GMA to Salute Kroger in 1st Retailer Awards Program

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) will honor Dollar General Corp, the Kroger Co. and CVS/pharmacy as the winners of its inaugural Retail Honors awards. The companies were chosen by their manufacturer trading partners and are being recognized in three separate categories: Dollar General as Retailer of the Year, CVS as Most Innovative Retailer and Kroger as Most Collaborative Retailer.

“Trading partner collaboration has never been more important given the current economic climate, and these companies are leading the way by developing collective solutions that drive efficiency and growth,” noted Denny Belcastro, EVP of industry affairs and member services for the Washington-based trade association.

The Retail Honors program was established this year to enable GMA member companies to pay tribute to their trading partners for ongoing excellence in performance, collaboration and innovation. The panel of Retail Honors judges, consisting of manufacturer and sales agency executives from the GMA Sales Committee and the Industry Development and Advisory Committee, pored over award criteria rankings and written comment submissions in deciding the winners in each category.

Dollar General won the Retail of the Year honor for its ability to deliver top- and bottom-line growth, execution of in-store merchandising plans, strong shopper loyalty and high employee morale. These factors, together with the company’s already solid reputation as a trusted and respected trading partner, made Dollar General a shoo-in for Retailer of the Year.

CVS/pharmacy garnered the Most Innovative Retailer award through its excellence in generating and testing new concepts in the marketplace in collaboration with manufacturers, developing innovative marketing campaigns; and leading the industry in new ways of thinking.

Kroger Company received the Most Collaborative Retailer award for its active participation and flexibility in joint business planning, successful partnerships in shopper marketing programs, and focus on collective measurements of performance and successes.

The awards ceremony will be held at the GMA Retail Honors Dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The event will take place in tandem with the organization’s Shopper Momentum Conference, which is scheduled for Nov. 8 through Nov. 10 in Naples, Fla.