Stephen Poole, from Brisbane, Queensland was announced the National Retail Association’s 2022 Young Retailer of the Year on 16 September at the Star Gold Coast.
In its 50th year of celebrating retail excellence, the Young Retailer of the Year award has been around for close to half a century because retailers acknowledge that the youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow.
The Young Retailer of the Year Award is recognized nationally as the highest accolade in retail and serves to acknowledge excellence in ambition, leadership, and innovation within the retail discipline, for those under the age of 25.
Other award finalists include:
- Amber Bauer | Sleepy’s
- Callam Went | Woolworths
- Katelyn Paterson-Barnes | QBD Books
- Matthew Hodges | Barbeques Galore
- Rachel Macdonald | Sleepy’s
Having learned and developed from the many trials of being a modern retail leader during and post the pandemic, Mr. Poole had shown admiration for his future development and shown ambition to continue his growth in the Retail Industry primarily in the Operations field. Striving towards a COO position within the next 10 years.
“Working my way up from Sales Assistant to Retail Operations Manager, I have always focused on keeping people first, whether it be our staff or customers.” Mr. Poole said.
Helping our team develop personally, building loyal customer bases, and providing one-of-a-kind shopping experiences are some of my proudest memories, and I look forward to continuing my retail career and seeing where we can take shopping next.”
Mr. Pool plans to continue his focus on business growth and efficiency, streamlining processes and building new standards in the brands he works with. Having grown up in a family-owned retail business, customer service was a passion of Mr Poole’s from a young age. He has worked in LEGO Certified Stores for the last six years, three of which were with Alquemie Group.
“Retail businesses are in a unique position in a post-COVID world, particularly those that still trade Brick and Mortar, and my intention is to emphasize a focus on the development of both systems and people to ensure the customer shopping experience is like no other.”
The National Retail Association is extremely proud of all young retailers who entered and who are leading the future, as well as the collective achievements of the broader retail sector. Together, we are strengthening the industry for a brighter and more prosperous future.
The Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony were led with quality entertainment by Radio Host Emily Jade O’Keefe accompanied by a night of impressive music and magic from master illusionists Josh Norbido and Jason Gray and live performances from JJ & The Radio Souls who played the night away.
Photos from the awards ceremony are available via the 2022 gallery
National Retail Association offers many opportunities for Retailers to gain professional experience, training, and mentorship.
To submit an Expressions of Interest for the 2023 Awards, you can do so by contacting the NRA Marketing Team.