Retail Council of Canada Salutes the Industry's Top Achievers at STORE 2016

TORONTO, May 31, 2016 /CNW/ - Thirteen of Canada's most innovative retailers took home top prizes tonight at the 2016 Excellence in Retailing Awards (ERA), a highlight of Retail Council of Canada's STORE 2016 conference in Toronto. In addition to the ERA honorees, three Awards of Distinction were also bestowed at a gala presentation attended by Canada's retailing elite.

The ERA program recognizes pinnacle achievements in a variety of in-store, online and omni-channel retail operations. This year saw 87 finalists from 50 retail companies vying for the coveted trophies. KPMG LLP Canada is the presenting sponsor of the Excellence in Retailing Awards program.

"As befitting the name of this competition, the winners of the Excellence in Retailing Awards are true exemplars of the best that Canada has to offer," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "Each of these retail organizations is driven to deliver superior customer service, innovative business solutions and leadership in store operations, and we applaud their many accomplishments."

Ms. Brisebois added: "I also join the industry in saluting the recipients of this year's prestigious Awards of Distinction. All of them are game-changers leaving a lasting, positive imprint on their employees, customers, peers and the communities they serve. Quite simply, retailing in Canada is all the better for their vision, passion and business acumen."

2016 Awards of Distinction recipients: 

2016 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award
Presented to Andrew Lutfy, CEO, Groupe Dynamite, in recognition of his exceptional achievement and leadership in retail.
Sponsored by: MasterCard Canada

2016 Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Louise Wendling, former Country Manager, Costco Wholesale Canada, for demonstrating outstanding business success and community service throughout her career.

2016 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award
Presented to Cameron Baty and Karina Birch, Co-Owners, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, for embodying the true spirit of entrepreneurship and community service.
Sponsored by: Chase Paymentech

2016 Excellence in Retailing Award Winners:

E-Commerce Experience
SHOES.COM – "Building a Brand for the Young, Engaged Guest"

Health, Safety and Wellness, sponsored by Workplace Safety & Prevention Services
LCBO – "Work Smart Work Safe: LCBO Safety Initiative"

In-Store Experience and Design
Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd. – "Edmonton Showcase Store"
Hudson's Bay Company – "Hudson's Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue Together in One Historic Location"

In-Store Merchandising
IKEA Canada Limited Partnership – "Creating Inspiring Kitchen Solutions for the Many Canadians with IKEA's New SEKTION Kitchen Range"

Loss Prevention
Sears Canada – "Let's Get Technical: Leveraging Technology to Increase Productivity and Reduce Shrink"

Marketing & Communications, sponsored by KPMG
Reitmans – "Reitmans. Really."
Walmart Canada – "Discover Another Side of Walmart Canada"

Omni-Channel, sponsored by VISA
Best Buy Canada – "Leadership in Total Retail"

Philanthropic Leadership, sponsored by Chase Paymentech
PetSmart Canada – "PetSmart Charities of Canada: Canada's Adoption Story"

Supply Chain Innovation
La Maison Simons – "Synchronizing the Supply Chain to Support Growth & Expansion in an Omni-Channel Environment"

Talent Development
H&M Hennese & Mauritz Inc. – "Investing in Our Future Leaders at H&M Canada"
Michael Hill Jeweller – "The Michael Hill Retail Academy"

About Retail Council of Canada
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 Retail in Canada, 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 

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Colin Asuncion, Retail Council of Canada, [email protected]