Retail companies, professionals and concepts were recently felicitated by the 7th Annual IMAGES Retail Awards. The awards were presented on the concluding day of India Retail Forum 2010, a two-day event held at The Renaissance hotel in Mumbai on September 28-29.
Bijou Kurien, chairman, IRF 2010, and president & chief executive, Reliance Retail – Lifestyle, said, “We are proud to present IMAGES Retail Awards 2010, which honour the best talent and best practices in the Indian retail scenario. IRA recognises risk-taking ability, innovation and, above all, customer satisfaction.”
Amitabh Taneja, chief convenor, India Retail Forum, said, “The environment was very invigorating, and the competition very, very tough! Inevitably, there was a new breed of leaders and learners who, while creating their own niches in the business, helped shaping the business for good.”
IMAGES Retail Awards 2010 were distributed in a total of 19 categories, including the “Most Admired Retail Group of the Year” and “Most Admired Retail Face of the Year”.
Future Group received the “Most Admired Retail Group of the Year” award. The award was presented by Bijou Kurien and Amitabh Taneja. Accepting the award, Sunil Biyani, director, Future Group, said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. We receive this award on behalf of the entire retail industry and thank them for their support. We will always try to put our best foot forward and work towards the greater benefit for the customer and the retail industry.”
The evening saw Thomas Varghese, chairman, CII National Committee on Retail, and CEO, Aditya Birla Retail, win the “Most Admired Retail Face of the Year” award.
While accepting the recognition, Varghese said it was the constant support of their loyal consumers that enabled them to repeat this feat year after year.
The award ceremony, besides honouring the most deserving companies and people in the modern retail industry, saw scintillating performances by singer Leslie Lewis and stand-up comedian Ash Chandler. The event was anchored by Mandira Bedi and Anish Trivedi.
The IMAGES Retail Awards 2010 followed strict international benchmarks in deciding the top honours, with IRIS Retail Intelligences Knowledge Partner and global consulting firm AT Kearney as the Process Approver. The selection process involved self-nominations as well as a countrywide poll to short-list nominees.
Over 11,000 consumers and about 1,000 professionals voted for their most admired retailers across formats and categories.
– IndiaRetailing Bureau
