Retail awards show way forward
Saturday 3 August is a red-letter day with the unveiling of the winners of the 10th anniversary Commonwealth Bank Redland Retail Awards.
Community involvement in this year’s awards has been stunning, with 14,609 nominations for the individual Excellence in Customer Service Awards and more than 21,000 nominations for best business.
What this shows is that retail in the Redlands is on the right path and, importantly, that shoppers appreciate and are willing to reward good service by nominating individuals and businesses for awards.
In collaboration with Council this augurs well for a retail renaissance in the Redlands and more local jobs for Redlanders.
I believe we will be able to create a niche retail sector here and people will come to the Redlands for that experience.
We are working towards that goal on a number of fronts.
It is 15 months since Redland City Council embarked on a new direction in the way it engages with residents, businesses and community and interest groups.
Put simply, we aim to think first and foremost about how the customer feels, just like any successful business.
This means being less regulatory and more facilitating and continuing to provide a climate which encourages businesses to expand.
Saturday night’s awards winners are all to be congratulated for doing their part to make the Redlands a destination in its own right.