Alex Oldfield, store manager of Supercheap Auto in Bundall, Queensland, has been crowned this year’s National Retail Association’s Young Retailer of the Year.
The annual Young Retailer of the Year Award is in its 40th year and recognises excellence in leadership, innovation, and industry knowledge in the Australian retail sector.
“There’s a completely false impression that retail is just a first job out of school industry and that there aren’t long-term career prospects across the sector but this couldn’t be further from reality,” Trevor Evans, director of NRA, said.
“The NRA Young Retailer of the Year Award is recognised nationally has the highest accolade in retail as it serves to acknowledge excellence in leadership, innovation and industry knowledge of retailers under the age of 25.”
This year, the Young Retailer of the Year competition attracted close to 100 nominations from budding retailers across the country.
“Without exception, every one of the finalists were passionate, customer focused, and wanted to do the best for their business,” Westfield’s retailer relations GM, Jack Hanrahan said.
“We were looking at their leadership qualities, we were looking at the activities that they have done [in retail] and the successes they have brought over the past number of years while in their retail career.”
Oldfield, 24, told Inside Retail the win was a tribute to a combination of everything she had achieved within the last year few years in the retail industry.
“A few years ago I was studying education and wanting to go forward with that career, and I went to Supercheap Auto as a part time job, and from there I found a love and a passion for retail,” Oldfield said.
Oldfield has been a finalist of the awards for the past two years, and earlier this year took out the title of Supercheap Auto Manager of the Month.
As the winner, she will receive a place on Westfield’s 2014 World Retail Study Tour.
“I’m really looking forward to the World Retail Study Tour. I think its’ going to be exceptional for my career and also to bring back to my business – seeing how the innovations around the world can be used in a retail setting back here in Australia.”
Jordann Oliphant, Woolworths store manager in Margaret River, Western Australia, was named runner up.
This year’s awards also saw the introduction of the two new awards including the Innovation Award and the People’s Choice Award.
Joanna Zurzolo, store manager of Target Unley in Adelaide, won the People’s Choice, which saw around 1000 votes cast on the night, while Medina Cicak, restaurant GM at KFC, Merrylands in NSW won Visa’s Innovation Award.
Brendan Nelson, first assistant manger of Mcdonald’s, Mermaid Waters, Queensland, won the Retail Doctor Group’s Scholarship Award.
The Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony was led by speakers including the Hon. Bruce Billson MP Shadow Minister for Small Business and Bernie Brookes, Myer CEO and former NRA Chairman.
For indepth coverage of the Awards, subscribe to Inside Retail’s Digital Weekly, available tomorrow, here.
