Canadian Retailers Honored

Retail Council of Canada paid tribute to
leaders in the retail industry at its ninth annual Excellence in Retailing Awards dinner.

Wayne Sales, President and CEO of Canadian Tire Corporation, accepted the
Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year award. Henry Singer Fashion Group
accepted the Innovative Retailer of the Year award in the Small Retailer
category, while Edmonton's Running Room was honoured as Innovative Retailer of
the Year in the Mid-size Retailer category and Costco Wholesale Canada
accepted the Innovative Retailer of the Year award in the Large Retailer
category. The awards recognize the industry's top achievers and were presented
as part of STORE 2004 – Canada's Retail Conference.

“The Excellence in Retailing Awards are designed to highlight the very
best of Canadian retail,” says Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of Retail
Council of Canada. “I think everyone would agree that the award winners are
completely deserving of their prizes. Congratulations to all.”

In addition to the Innovative and Distinguished awards, winners were
announced in seven other categories:

Retail Store Design & Layout Award: Honours a retailer that has used
innovation to create a visually enticing layout and design.

• The Large Category winner is Loblaw Companies Ltd. for its price-
  aggressive Loblaws in Toronto. The first Toronto store to receive the
  new identity – a Real Canadian SuperStore, a store that merged the
  Loblaws identity with the Real Canadian SuperStore promise of “Lower
  Prices, Real Savings” – performed above projections. Five to 10 more
  stores are slated to open in 2004/2005.

• The Mid-size Category winner is The Bombay Furniture Company for the
  launch of BombayKIDS. The stores produced sales results 41 per cent
  higher than Bombay's proposed pro-forma and received positive
  responses from landlords across Canada.

• The Small Category winner is Niagara, Ont.-based Chateau des Charmes
  for its strategy to tap the retail channels driven by Niagara's
  thriving tourism industry. Chateau des Charmes developed a strategy to
  become a sophisticated, historic retail destination for day trippers
  and tour groups.

Community Outreach Award: Is given to a retailer that has made a
significant contribution to its community.

• The winner is The Home Depot Canada. In November 2003, The Home Depot
  Canada opened its 100th store. As part of the celebration, Canadian
  stores participated in a nationwide volunteer day. Associates at all
  levels of the company supported the cause donating over 10,000
  volunteer hours to Canadian communities in a single day and generating
  an enthusiasm for volunteering and a strong community spirit among
  employees.

Retail Marketing Award: Is presented to a retailer that has developed a
creative and successful marketing campaign by integrating two or more
tactics.

• The Large Category winner is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
  (LCBO) for its Shake It Up Spirits Promotion. The four-week program
  was designed to inspire, educate, and entertain consumers by
  positioning the category as hip, fun, delicious, and easy to make. It
  increased sales of participating products by five per cent and
  increased consumer satisfaction.

• The Mid-size Category winner is Hallmark Canada for “Butterflies Are
  Free.” The promotion was supported with a seven-week television
  campaign and point-of-purchase materials. The butterfly program
  delivered a substantial increase in transactions, card unit sales, and
  card dollar sales.

Retail Employee Development Award: Is presented to a retailer that has
developed a comprehensive recognition and training program for its sales
and customer service staff.

• The Large Category winner is Hudson's Bay Company for developing the Strategic Service Model (SSM) as a way of distinguishing Zellers to
  the consumer. The training program was a massive success: 375,000
  training hours were logged. Extensive surveys indicate that customers
  noticed and appreciate the improved shopping experience.

• The Mid-size Category winner is Intrawest Corporation. When a number
  of factors were shrinking margins at Intrawest's retail operations,
  the company responded by creating the position of Director of Retail
  Training. A number of interactive learning programs were rolled out to
  teach employees the policies, procedures, and philosophies behind a
  great retail operation. The training resulted in a positive employee
  experience, positive customer feedback, and higher revenues.

Retail Technology Award: Is presented to a retailer who has proven that
investing in technology can significantly improve the delivery of service
and profitability of the company.

• The Large Category winner is Hudson's Bay Company for designing a
  Web-based appointment scheduling system to realize lower inventories,
  increased goods movement, and $2 million in annual savings.

• The Mid-size Category winner is HMV Canada for its project to automate
  over 90 per cent of its supply chain transactions within 24 months and
  within a budget of $250,000. HMV surpassed its goals. It automated
  98 per cent of transactions with 97 per cent of its core suppliers,
  and it did this under budget, in 18 months.

Retail Resources Protection Award: Honours a retailer that has
successfully implemented a loss prevention strategy in order to combat
theft.

• The winner is Sears Canada for its holistic approach to Resources
  Protection. Sears Canada restructured its Resources Protection
  department and implemented the Crime Prevention Through Environmental
  Design Accreditation Program, which teaches loss prevention
  practitioners how to become more proactive in minimizing the risk of
  crime. CPTED initiatives helped Sears save $550,803 in a single store
  in Scarborough, Ontario.

Canada Post Excellence in Multi-Channel Retailing Award: Honours a
retailer who successfully satisfies the ever-increasing consumer appetite
for retail channel choice.

• The recipient is Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) for Ciao
  Italia – Italian Promotion. To support sales of Italian wines, LCBO
  launched an aggressive campaign that reached every channel available.
  LCBO supported the promotion with in-store POP, a Ciao Italia Web
  site, radio advertising, outdoor advertising, and a strong PR
  campaign. Sales of Italian wines were up more than 30 per cent, sales
  of participating products jumped more than 57 per cent, and ROI on the
  campaign hit 103 per cent.