Argos corporate news
Argos scoops top award in Retail Week Awards
18 March 2005
Argos scooped the Store Manager of the Year Award at the prestigious Retail Week Awards ceremony on March 17, beating competition from Currys, B&Q, The Carphone Warehouse, Holland and Barrett and Waterstone's.
Marie Wilson, who works at the Lincoln store, was singled out as being the top store manager for the whole of the retail industry, in a year when the awards attracted a record number of entries.
For this category, the judges make their assessments based on the crucial attributes for a great store manager; excellent retail skills, brilliant and inspirational team leadership, a proven general manager and the ability to deliver the brands' customer service values. As part of the judging process, all shortlisted store managers' stores are mystery shopped and the store also had to prove it was an outstanding performer within the business.
After the ceremony a delighted retail operations manager, Ben Idun, said: "The Retail Week Awards have come to be recognised as the showcase event for the leading performers in the UK retail industry. This is the first time that an Argos store manager has won this award and I cannot think of a more deserving store manager or a better ambassador for Argos than Marie who approaches her work with commitment, energy, enthusiasm and dedication. I am proud that Marie is a member of the Argos team and cannot congratulate her enough on this superb achievement."
Marie joined Argos from school in 1981, initially as part of the Youth Training Scheme, and began her career in the Doncaster store. In 1993 she was promoted to a management position in Rotherham where she stayed until 2001 working her way up to store manager. She then managed a number of stores including Wakefield and Doncaster before being asked to set up the new Barnsley Cortonwood store in November 2003 and then moved onto Lincoln in the autumn 2004.
This award and others were presented at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London, in front of all of the UK's key retailers as well as many industry observers and analysts.
