Australian Retail Association (ARA) Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said three out of five categories are now open for nomination- the Australian Young Retailer of the Year, Independent Retailer of the Year and Retail Innovator of the Year.

"It's been a hard year for retailers dealing with poor trade and huge changes to their employer obligations but the 2010 ARA Australian Retail Awards will be a great boost for resilient retailers who have managed to convert challenges into opportunities.

"Employers can take this opportunity to reward exemplary staff by nominating them for the Australian Young Retailer of the Year, while smaller retailers who make a real impact in their community are encouraged to enter the Independent Retailer of the Year category. Retailers with ground-breaking practices will go head-to-head with other visionaries in the Australian Retail Innovator of the Year category," Zimmerman said. 

Nomination Information
Important dates: Nominations for Australian Independent Retailer of the Year and Australian Young Retailer of the Year are accepted until 26 July 2010, with submissions to be received by 2 August 2010. Nominations for Australian Retail Innovator of the Year are accepted until 2 August 2010, with submissions to be received by 9 August 2010.

To register nominations: Retailers should go to http://ara.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0yMzg1OTAmcD0xJnU9NTAyMDM3NTc3JmxpPTk4OTcyMA/index.html and follow the links to the category of their interest.

Winners announced: State winners for Young Retailer of the Year and Independent Retailer of the Year will be notified in August. They will then proceed to compete for the national title to be announced along with the Australian Retail Innovator of the Year, Australian Retail Graduate of the Year and Australian Retailer of the Year, at the Retail 2010 Exhibition and Conference in Sydney (20-22 September 2010).

"The ARA invites retailers from all corners of Australia to consider putting in a nomination for one or more of these categories as soon as possible. The retail industry must stand behind its very best and ensure that the pursuit for excellence prevails despite challenging times," Zimmerman said.

The ARA Australian Retail Awards program recognises the outstanding achievements of individual retail players, the growth and development of retail businesses and contributions towards retailing in Australia. Award categories in 2010 include Australian Young Retailer of the Year, Australian Independent Retailer of the Year, Australian Retail Innovator of the Year, Australian Retail Graduate of the Year and Australian Retailer of the Year 2010. Further information and nomination forms are available at http://ara.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0yMzg1OTAmcD0xJnU9NTAyMDM3NTc3JmxpPTk4OTcyMA/index.html or contact 1300 368 041 or awards@retail.org.au.