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Facts - Archives -
Month of October 2007Current
Week
October 19, 2007
2007 CRMA Retailer of the Year
2007 Excellence in Customer Service Award
2007 Excellence in Marketing Award
2007 Excellence in Community Service Award
• CRMA is very proud to announce today that our 2007 Retailer
of the Year is Michaels Jewelers of Waterbury CT.
• In addition, we are also equally proud to announce 3 winners
of the 2007 Excellence Awards.
• These 4 tremendous retailers will be honored during our
Annual Meeting and Luncheon which will be held November 15,
2007.
• This years Event will be held once again in the Autorino
Great Hall of the Bushnell Theater.
• Please join us on November 15th as we take the time to
recognize and honor these great retailers.
2007 CRMA Retailer of the Year
• Michaels, a family jewelry store is entering its 5th
generation of retailers in CT and, simply put, embodies every
thing that is good about retailing.
• They are lead by a family of leaders and they have stayed
true to the family motto of honesty and integrity in all
things they do.
• With 12 stores in CT and a loyal customer base they have
made the challenging transition not from just one generation
but now 5.
• Our committee was overwhelmed at the dedication, and
professionalism we found at Michaels and think you will be
too.
• We are very proud to include Michaels as a member of CRMA
and to name them our 2007 Retailer of the Year.
• View for yourself the Michaels family story and take a
glimpse at what makes them successful by visiting their
website
www.michaelsjewelers.com.
2007 Excellence in Customer Service
Award
• All of us that are in or involved in retailing understand
that success in retailing includes a number of factors but
customer service has to be at the top of the list.
• This year, the Excellence in Customer Service Award will be
presented to Dot Com Wines, a retailer that was describe by
his peers as having, “simply the best customer service of any
retail store we go to.”
• Nelson Veiga is the owner of this West Hartford store and it
takes just a few seconds after entering his store to realize
that no matter what your knowledge of wine and spirits may be
Nelson and his staff will take good care of you.
2007 Excellence in Marketing Award
• This year we are very proud to give our Excellence in
Marketing to Katz Hardware.
• This Glastonbury, Connecticut store competes and succeeds in
a highly competitive marketplace.
• With lots of competition, and in many cases higher marketing
budgets, Katz has been able to increase its name recognition
and brand by working hard in all facets of retailing.
• Their exhausting efforts to create a special niche in the
market place has led to their continued success; Because of
that, our committee believes that the marketing and energy
that Bob and his team at Katz has, have allowed them to
continue to be successful.
2007 Excellence in Community Service
Award
• Community Service is not something that can be purchased. In
our experience all retailers have a great deal of impact on
their community, but every year one emerges in this important
category.
• In 2007 we are please to give this special award to Mariella
Creations, Inc.
• Mariella’s is a 35 year old family business featuring bridal
gowns, special occasion wear and accessories.
• Mariella Perna leads this warm, friendly business that
shares its’ success by giving to the community in a variety of
ways.
• Mariella is one of the largest supporters of Dress for
Success as well as host of other state and local charities.
• Congratulations to all of our 2007 award winners!
• For more information about the 2007 CRMA Annual Meeting and
Luncheon, please call our office at 860-527-1044.
October 12, 2007
Annual Meeting and Luncheon Update
Selection of the Retailer Awards
Member Services Update
Retail News and Notes
• Last week we officially sent out the invitations and
registration forms for our Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon
which will take place on November 15, 2007 at the Bushnell’s
Autorino Great Hall.
• If you have not received an invitation and would like more
information please contact us today by calling Cathy in our
office at 860-527-1044 or emailing her at cathy@crmaonline.com.
• Our Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon is an event we look
forward to all year. It is a chance for us to celebrate the
achievements of the States leading retailers and we hope your
schedule allows you to join us.
• We are very pleased to add a morning session this year.
• Specifically, we are proud that 4 of the top legislative
leaders at the State Capitol have agreed to join us in the
morning to preview the upcoming Legislative session and to
answer your questions.
• Furthermore, we are very pleased to announce today that our
friends at the CT Chapter of the ICSC have agreed to be our
lead sponsor for the Legislative panel. Thank you ICSC!
• This opportunity to have an uninterrupted meeting with the
top Legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle does not
come around often and we encourage all members to joins us.
• So, please send in your registration form or call our office
today if you would like more information.
Selection of the Retailer Awards
• The highlight of our Annual Meeting and Luncheon is the
naming of the Retailer of the Year and the Excellence in
Retailing Awards.
• The CRMA Committee of Board Members has finished its review
of the 7 outstanding candidates for this year’s award and we
will make our formal announcement in next weeks FF.
• We are very excited about this year’s award winners and hope
that you will join us on November 15th to help us honor them.
Member Services Update
• We held another positive meeting with the Department of
Insurance regarding our efforts to form a Retailers only
Workers Compensation Self Insured Group.
• The Department reviewed our current progress and encouraged
us to continue on this path.
• They did, however, continue to challenge us in that CRMA is
the only Association that has advanced this far in the
application process to form a SIG. Therefore, the standards
that the Department is imposing on us will be very high.
• Specifically, we need to continue to gather premium
information for our actuarial study. To date we are close to
the $1million dollar threshold that is called for but we need
to continue above that amount.
• If you have not already sent us you premium information and
would like to participate, please contact us TODAY. We are
nearing a critical juncture in this effort and would
appreciate any help that members can give.
• Remember a Retailer’s only SIG will give members the ability
to control their own destiny with regard to workers
compensation insurance. It will be a member owned program!
• CRMA is also finalizing our selection of an energy supplier.
We have been reviewing proposals from a variety of companies
and hope to have an announcement of that selection by the time
of our Annual Meeting.
• Finally, we are very happy to report today that our website,
www.crmaonline.com has added a new sponsor.
• Consumer PowerLine is the leading demand response company in
the US. If you visit www.crmaonline.com you will see their ad
and if you double click on the link it will take you right to
the Consumer PowerLine website.
• The CRMA/Consumer PowerLine Demand Response program offers
members a great opportunity to earn dollars while curtailing
energy usage. Please call our office today to see if your
company can participate in the new program.
• Another New Partnership…The CRMA Foundation has partnered
with Castle Branch to offer CRMA members 15% off background
check services when you mention the CRMA Foundation in your
correspondence with them.
• For more information on Castle Branch please go to
www.castlebranch.com.
• To get started, please contact Charlie Kessler at
1-888-723-4263 ext 7118. Don’t forget to mention the CRMA
Foundation to receive the 15% discount on your services!!
Retail News and Notes:
The phone and computer converge
devices such as the
AT&T Tilt are blurring the lines between phones and
laptop computers. The Tilt is a phone with a sliding keyboard,
2.8-inch touch screen and a 400-megahertz processor. Its
screen allows it to sit on a desk like a laptop, but it weighs
just 7 ounces.
International Herald Tribune (10/11)
EPA to hold workshops for industry stakeholders on Energy Star
set-top and TV specifications.
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a
workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 2 to 6 p.m. for
stakeholders on Energy Star set-top box specifications. Two
days later, on Thursday, Oct. 18 (9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), the
EPA will hold a workshop for stakeholders on Energy Star TV
specifications. For more information and any questions you may
have, please contact
Doug Johnson or
Bill Belt.
Macy's to test FAO Schwarz in-store locations,
FAO Schwarz will open a store within Macy's downtown Chicago
location on Nov. 1, the companies announced. "If things go
well, we would roll out to other Macy's, first in the northern
territory and then maybe broader," said Ed Schmults, CEO of
FAO Schwarz.
Chicago Tribune (free registration) (10/10)
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