Handbags at dawn! - The intu Eldon Square Retailer Awards

The intu Eldon Square Retailer Awards is aiming to be a scintillating celebration of  shopping, recognising the very best stores and staff from throughout the popular shopping centre in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. There are eleven categories of retailer excellence, including menswear and womenswear store of the year, small, large, specialist and newcomer of the year, and best customer service in a retail store. The judges for this esteemed competition were members of the general public who voted online; over 3,000 shoppers nominated their favourite stores and highlighted excellence in customer service. Votes are now being collated, and the winners’ details will be kept under wraps to be revealed by host and BBC Newcastle presenter Anna Foster at a star-spangled ceremony at Newcastle ’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Friday 16^th October. Daniel Errington-Barnes, event organiser and Retail Liaison Coordinator at intu Eldon Square, said: “This is our first ever Retailer Awards Celebration and we are hoping to make it an annual event.  We want to reflect the outstanding contributions our retailers make to intu Eldon Square , and to give them resounding thanks for providing such fantastic customer service to the 36 million visitors we welcome each year. We have had a great response from members of the general public who voted; the concept has certainly captured the imagination of shoppers, and attracted support from Phoenix Taxis and Future Energy, who are kindly sponsoring the event along with other regional companies who are supporting individual award categories.” Phil Steele, Centre Manager at intu Eldon Square , added: “The Retailer Awards competition has certainly created a real buzz amongst our retailers, and I’m delighted that so many shoppers have wanted to have their say! This is a brand new event for us, so it is fitting that it is taking place at a brand new hotel in the heart of the city, the recently opened Crowne Plaza . This is a great way for our retailers to join together in a competitive yet unifying occasion! I imagine we’ll have a lot of excited and proud nominees on the night, and once the awards are over, there’ll be plenty of time to party – but not too hard of course, as we’re open for business again at 9 am on Saturday morning!” INTU ELDON SQUARE RETAILER AWARDS Categories: Menswear Store of the Year Womenswear Store of the Year Footwear and Accessories Store of the Year Food and Drink Outlet of the Year Beauty Store of the Year Specialist Store of the Year Jewellery Store of the Year Small Store of the year Large Store of the Year Newcomer of the Year Best Customer Service in a Retail Store