Salesfloor Launches Associates of the Year Awards 2021

The Associates of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate the importance of store managers and associates and their impact on the entire customer journey.

New York, NY – July 27, 2021 – Salesfloor, the industry-leading mobile application designed for store associates, today announced the second annual Associates of the Year Awards to recognize associates who are committed to serving customers and delivering extraordinary experiences. The Associates of the Year Awards are now open to store associates and store managers globally.

“After seeing the success of last year’s awards, we are thrilled to be launching the Associates of the Year Awards 2021 to continue to recognize and celebrate the dedication of store associates and managers across the world,” said Oscar Sachs, CEO at Salesfloor. “Their role was put in the spotlight more than ever before in the last year, and they have been taking on more responsibility when it comes to serving omnichannel customers and driving brand loyalty. It brings us great joy to recognize and celebrate their dedication.”

Store managers and associates can nominate themselves or be nominated across three categories:

• Best Digital Experience Associate: This award is for an associate that delivers exceptional experiences to serve customers on digital channels. They take an innovative approach to their role by leveraging technology to drive the business.
• Most Innovative Associate: This award is to recognize associates who came up with the most innovative solutions to adapt to the changing retail landscape and seamlessly serve customers throughout the pandemic.
• Star Associate of the Year: The Star Associate of the Year is the most prestigious award to recognize someone who consistently surpasses their objectives while providing exceptional service and supporting their fellow associates. This person leads by example, inspires others, builds meaningful relationships and is an all-around extraordinary representative of their brand.

How it works:

• Nomination period is open now and ends on August 25ᵗʰ, 2021
• Voting will begin on August 25ᵗʰ and end on September 24ᵗʰ
• A group of judges will deliberate including:
  • Ron Thurston, Founder, TAKE PRIDE TODAYᵀᴹ & Best Selling Author of Retail Pride
  • Regina Aiello, Vice President Pandora, Ben Bridge Jeweler
  • Bob Phibbs, CEO, The Retail Doctor
  • Cathy Hotka, Principal at Cathy Hotka and Associates
  • Mary Todd-McGinnis, Vice-president Ben Bridge Stores & Customer Experience
  • Jason Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer, Publicis
• Finalists will be announced on September 20ᵗʰ, 2021
• A live virtual event will be held on October 7ᵗʰ where nominees will be recognized and winners will be announced.

“The days of sales associates as the people who staff the cash wrap are long gone. Retailers now need associates to establish relationships with customers, suggest items for upsell, and create emotional bonds. These important new roles require additional training and retention strategies; the results will be game-changing” said Cathy Hotka, Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates. “The Associates of the Year Award is an important way to illuminate the essential role of newly-empowered associates. I’m so pleased to be associated with it.”

“With the growth of digital shopping, it’s increasingly evident that customers are overwhelmed by the number of online choices.  We all crave the personal attention and expertise from exceptional, curious, empathetic, and focused sales associates who educate, comfort, and encourage us. Now is the time to be our best and highlight the vital role that retail sales associates play in our industry and the global economy.” said Ron Thurston, Founder, TAKE PRIDE TODAYᵀᴹ & Best Selling Author of Retail Pride. “As the author of a book written entirely for the teams in stores who proudly engage with their customers every day, I am honored to play a role in celebrating them!”

To nominate, please visit: https://salesfloor.net/associate-awards-2021/

About Salesfloor

Salesfloor is an award-winning mobile platform designed to personalize customer experiences. Salesfloor provides clienteling and virtual selling tools to engage customers on any channel, Storefronts for live online shopping with store associates, and mobile checkout for convenient in-store experiences. With over 50,000 associates from leading retailers in apparel, beauty, jewelry, and baby/toys, Salesfloor is modernizing the role of store associates. Retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, buybuy Baby, Holt Renfrew, Bloomingdale’s, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Chico’s and more choose Salesfloor to drive results such as higher online conversion rates, increased basket sizes and decreased return rates. For more information, visit www.salesfloor.net and follow Salesfloor on LinkedIn and Facebook.