Nominate your own shop for chance to meet host Sara Barron – you’re definitely worth it!
If you are a fabulous greeting card retailer here’s your last chance to make sure everyone knows about it by entering The Retas 2022 – closing date for entries is this Thursday, April 14.
With greeting card retailers having battled their way through a very difficult time, they’re all definitely worthy of the recognition that comes from being nominated for these prestigious industry awards.
All Retas 2022 winners will be announced at a Mary Poppins-esque themed awards lunch and afternoon event to be held on Wednesday 7 July, in the Ballroom of the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London, when comedian Sara Barron will be doing the honours.
One of the fastest-rising comedians of her generation, since her 2018 debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, Sara has starred on shows including the BBC’s Live At The Apollo, Would I Lie To You? and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order.
A powerhouse live act, Sara’s two stand-up hours, For Worse (2018) and Enemies Closer (2019) have sold out at both the Edinburgh Festival and at multiple runs in London’s Soho Theatre. She was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and at the Chortle Awards, as well as receiving rave reviews from publications including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Evening Standard and The Scotsman.
A downloadable entry form is available for retailers from the website www.theretasawards.co.uk, or you can go straight to the relevant page by clicking here.
“The last year has seen so many greeting card retail stockists finding inventive ways to stand out from the crowd, engage with their community, create a welcoming environment full of amazing products and provide customer service that is second to none. The Retas 2022 will reward this retail excellence, innovation, passion and commitment,” said Jakki Brown, joint md of Max Publishing which owns and organises The Retas.
With Max Publishing on a mission to hear from as many shops as possible, Jakki added: “We’re actively urging retailers to put aside their modesty and enter, making the most of the PR and morale-boosting opportunity by putting themselves forward and blowing their own trumpet! This self-entry and nomination process collectively ensures the true victors will be celebrated.”
The only dedicated awards in the world for greeting card retailers, winning a Retas’ trophy is recognised as a true accolade of retailing excellence in the sector, with award categories covering indies through to multiple chains, department stores to grocers and everything in between.
In addition to the retail categories, there is also an award for Best Retail Employee for those special members of staff who have gone the extra mile, as well as Best Retail Initiative for a specific promotion or activity that a retailer has undertaken between 15 April 2021 and 14 April 2022, the period covered by this year’s awards.
All nominations should be submitted to Jakki via email on jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk by midnight on Thursday, April 14, the period covered by this year’s awards. The award categories are:
- Greeting Card Retail Employee Of The Year
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales and the Midlands
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland
- Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland
- Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer
- Best Independent Bookstore Retailer Of Greeting Cards
- Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer Of Greeting Cards – North
- Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer O Greeting Cards – South
- Best Greeting Card Small Multiple
- Best Department Store Retailer Of Greeting Cards
- Best Supermarket Retailer Of Greeting Cards
- Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer Of Greeting Cards
- Best Specialist Multiple Retailer Of Greeting Cards
- Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Greeting Cards – Independent
- Best Garden Centre Retailer Of Greeting Cards – Multiple or group
- Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative
- Best Greeting Card Wholesaler Or Cash & Carry
- Greeting Card Retailer Of The Year
So, to get set for a supercalifragilisticexpalidocious time among the best card retailers in the UK as well as some great card publishers, book your ticket online via Max-Tickets.net or contact The Retas’ awards manager Clare Hollick, director of Createvents on 0118 224 0085 or clare@createvents.co.uk.
The “practically perfect in every way” sponsors of The Retas 2022 include: The Art File, Belly Button Designs, Carte Blanche, Cath Tate Cards, Danilo, Glick, Hallmark, Ling Design, Mint, Museums & Galleries, Nigel Quiney, Ohh Deer, Paperlink, Pigment, Progressive Greetings Live, Second Nature, Sensations/Express Yourself, UK Greetings, and Woodmansterne.
Top: Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious – 2022 Retas host Sara Barron
