BASIC INFORMATION
WHAT ARE THE CHIMA AWARDS?
The Canadian Home Improvement Merchandising Awards, now in
their inaugural year, have been created to honour the very best in visual
merchandising at Canadian home improvement stores. Administered
by Hardware Merchandising magazine in conjunction with
Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures, the awards will be presented
during the Canadian Home Improvement Show in February 2009.
WHO CAN ENTER?
The contest is open to both vendors and retailers in recognition of
superior merchandising concepts in hardware, building supply and
speciality outlets. * Canadian retail outlets only
AWARD CATEGORIES:
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- Hardware/Housewares
- Building Materials
- Home Décor
- Seasonal
- Best Category/Department presentation - Independent
- Best Category/Department presentation - Chain
RETAILER CATEGORIES :
- Individual Store – (Display can be utilized at 1 to 5 locations)
- Chain or Buying Group – (Display must be available in at least
15 different retail outlets)
WHY PARTICIPATE?
By entering this awards contest you can...
- Develop stronger merchandising concepts to drive sales in
your store(s)
- Heighten the industry profile for your company/brand
- Create recognition for your managers and staff
- If you are a vendor, increase demand for your new merchandising
displays
IF YOU WIN!
The winners will receive their awards during the gala dinner
to be held at the Canadian Home Improvement Show in
February 2009.
Each winning entry will be featured as an editorial profile in
subsequent issues of Hardware Merchandising magazine.
JUDGING
Hardware Merchandising and Burlington Merchandising and
Fixtures will assemble a panel of independent retail merchandising
experts, unaffiliated with any of the existing home improvement
banners or their vendors, who will rate each entry on the following
five criteria:
Visual Impact
- Is it attention-grabbing?
- Is it visually appealing?
- Does is slow the customer down?
- Is the product the “hero”?
- How effective are the colours and signage?
Uniqueness
- Creative use of space
- Creative use of materials
Clarity and Relevance
- How effectively does it inform (features & benefits, how-to)?
- Does it assist and motivate customers to make a purchase without sales assistance?
- Does the display simplify, rather than complicate, the decision
process?
- Are the selection alternatives clear?
Sales Impact
- Participants should provide “before and after” sales data for this
product, either actual dollar volume or a percentage increase during
a 60 to 90 day period before and after the display installation.
No sales data will be published without your consent.
Collaboration
- How creatively and effectively did the vendor(s) and retailer(s)
work together?
WHAT WE NEED WITH YOUR ENTRY
Photographs
Please photograph your display from more than one angle and
from several different distances. At a minimum we need to see your
display (1) as if the customer was approaching it from about 15 feet
away (2) as if the customer was standing right in front of it. If your
display is too wide or large to fit into a single photograph from
close up, submit several photographs of different sections of the
display. It is sometimes useful to have a person in the photographs,
to show the scale and/or size of the display.
***Important – photos should be supplied in a digital high resolution format!
Product info
Please identify the product. You can obviously have more than
one vendor’s product in a particular display, but if you do, please
identify all of the vendors.
Display location and dimensions
If it is not evident from the photos you are sending, please tell us
where the display is located in your store and its physical dimensions.
Sales impact
How long have you had this display set up? How long have you
carried the product? How was it previously displayed (if applicable)?
What effect has this display had on your sales of this product
(please provide either actual sales volume, or percentage increases,
over a three month window)?
Description of Challenges met
By implementing this merchandising, what challenges do you think
you have solved for yourself as a retailer/vendor? For the customer?
How does this display increase the efficient use of space?
Customer reaction
Please document the reactions that the customers have had to
this merchandising. If you are a vendor, what has the retailer told
you about the result of this merchandising? If you are a retailer,
have your customers commented on the display, or reacted in any
particular way?
WHERE TO SEND YOUR ENTRIES (Courier recommended)
Hardware Merchandising
Attention: Lindsey Futa, Sales Coordinator
One Mount Pleasant Rd, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5
Phone: (416) 764-1657
For any questions, please contact:
David Chestnut
Publisher
Hardware Merchandising
(416) 764-1656
david.chestnut@rci.rogers.com
Or
Mike Frame
General Manager
Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures
(905) 332-6652
mframe@bmfonline.com
