Retail's Future Leaders Awarded $25,000: Finalists of Retail Council of Canada's Retail Education Scholarship Program announced.

TORONTO, May 22, 2019 /CNW/ - Seventeen post-secondary students will receive $1,000 each as part of Retail Council of Canada's Retail Education Scholarship Program. This brings Retail Council Canada and it's partners' contribution to retail education to close to a million dollars.

In addition to the $1,000 award, the top ranked finalist will also receive the $5,000 Interac Corp sponsored scholarship; the runner-up will also receive the $3,000 Retail Council of Canada scholarship. The winners of these two awards will be announced at the Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala, on May 28, 2019 at the Toronto Congress Centre from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm ET.  

"This year's finalists showed a deep understanding of the critical role retailers play in the communities they serve.  Retail is becoming increasingly complex and these students are clearly choosing retail careers for the exciting creativity, versatility and growth opportunities retail offers," said Diane J. Brisebois, Retail Council of Canada's President and CEO.  Added Ms. Brisebois, "Retail continues to be the largest private sector employer and supporting these new leaders ensures retail in Canada will continue to be strong."

In addition to the monetary prizes, this year's finalists will receive a full-access pass, travel and accommodation to STORE 2019 – Canada's Retail Conference, Canada's Biggest Retail Conference.  

The 2019 corporate sponsors to the Retail Education Scholarship Program are:

Ardene Foundation, Ardene Holdings Inc., Best Buy Canada Ltd., Canadian Tire Corporation Limited, Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd, FLG Sports, Golf Town Limited, Home Hardware Stores Limited, JRoss Retail Recruiters, Marks, Retail Council of Canada, Staples Canada, ULC, The Home Depot Canada, The Source, TJX Canada, Toys"R"Us (Canada) Ltd, Walmart Canada Corp.

 The 2019 Retail Education Scholarship recipients are:

Name	Retailer	School	Program
Michelle Pocion	Davids Tea	Lakehead University	Honours Bachelor of Commerce
Christina Masschelein	Archie Surf Shop	Ryerson University	Bachelor of Commerce -  Retail Management
Isabelle Tate	Metro Ontario	Carleton University	Bachelor of Commerce
Kristian Escoto	Old Navy	University of Winnipeg	Bachelor of Business Administration - Marketing and Human Resources
Rosalie Bouchard	Trudel Alliance	Université Laval	Maîtrise en administration des affaires - marketing numérique
Alejandra Navarro	Reitmans Canada Limited	Université de Montréal	Droit des affaires et relations économiques internationales
Morghen Stroud	Best Buy Canada Ltd.	Nova Scotia Community College	Business Administration
Michelle Regalado Clara	Toys"R"Us (Canada) Ltd	Fanshawe College	Honors Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting
Kathryn Pearce	Callbeck's Home Hardware	Saint Mary's University	Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting
Sean Reibling	Shoppers Drug Mart	York University	Bachelor of Design
Oladipo Kehinde	Best Buy Canada ltd.	Brandon University	Bachelor of Business Administration
Franklin Liao	London Drugs	British Columbia Institute of Technology	Sustainable Energy Management Advanced Certificate Program
Phyllis Cherng	Staples Canada ULC	University of British Columbia	Bachelor of Commerce
Laurie Paquette	Ardene Holdings	Cégep Marie- Victorin	Commercialisation de la mode
Jacqueline Chung	Beam City	Ryerson University	Bachelor of Commerce - Business and Technology Management
Radeen Choudhury	Best Buy Canada Ltd.	University of Ottawa	Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing
Mikayla Haynes	Starbucks Coffee Canada	Langara College	Bachelor of Business Administration -  Management

The 2019 winners will be announced at the Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala on May 28, 2019. 

The Excellence in Retailing Awards also celebrates the best retail innovation in: eCommerce Experience, Environmental Leadership, Health, Safety & Wellness, In-Store Experience & Design, In-Store Merchandising, Loss Prevention, Omni-Channel, Philanthropic Leadership, Pop-up Experience and Design, Retail Marketing, and Talent Development

This year's Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala will also honour Best Buy's Ron Wilson as the 2019 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year, and present Kendall and Justine Barber of Poppy Barley with 2019 Independent Retail Ambassadors of the Year award. 

For more information on the Excellence in Retailing Awards or to purchase Gala tickets click here. 

 About Retail Education Scholarship Program
The Retail Education Scholarship Program is now in its 17th year and has provided almost one million dollars in scholarships fund and benefits to students who are entering or enrolled in a retail-related program at a Canadian post-secondary institution. Intended to help the most talented pursue a career in retail, this annual program, funded by the generous support from retailers in Canada, provides finalists with both scholarships and an opportunity to meet established retailer professionals who can help mentor the students' success. 

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest private sector employer with over 2.1 million Canadians working in our industry. The sector annually generates over $76 billion in wages and employee benefits. Core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) were $375 billion in 2018. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two-thirds of core retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants. RetailCouncil.org

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Branka Stavric, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, [email protected] | 416.467.3772, Retail Council of Canada