Award Compleats market leader’s year

By Shaun Inguanzo
COMPLEAT Angler was on Tuesday announced the 2005 Central Dandenong Retailer of the Year.
The fishing gear and tackle shop in Langhorne Street was awarded the honour based on its extensive client communication, which has seen it develop a database of thousands of names using both email and regular post to contact customers.
Excellence among central Dandenong retailers was recognised when the Dandenong Retail Traders’ Association (DRTA) Business Awards were presented following the annual general meeting of the association at the Dandenong Club this week.
DRTA chairman Roy Aspinall said the shop was a worthy winner of the award.
“Compleat Angler is a market leader within the industry and Glenys and Ian Loft are proven leaders in retailing in Central Dandenong,” he said.
“Their business is growing rapidly and they have been innovative in their ideas both in running the business and in promoting it.
“They follow last year’s winner, Paul Atherton of Answers for Hair, and the inaugural winners, Victoria and Clotaire Biyendolo of Big in Black”.
The winner of the Central Dandenong Retailer of the Year award is an automatic entry in the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Premier Regional Business Awards.
Mr Aspinall said this would add further prestige to the award, which is a stepping stone to statewide honours.
Five category winners were announced at the awards evening, along with the Central Dandenong Retailer of the Year.
“Entries were the best yet for this our seventh annual awards and these awards are growing in popularity as time goes by,” Mr Aspinall said.
“The quality of the entries was high making the task of the judging panel a difficult one.”
Comfort Inn on Princes Highway, Dandenong, represented by operations manager Michelle Bransgrove, won the award for Retailer With More Than 10 Employees, while the winning Retailer With Less Than 10 Employees was Crystal Nails, represented by Lisa Pham, in McCrae Street, Dandenong.
The Innovative Retailer award went to Shakeel Ahmed from Domino’s Pizza, in Langhorne Street, Dandenong.
Inaugural Retailer of the Year Big in Black this year picked up the Retailer With Excellent Store Design award, the Thomas Street business represented by Victoria and Clotaire Biyendolo.
The winner of the Retailer That Represents a Culture category was Minaret Halal Meats at the Dandenong Market, accepted by Berkley Savahl.
The newest award on the block was the Chairman’s Award, presented for a significant contribution to Central Dandenong retailing.
The inaugural winner was Leanne McCready from the City of Greater Dandenong’s economic development unit.
“Noone has done more for retail and retailers in Central Dandenong than Leanne McCready through her untiring work in the economic development unit of council,” Mr Aspinall said.
“She is often the first point of contact for retailers coming into the precinct and is always ready with information and valuable advice”.
Guest speaker at the dinner was Richard Uglow, compliance manager Victoria and Tasmania for Coles Myer Supermarkets, who spoke on his experiences working for the “largest retail employer in Australia”.
The DRTA also held its annual general meeting, at which Mr Aspinall was voted back as chairman.