Welcome to the Retail Industry Awards 2012

Now entering their 17th year, the Retail Industry Awards have become firmly established as the ‘Oscars’ of the grocery industry, rewarding excellence across a raft of different categories

As always, the event will be a unique occasion. It is the only time of year when the whole industry gets together to recognise and reward the smallest independent retailers alongside the largest supermarket groups.

We really are very proud indeed of the importance the industry continues to place on winning a Retail Industry Award. Year on year the awards continue to raise their profile both within the trade and among consumers. Last year saw winners using their winning logos extensively in newspaper and magazine adverts, on TV and in online and in-store marketing.

The awards continue to develop year on year and for 2012 we have added a new award to the line-up, Independent Sales Assistant of the Year, and are delighted to welcome a new sponsor to support it – Loco, the new fascia from wholesaler Nisa.

Following the hugely successful introduction of Product Launch of the Year in 2011, we are delighted that this category has been sponsored this year by the Today’s Group, underpinning their commitment to the unstinting efforts of their supplier partners in coming up with new products and variants.

We are also proud to announce another new category, Sales Team of the Year, which aims to recognise the best supplier sales team servicing the independent convenience sector.

Massive thanks go to all of our loyal partners, who continue to support the awards year after year – Alaska Seafood, Best-one, Booker, Dairy Crest, Dole Fresh UK, HEINEKEN, JTI, Kerry Foods Direct to Store, Kraft Foods, Mars Chocolate, Packaging News, Parfetts, PepsiCo and P&G.

This year we are excited to announce a venue change. The 2012 Retail Industry Awards will take place on 25 September at one of London’s most prestigious hotels – the Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

One thing that doesn’t change, of course, is the credibility, transparency and inclusiveness of the judging process, which rightly continues to sit at the very heart of everything that we do. We’re delighted once again to be working closely with our judging partners from SRCG, Business in the Community, IGD, Kantar Worldpanel, Mintel, Nielsen, Seafish, SymphonyIRI, Accenture and Verdict.

Competition in the grocery industry has never been so strong, and we very much look forward to receiving your entries and to meeting all of the finalists on the night of the Retail Industry Awards.

Helen Lyons
Publisher
Retail Portfolio
Metropolis Business Media