The Distinguished Canadian Retail of the Year Award recognizes a retail leader that has led his/her company to outstanding business success and innovation and that has consistently demonstrated community commitment and support. The recipient is seen as a role model because of his/her exceptional leadership within the corporation, in the retail industry in Canada and in the community at large, through personal and/or corporate philanthropic activities. While years of service within the company are not a prerequisite, the individual’s term as chief executive officer must commensurate with the company’s outstanding success. The individual must be widely respected throughout the industry for his/her achievements and the corporation he/she represents must be seen as a leader in the business community.

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is honoured to announce that Best Buy Canada’s President, Ron Wilson, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year.

The Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of a local independent retailer to his or her community. The recipient is seen as a visionary, an innovator, and an integral part of the community that his or her business serves. Recipients are known for their community involvement, customer loyalty, and support of locally made products and services. As the name of the award suggests, this individual or business must embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship and community service required to be recognized as an ambassador of the retail industry.

Read the full story: Female-led, Canadian beauty brand Evio recognized as 2021 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year by Retail Council of Canada.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a senior executive with a minimum of 25 consecutive years of retail service who has demonstrated outstanding business success and community service throughout his/her career. Winners are visionaries who have left an indelible mark on the industry through their innovations and commitment to customers and employees. As the name of the award indicates, this honour recognizes a long-term commitment to the industry, to the firm(s) he/she has led, and to the community at large. The recipient is recognized and perceived as a retail role model, as an icon in the industry, and one who has dedicated his/her business life to retail.

Inductees to the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame are executives working in retail who have demonstrated leadership in advancing and promoting retail as a career within their company and in the industry, and are strong advocates of retail education and training. Hall of Fame inductees are seen as inspirational leaders, promoting and encouraging young people to pursue careers in retail, current employees to acquire more skills to advance in retail, supporting the development of retail courses in schools, and lending support to organizations promoting retail as a career and retail education. Through their actions, these individuals have demonstrated that retail training and education have played an important role in the success of their companies.