 Time
to Enter
The deadline for the “Merchandising
Award of Excellence” contest is approaching.
by Cynthia L. McGowan
If you want to show your floral colleagues across the nation
your merchandising creativity, now’s your opportunity. April 30
is the deadline to enter the 2007 “Merchandising Award of
Excellence” contest.
The goals of the contest, sponsored by Super Floral Retailing
and Borgen Systems, are to recognize outstanding floral
department employees, encourage excellence in merchandising and
raise the profile of the supermarket floral industry. Last
year’s grand-prize winner, Lisa Tapp, floral manager of
Albertsons No. 4176 in Weatherford, Texas, spends months
planning and executing her displays for major holidays, and she
says receiving national recognition for her hard work was “like
a life dream for me.”
It’s simple to enter the contest—just photocopy and fill out the
form on Page 50, submit photos and write brief descriptions of
each display. You also can download the entry form
here.
You may enter as many displays as you like, but please be sure
to submit a separate entry form with each display. If you win,
you’ll receive not only the recognition of our industry but also
wonderful prizes.
what you can win
The Grand Award winner receives a free trip to attend The Super
Floral Show in Columbus, Ohio, where he or she will be presented
the prestigious Orrefors crystal Borgen Cup by the founder of
Borgen Systems, Arden Borgen, during the show’s Keynote Lunch on
June 13. The winner also will be profiled in Super Floral
Retailing in the August issue.
Five Honor Award recipients, in the categories of “Color
Harmony,” “Cross-Merchandising,” “Signage,” “Theme Development”
and “Use of Stand-Alone Displays,” will receive miniature
crystal Borgen Cups engraved with their names as well as
exposure of their own in the magazine. Even those who aren’t
official winners might find themselves the focus of the
magazine’s monthly “Merchandising Merit” department, which
recognizes entrants’ exceptional merchandising displays.
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winning categories
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Winners will be judged on:
COLOR HARMONY How effectively is color used throughout
the display? Does the display feature a specific color harmony
or theme?
CROSS-MERCHANDISING How effectively does the display sell
nonfloral items? Do the floral and nonfloral items complement
one another, or do they seem out of place?
SIGNAGE Does the display include signage? Are the signs
legible and effective? Do the signs fit into the overall theme
of the display?
THEME DEVELOPMENT Does the display have an easily
recognizable, cohesive theme? Does it complement the products
for sale and make the display more effective?
USE OF STANDALONE DISPLAYS Are end caps, gondolas and
coolers used effectively to showcase featured products? Are
products displayed in a pleasing and organized manner?
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tips for your entry
Here are some tips to ensure your entry gets the attention it
deserves:
• Complete all questions on the entry form.
• Package photos so they won’t be damaged in shipping. Use
cardboard or bubble wrap for protection.
• Use care when writing on the backs of photos. Allow the ink to
dry before stacking photos so ink won’t smear onto the next
photo.
• Do not crop photos, and do not write on them.
• Make sure photos aren’t blurry and will reproduce well in the
magazine.
• Include a written description of each display. Describe how
you developed the display, how customers reacted and whether you
had a significant increase in sales.
Click
here and download the “How to Enter” packet for more
tips on creating award-winning displays.
Mail your entry to:
Merchandising Award of Excellence
Super Floral Retailing
3300 SW Van Buren
Topeka, KS 66611
Beat the deadline of April 30.
Questions? Call Cynthia McGowan at (800) 355-8086, or
e-mail her at
cmcgowan@superfloralretailing.com.
To enjoy the rest of this
issue, please go to the
Subscriptions page and get your
copy of Super Floral Retailing today!!!
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