real competition?

Some of the industry's brightest lights have agreed to stand in judgement of the lead contenders in the fourth annual Ragtrader TNT Fashion Retailer of the Year Awards.

The influential jury will be charged with narrowing a field of six finalists down to just one winner in an effort to uncover the best of the best among the nation's fashion department stores.

Included in the 10 strong panel of five men and five women is L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival director Karen Webster, Austrade fashion consultant Caroline McIntosh, TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio department head Nicholas Huxley and Australian Retail Association marketing manager Richard Vines.

The group - together with an unnamed panel of boutique and chain judges - will follow strict selection criteria, taking into account such things as customer service, marketing and promotional activity, employee training and, business and operational systems.

With just over 10 weeks to go before award nominations close, the mailbag has been full to overflowing with an even mix of third party and self nominations flooding in across each of the seven categories - Childrenswear, Menswear, Womenswear, Youthwear in the boutiques arena and both under-20 and over-20 chain retailers.

The judging for the awards will take place during September and October with winners announced during a glittering cocktail function at Sydney's Doltone House on November 29.