2018 RSP Award recipients to be feted at gala

From the HGO Merchandiser

BRIGHTON, Ontario – Canada finest furniture and mattress gatekeepers, our first and best point of contact with the consumer, will be introduced to the industry when the second annual Retail Sales Professional Awards (RSP) are presented just prior to the opening of this year’s Canadian Furniture Show at the end of the month. Each will be saluted as leaders who consistently deliver exceptional sales and service.

The awards were created to recognise the outstanding achievements of experienced sales professionals working on the floors of furniture, mattress and major appliance stores across the country. The recipients were selected from nominations received from their peers, associates and managers in an industry-wide nomination process.

The 2018 RSP Award recipients include: Randy Shanks of Daleys BrandSource Home Furnishings in Fredricton, New Brunswick for the Atlantic Region; Marisa Deluca of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Etobicoke, Ontario for the Central Region; Brian Palethorpe of Perfect Home Furniture in Calgary, Alberta for the Western Region; and, Terry Harder of Innovative Sleep Solutions in Surrey, British Columbia for the Pacific Region.

The recipients will be recognised and honoured during the Canadian Home Furnishings Awards gala set to be May 24 at the Universal Event Space in Vaughan, Ontario.

During the evening, one of these regional recipients will also be recognised as Canada’s National Retail Sales Professional for 2018.

The RSP Awards presenting sponsor is Zucora Home, the added-value specialist based in London, Ontario. The supporting sponsors include Home Goods Online (HGO); the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance (CHFA); and, the Canadian Furniture Show (CFS).

The award recipients were selected by a judging panel that consisted of Mark Geddes, senior director of sales for Zucora Home, Corrie-Ann Knell, director of sales and marketing for Home Goods Online and Pat Kelly, the recently retired assistant vice president of home furnishings for Cantrex Nationwide.

In order to be considered for the award, the nominees were required to be actively employed as a sales associate or manager in a retail home furnishings environment with a minimum of three years’ experience and must have consistent met or exceeded the performance goals set by the employer. The nominee also had to demonstrate a customer-focused approach to the work and have a record of mentoring and assisting other sales professionals.

“Our home furnishings industry is very proud of the level of professionalism and care provided by sales professionals that serve consumers throughout Canada,” said Brad Geddes, Zucora Home president.

The number of nominees received in the second year of the industry recognition effort was more than double over the previous year.  “With the significant increase in the number of nominees from across Canada, I’m sure it was very difficult for the independent panel to make their selections,” said Geddes. “It’s great to see that our industry is well represented and in such good hands on the sales floor.”

Each of the RSP Award recipients will also be hosted by the sponsors during the Canadian Furniture Show, which will be held from May 25 to 27, 2018 at the International Centre in Toronto. They will also be profiled in special section of the Fall 2018 edition of the HGO Merchandiser, scheduled for publication in late July.

The program maintains a web site at www.rspawards.com. Nominations for next year’s RSP Awards will open in January 2019.

Editor’s Note: This announcement was first published in the Summer 2018 edition of the HGO Merchandiser. Click here to download.

---