Canada's most innovative retailers to take centre stage at the 2016 Excellence in Retailing Awards

Finalists announced for Retail Council of Canada's Excellence in Retailing Awards

TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - The spotlight is set to shine on Canada's most innovative merchants at the 2016 Excellence in Retailing Awards. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) today announced that 87 finalists from 50 retail companies are in the running for the prestigious awards, which recognize the pinnacle achievements of retail organizations in 10 retail categories covering a range of in-store, online and omni-channel operations.

"Over the past 20 years, the Excellence in Retailing Awards program has become the gold standard, recognizing the very best that retailers in Canada have to offer," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "Becoming a Finalist for these awards takes talent, teamwork and ingenuity, and is a testament to the creativity and leadership of an outstanding group of merchants. Together, these organizations have set a high standard for all retailers in Canada to emulate."

2016 ERA FINALISTS BY COMPANY
Alcool NB Liquor	Bauer (Division of Performance Sports Group)	Best Buy Canada
Bulk Barn Foods Limited	Canada Post	Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd.
Cineplex Entertainment	Costco Canada	David's Bridal
FGL Sports	Foodland	Frank & Oak
goeasy ltd	Groupe Dynamite	H&M
Holt Renfrew	Home Hardware Stores Limited	Hudson's Bay Company
IKEA Canada Limited Partnership	Indigo	La Maison Simons
LCBO	Liquor Stores, NA	Loblaw Companies Limited
M&M Food Market	Mac's Convenience Stores	Manitoba Telecom Services
Mark's	Metro	Michael Hill Jeweller
Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation	PetSmart Canada	Reitmans
RONA	Sears Canada	Sephora
Shoes.com	Shoppers Drug Mart	Sleep Country Canada
Sobeys	Sobeys Express	Sport Chek
Staples Canada	Surmesur	TELUS Retail Limited
Ten Thousand Villages	The Beer Store	The Source
Walmart Canada

The 2016 winners will be announced at the Excellence in Retailing Awards gala on May 31st. The gala is a highlight of the STORE 2016 Conference, Canada's largest retail industry event of the year, which runs May 31st and June 1st at the Toronto Congress Centre.  For further information and to buy gala tickets: www.storeconference.ca/excellence-in-retailing-awards/gala.

The gala will also honour Louise Wendling, former Country Manager of Costco Wholesale Canada, recipient of Retail Council of Canada's 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award; Andrew Lutfy, CEO of Groupe Dynamite, named Retail Council of Canada's 2016 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year; and Cameron Baty and Karina Birch, co-owners of Rocky Mountain Soap Company, recipients of Retail Council of Canada's 2016 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year.

For more information about the Excellence in Retailing Awards and STORE 2016, visit www.storeconference.ca.

About Retail Council of Canada (RCC)

Retail is Canada's largest employer with over 2 million Canadians working in our industry. In 2015, the sector generated payroll over $59 billion and $340 billion in sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline). Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members' represent more than two-thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit industry-funded association and represents small, medium and large retail business in every community across the country. As the Voice of Canadian retailers we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants.

RetailCouncil.org    @RetailCouncil  @RCCMySTORE

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Colin Asuncion, Retail Council of Canada, 416-467-3782, [email protected]