I’m pleased to announce that the 2009 Retail Systems Awards are now open for entries. The awards, which celebrate the hard work, commitment and technical innovations within the retail sector, go from strength to strength. The 2008 entries were extremely impressive - the quantity and quality of nominations for each category meant determining the winners was a challenging exercise for myself and the other judges. 2009 will see the bar raised again, with the addition of several new categories.

Now into their fourth year, the Retail Systems Awards look to recognise excellence and innovation in the field of information technology within the UK retail sector. The primary criteria for judging are the delivery of definable and significant business benefits, innovation and originality of application, ROI and project management issues such as delivery on time and within budget.

The awards present an opportunity for organisations to gain the prestige of public acknowledgement as being the leader in their field from the extensive exposure and publicity, which takes place before and after the awards ceremony. Taking place on Thursday, 29 October 2009, the latest event will attract attendees from the largest multiples to fledgling independent organisations. The cross section of businesses gathered at the Ballroom of The Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane gives a unique snapshot of the retail technology industry. Representatives from a range of retail organisations, including Oracle, McDonald’s, Marks & Spencer, Next, Specsavers, SAS, Torex, Carpetright and The Co-operative Group, attended the 2008 event.

I look forward to receiving your entries and to seeing you in October for an evening to remember, as we once again recognise the stars of retail.

Scott Thompson - Editor/Retail Systems

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