Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned competitor, when you enter the SLR Rewards 2017, make sure you give it your best and check out these tips from the rest of the best here too.
“We have had many a comment from our regular customers,” says Imran Ali from Euro Garages Spar Lomondgate in Dumbartonshire. “Now they expect us to win more awards and again this has raised the bar for our team at Lomondgate!”
The deadline for entry is closer than you think. 27 January is the last day for entries, not the first day to start thinking about it. So, it’s time to get your thinking cap on and put yourself in the spotlight for the most rewarding event in retail.
“Winning Scottish Local Retailer of the Year in 2015 gave us a lot of publicity I always believe that it is a good motivator for the team,” says Joanna Casonato, speaking from her Milnathort Nisa store. “It probably makes hiring and motivating new staff easier too, because they are excited to join and contribute to a successful store. I always think it’s good to include figures, because you can say what you want but the numbers talk for themselves. It can also get you looking at your Epos systems if you don’t already do so regularly.”
Is your entry under way? The next three weeks could change the way you do business, and set you on the road to the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on 11 May. Armed with these top tips, could you be among the SLR Rewards winners in 2017? There’s only one way to find out for sure. Enter now at www.slrawards.com.
“When entering, give as much information about the store as you can, the history and the direction you’re heading. Photographs for the relevant category are very important as this is what catches the judges’ eye at the early stages. Testimonials from your customers and local charities always help too.”
General Information
The SLR Rewards 2017 are open to all independent and symbol convenience stores in Scotland. The content of your entry should cover at least the 12 month period running up to May 2017 and your store, or the project you are submitting in your entry, should have been operational throughout that period.
A former Scottish Local Retailer of the Year, Saleem Sadiq says getting his Spar Renfrew store shortlisted for the first time was all it took for him to catch the bug. “It’s just a short climb after that to make sure you do your level best to impress the judges when they come to visit the store,” says Saleem. “Staff get rewarded with various incentives and where possible some will be invited to SLR Rewards night.
Supporting Material
In addition to a fully completed entry form, you must also submit photographic evidence to bring your entry to life and allow the judges to fully understand your entry.
- For Category Rewards – confectionery, crisps, e-cigs and so on – you must submit a photograph of the main fixture plus photographs of any relevant secondary sitings, or anything else that you feel adds weight to your entry.
- For Special Rewards – community, best refit, team and so on – please ensure that the photography you supply clearly illustrates the work you have done and allows the judges to fairly assess that work.
Bruce and Donna Morgan of Best-One @ Brownlies in Biggar suggest getting the camera out early when entering the SLR Rewards. “Photos are your best friend,” says Donna. “We take loads of pictures and review them with the staff, pointing out things that could be improved.
“Make a list of things you do well in the categories you are entering. Again, the staff are amazing at this. Try not to leave it to the last minute. It really doesn’t take long; the hardest part is getting started!”
Judging
As always, the judging will be held in two separate stages:
- A paper judging carried out by a panel of expert, experienced judges who will assess all correctly submitted entries to generate a shortlist for each Reward category.
- An on-the-road stage where each shortlisted store will be visited by a team of judges with an overall winner being chosen. All site visits will be unannounced.
“The most obvious benefit from our point of view is that entering the SLR Rewards makes you scrutinize what you do, and that in turn makes you do things better, which brings in more business,” says Rewards winner Linda Williams from Premier Broadway Convenience Store in Edinburgh.
For further information, contact Cara Begley in our Events Team on 0141 222 5381 or email events@55north.com
