“THE buck stops here”.
About 700 retail ‘royalty’ called this out as this year’s mantra of the Redland Retail Awards, held on Saturday, August 1 at Sheldon College.
Emcee Michael Bishop, himself a business owner, spoke to the enthusiastic crowd about the deeper reasons for retailing and keeping shopping local.
“It’s more than your livelihood. It’s about food, education, holidays, travel. It’s about giving people what they want and making that experience amazing. In retail, you have to stay current and stay relevant,” he said.
Mayor Karen Williams did a quick hands-up survey, revealing that most people attending the awards were under 25 and congratulating them for grasping employment opportunities locally.
“Every time you serve, you are an ambassador not only for your outlet, but also for your area. People may forget what they bought, but they will not forget how you made them feel. We should all aspire to great service,” she said.
She said competition was no longer about the family business down the road, but was also against the internet and international family businesses.
“You just have to be great at what you do,” she said.
“The retail sector in the Redlands has experienced continued growth since 2011. I put this down to business’s adaptation to change and being multi skilled. Council too has had to become customer focussed, but in so doing, it has become a destination in itself — recognised as a great place to work, live and play. Retail is part of that,” she said.
First time award entrants and winners of Retailer of the Year were Jayee Patil and Rohit Pathak of the Punjab Curry Club of Wellington Point, also winning the restaurant section against a field of six finalists.
“The retail awards are a good chance to show who we are. It’s a great feeling to own your own business. If you work hard, you get rewarded for it. We are happy to work hard. We have the passion to put in the hard yards and to compete against the other great restaurants. This is our reward for keeping that work focus,” Rohit said.
The Excellence in Customer Service award was given to Joy Gallagher of Classic Paint Supplies at Cleveland, who gave a tearful thank you to her employers.
Five-time winners Fresh Sensations in the fresh food and convenience section, and Woolworths, Town Centre Victoria Point, were inducted into this year’s Gallery of Honour.
In accepting the award, Fresh Sensations owner Chris Nicolaou said it was a “pleasure to go to work every day”.
“It’s about providing good service and a good product,” he said.
Other winners were Battery World (auto marine sales and service), Credit Union Australia, Capalaba Central (banks and mortgage brokers); Simply Me, Cleveland (beauty services); SVL Bar, Capalaba and Refuelled Cafe, Wellington Point (joint winners for cafe or casual dining); Funshack, Victoria Point (family entertainment venue); Williams, Victoria Point (fashion accessories); W-Lane, Capalaba (fashion); Snap Fitness, Cleveland (fitness); Tanja’s Arthouse, Cleveland (general retail small under 150 square metres); Office Direct, Capalaba (general retail medium 150 to 500 square metres); The Reject Shop, Cleveland (general retail large over 500 square metres); Dusk, Capalaba (gifts and collectables), The Colour Salon, Victoria Point (hairdresser), Classic Paint Supplies, Cleveland (home decorator); Elysium Lakeside, Victoria Point (hotel club and bar); Stephen Dibb Jewellery, Cleveland (jewellery); DL Dental, Alexandra Hills (medical services); Town Centre News, Victoria Point (news and books); Redland Bay Discount Drug Store, Redland Bay (pharmacy); Helloworld, Capalaba (professional services); Telstra Shop, Victoria Point (sound, electrical, computer and communication); Woolworths Victoria Point (supermarkets and department stores) and Boost Juice, Victoria Point (takeaways/kiosks).
Note was made of the integration enjoyed at the awards which included naming rights sponsor Commonwealth Bank, platinum, gold, silver and bronze sponsors, Sheldon College and students from Victoria Point High School’s media/video program.