Horny Toad becomes title sponsor of the SNEWS/Backpacker Retailer of the Year awards

Teaming up with SNEWS® and Backpacker, Horny Toad is providing its sponsorship muscle to recognize the best-in-class in specialty outdoor retailing as title sponsor of the SNEWS/Backpacker 2010 Retailer of the Year awards.

“We are very excited about the chance to support our retail partners in a very crucial period in the industry’s history. Having built our brand in outdoor specialty, we love the opportunity to be able to reward the top retailers and their consumers,” said Gordon Seabury, CEO of Horny Toad.

Noting that the award is now in its second year, following a very successful launch, Michael Hodgson, president of SNEWS, added, “We are honored that Horny Toad understands the value of this award as a means to recognize retail excellence and encourage specialty retailers to work ever harder to be special in all aspects of business. Being recognized as a leading specialty retailer demands a party. With Horny Toad, we’ll now be able to hold Retailer of the Year block parties that will allow winning stores to show full appreciation to customers and employees, and be able to celebrate the award with the community that certainly contributed to their success.”

The award honors retailers in numerous categories of excellence. One retailer will be awarded the overall title “Retailer of the Year,” and six others will be honored as best-in-class in each of the following categories:

• Sustainable Business
• Community
• Youth Involvement
• Growth of Outdoor Sports
• Conservation
• Best Online Retailer

In all categories, winning retailers must display exemplary efforts in customer loyalty and service, employee training and retention, as well as demonstrate excellent merchandising skills.

Retailer of the Year winners will be announced at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010 during a special ceremony, and each winner will receive a plaque suitable for public display in a store so winners can promote their accomplishment. Click here to read a SNEWS story highlighting the 2009 Retailer of the Year award winners.

In the first year of the awards, over 100 stores received nominations. That was 2008 — this is 2009 and the call for nominations is trumpeting again. Already nomination forms are pouring in. Do you think your store is worthy? Do your customers? No one wins unless they are nominated, so get busy today by having your staff, your customers, your reps, anyone you can think of nominate you at www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/roty. Maybe we’ll be holding a block party celebration at your store in 2010.

–SNEWS® Editors