Derby Retail Awards 2010

Derby, United Kingdom, August 12, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Stores in Derby are being invited to enter the first ever Derby Retail Awards, designed to recognise the excellence in the retail sector.

Derby College is proud to be part of and assist in the organisation with the Derby Retail Skills Shop, a member of the National Skills Academy for Retail, retailers are invited to gather their entries to celebrate their work in making Derby a great place to shop, and their success stories in staff development. Each category will have two winners, with awards for independent retailers and large retailers and invites nominations from all over the city centre.

Awards will be decided by a mixture of public vote, mystery shopping and by self-nomination, with the winners crowned at an exclusive awards ceremony at the Roundhouse in November.

Richard Page, Derby College and Derby Retail Skills Shop Manager said: “Improving shopper experience and nurturing staff to provide top-notch customer service makes people want to come back to Derby again. We know there’s so much good work going on in the sector across the city so and we want to acknowledge their dedication.”

Entries open on Monday 2 August and close on Sunday 5 September.

The Awards

There are six award categories, two are customer nominated and the remaining four are store nominated.

Category 1 Independent Retailer – Best Shopping Experience
Category 2 Large Retailer – Best Shopping Experience

These are customer nominated awards, sponsored by Ram FM. Customers simply nominate online at www.ramfm.co.uk during the voting period. Customers will be asked the store name, address and why they thought the store offered a great shopping experience. The judges will then identify the stores with the highest votes and review the customer comments to identify the best shopping experience. All nominations received by Ram FM will also be entered into prize draw to win a prize package from retailers worth over 350 pounds Sterling.

Category 3 Independent Retailer – Best Window Display
Category 4 Large Retailer - Best Window Display

These are self nominated awards. Entrants should submit a 300 word maximum rationale, detailing the desired effect of the display and what they are promoting. Windows will be judged across 5 key areas 1) Visual balance 2) Season 3) Initial impact of display 4) Promotional aspect of products 5) Clear focal points. The actual window displays will be judged and photographed by the panel week commencing 13-17 September 2010.

Category 5 Independent Retailer – Staff Development Award
Category 6 Large Retailer - Staff Development Award

These are self nominated awards. Entrants should provide evidence of how they support and develop their staff. Evidence could include team meetings, staff 1-2-1 sessions, days out/events, development planning, training days, training plans, corporate social responsibility, staff retention data, performance reviews and staff feedback.

Nomination forms can be collected from:

- The Derby College Learning Centre, Osmaston Road, Derby
- CCMDerby QUAD, The Market Place, Derby
- Concierge, opposite Boots, Westfield Derby
- The Cathedral Quarter Rangers
- downloaded from Derby Retail Skills Shop website
- downloaded from Derby College website

The awards are supported by CCMDerby, Westfield, the Cathedral Quarter and Ram FM.

For further information or to arrange a photocall - please contact Richard Page
Derby Retail Skills Shop Manager on 07977404932 or richard.page@derby-college.ac.uk

Entry Criteria

All entrants must be located in the City of Derby within the inner ring road.

For these awards, an independent retailer is defined as a single outlet, or a chain of no more than 3 stores managed by either a sole trader or a family firm.

For these awards, a large retailer is defined as a company that has 4 or more outlets or is a national chain.

There are 6 categories and entries for multiple categories will be accepted.

All entrants will be invited to attend the award ceremony on 17 November 2010.

Each category will have 1 winner and 2 runners up.

On-line voting is monitored and restricted to 1 vote per person.

The customer voting period for category 1 & 2, will run for 5 weeks, from 2 August to 5 September 2010 at ramfm.

The retailer self nomination period will run for 5 weeks, from 2 August to 5 September 2010.

The judging panels decision is final.

Window display judging will take place week commencing 13 – 17 September 2010 and will be unannounced in advance.

All entrants agree to participate in any public relations arranged by the promoter.

Derby College offer a wide range of Retail Qualifications - Contact Richard for further details or visit the Derby College Website.

###