ARA Awards keynote named

 

apple, business, idea, conceptDerek Dyson, Specsavers global retail director, has been named as the keynote speaker at this year’s Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Australian Retail Awards breakfast on July 15 in Melbourne.

“The Specsavers brand has certainly become a centrepiece of Australian retail,”  Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said.

“Specsavers first came to the Australian market in 2007 as a wholesale business before opening their first stores in 2008 in Melbourne. There followed one of the fastest retail rollouts ever seen in Australia with 100 Specsavers stores opened over the course of just 100 days – a truly inspiring retail story that needs to be shared,” Zimmerman said.

Derek Dyson said it was an honour to be invited to give the keynote address at the Awards Breakfast.

“The retail industry has endured some tough times in recent years but it is important to remember that it is a cornerstone of the Australian economy – and needs to be seen as such, not just by retailers but also beyond. The ARA Awards are part of that and give all retailers, large and small, the opportunity to show just how good they are and just how focussed they are on their customers and the community at large.

“For us at Specsavers, as a relative newcomer to the retail landscape across Australia, we were really thrilled to win two major awards at last year’s ARA Awards. Our offer of professional eye care matched with high quality, affordable eyewear has been embraced by the community. At the 2014 ARA Australian Retail Awards Breakfast I’m looking forward to sharing my views on how retailers can succeed in the face of ever-present competition,” Dyson said.

The ARA is calling on Australian retailers to prepare and submit their nominations for the 2014 ARA Australian Retail Awards by May 16, 2014.

Award categories include Australian Retailer of the Year, Australian Retail Employer of the Year, Australian Independent Retailer of the Year, Australian Retail Innovator of the Year, Australian Retail Graduate of the Year, Australian Multi-channel Retailer of the Year, Retail HR Practitioner of the Year, Individual Retailer of the Year – male and  female, Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year, and the Victorian Government’s Victorian Retailer of the Year.

To nominate or for more information, click here.

 

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