And the award goes to

Kishore Biyani, chief executive officer, Future Group, was declared the ‘Retail Face of the year’ at the fifth edition of Images Retail Awards (IRA) while felicitating excellences in the business of retail on the third day of India Retail Forum 2008 at The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

Speaking at the ceremony, Amitabh Taneja, chief convenor, IRF, said, “The definitive benchmark of excellence in the business of retail – from concepts, innovations and designs to consumer recall, Images Retail Awards honour the doers and pioneers in spectacular style.”

Biyani’s Future Group, which is credited for offering the country several unique retail concepts in several verticals of retail including value retail chain Big Bazaar, fashion and lifestyle department chain Pantaloons, seamless mall Central, also bagged the most admired ‘Retailer of the year’.

Images Retail Awards, which is popularly acclaimed as the Oscars of the Indian retailing world, has selection process that follows a nationwide consumer and industry poll and nominations, backed up with performance assessment by a team of analysts and jury. It included 18 award categories that covered key retail segments and formats.

IRA’08 felicitated the minds and models that include Spencer’s (most evolved retailer of the year), Shoppers Stop (best customer relationship management), Kisan Seva Kendra (rural retailer), Café Coffee Day (catering outlets), Reliance Fresh (food and grocery), Planet M (leisure), Croma (consumer electronics), PVR (entertainment), Lifestyle (department store), VLCC (beauty and fitness care), The Mobile Store (telecom and mobile services), Manipal Cure & Care(innovative concept), Big Bazaar (hypermarket), Benetton (fashion and lifestyle retailer), Apollo Pharmacy (health and wellness) and New U (new retail launch).

The complete list of awards is as follows:

• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Rural Retailer – Kisan Seva Kendra
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Catering Outlets - Café Coffee Day
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Food and Grocery – Reliance Fresh
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Leisure – Planet M
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Consumer Electronics - Croma
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Entertainment - PVR
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Department Store - Lifestyle
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Beauty and fitness care - VLCC
• Most Admired Retailer of the year: Telecom and mobile services - The Mobile Store
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Innovative Concept – Manipal Cure & Care
• Most Admired Retailer of the year : Retail Group – Future Group
• Most Evolved Retailer of the year: Spencer’s
• Most Admired Retail Face of the year: Mr. Kishore Biyani
• Most Admired Retailer of the year: Hypermarket – Big Bazaar
• Most Admired Retailer of the year: Fashion and Lifestyle Retailer – Benetton
• Most Admired Retailer of the year: Health and Wellness – Apollo Pharmacy
• Most Admired Retailer of the year: New Retail Launch – New U
Most Admired Retailer of the year: Best Customer Relationship Management – Shopper’s Stop

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