Get ready… The retailer application process for the the Toy Retailer of the Year Awards is now open and awards organisers at the BTHA are encouraging retailers to get their nominations in.
Retailers can apply and self-nominate and are allowed to compete against their contemporaries in more than one of the five categories, which include a new gong for omnichannel retailers who are sell across online and bricks and mortar stores.
Nominations are also coming in from a panel of nationwide industry experts and judges will also give out a special recognition award.
Independent and smaller multiple retailers can also include testimonials from suppliers. This will, the BTHA said, allow them to “to strengthen an entry for the benefit of the retailer and the judges when assessing the entry”.
The categories are (with BTHA guidelines below):
INDEPENDENT TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR – single store
* An independent toy retailer with one store
INDEPENDENT TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR – multi store
* An independent toy retailer with more than one store (with no upper store limit) also to include UK department stores or independent multi store retailers with toy aisles
MULTIPLE TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR
This category is for multiple toy retailers to include specialist and general multiples
OMNICHANNEL TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR
This new category is for toy retailers with both an online and on-shelf offering
ONLINE EXCELLENCE
Companies can enter this category if their main business is through online sales OR if there are online toy sales which compliment main store retailing. This category will be judged on the toy offering of the website alone.
BEST OVERALL TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR 2023 FOR UK AND IRELAND
Will be selected as overall winner from the winners of the other categories
** JUDGES’ SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Judges have the ability to make a Special Recognition Award at their discretion after considering all entries. This is not a category for which retailers can actively submit an entry.
More details on the Toy Industry Awards event of which the Toy Retailer of the Year part forms an integral part, will be announced shortly.
Retailers can go here to apply s://www.btha.co.uk/awards/toy-industry-awards/retailer-awards/
Anyone wanting to discuss the Toy Industry Awards event or the Retailer of the Year Awards process can contact Matt Jones, Head of Digital & Services at the BTHA by email Matt@btha.co.uk
