The Specsavers everywoman in Retail Awards

Support Women Working in the Retail Industry

Nominations have now closed for the third annual Specsavers everywoman in Retail Awards - find out more about this year's outstanding finalists.

This year's glittering awards ceremony, compered by fashion consultant and TV presenter Gok Wan at The InterContinental in Park Lane, London.

2010 Specsavers everywoman in
Retail Awards

The Specsavers everywoman in Retail Awards seek to identify the dynamic female talent working at the top of the retail industry and showcase the broad range of career opportunities that retail can offer women, beyond the shop floor. These awards are vital in presenting the industry as one that welcomes, values and rewards talented women, and present it as an industry sector where women can fulfil their career aspirations.

Evidence suggests that despite the retail industry employing 60% women, a very low proportion of those women are working in senior management and there hasn't been any significant difference in this situation in the past ten years. Further research reveals there are less than 5% female CEOs in retail companies and only 8% of purchasing decisions made in the retail industry are made by women (source: Enterprise Insight).

Follow us on Twitter for more updates about the 2010 Specsavers everywoman in Retail Awards at @everywomanUK - or discuss the awards using the hashtag #2010ewRetail

What Previous Winners Have Said

"I was delighted to win the Specsavers Woman of the Year award last year. I felt that it recognised not only my own efforts, but also that of all my colleagues at Sainsbury's who have worked so hard to make Sainsbury’s great again. I was overwhelmed by the positive response the award received from amongst the 81,000 women who work for Sainsbury's. It was a great way to highlight the fantastic opportunities there are for women to develop a career with Sainsbury's."
- Gwyn Burr, Sainsbury's

“Holly and I were thrilled to win the Specsavers everywoman in Retail Entrepreneur of The Year Award. It was a huge achievement for notonthehighstreet.com and for the hundreds of entrepreneurial women our business supports, giving more women the confidence to start their own small creative retail businesses. Receiving the award has furthered awareness of the work that we do and put us in touch with more small UK businesses, so that we can continue to bring new, original and unique products to our customers.”

- Sophie Cornish & Holly Tucker, notonthehighstreet.com

"I am delighted and honoured to have won the Innovator of the Year category...because it is simply just thrilling to win such a prestigious award for doing something that I love doing. And it is such an honour to be recognised within your industry and shortlisted with such strong competition within my peers and to be heralded by some of the leading female figures in retail.

"Everywoman has inspired me to encourage and support future female talent in retail so that they can gain as much success and satisfaction as I have."

- Wendy Hallett, Hallett Retail

"Everywoman do a great job in supporting and enabling women in business to fulfil their aspirations, and in recognising talented women working within the dynamic and challenging retail industry. I feel extremely honoured therefore to have been recognised through this Award, for doing a job that I love and in which I have the opportunity to help other women to realise their full potential and to bring about positive cultural change for women within our industry"

- Helen Humphrey, McDonald's Restaurants Ltd

"It was really humbling to read my application form and see what fantastic things my colleagues have written about me. It was a great honour to win the award and receive recognition as a role model for women in the retail world. I was also delighted at the very positive response from colleagues throughout the business who took pride in my achievement."

- Kim Roberts, Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC

"Winning the everywoman in retail awards has given my confidence an enormous boost and encouraged me to put myself forward for bigger and better things, I believe that it will now also encourage other females within the Midcounties to push themselves further."

- Donna Hunter, The Midcounties Co-operative