World Retail Congress announces Dubai 2016 Hall of Fame Inductees

Sponsored Content The 10^th World Retail Congress, which is being held in Dubai for the first time from 12-14 April, is proud to announce the 2016 inductees into the World Retail Hall of Fame and this year includes some of the greatest names in fashion and fragrance. Over the past decade, the World Retail Hall of Fame has honoured founders of some of the retail world’s most iconic brands, and this year is no different. The World Retail Congress’s Advisory Board, the Grand Jury for the World Retail Awards and other retail industry peers have once again identified individuals they believe are true giants of the industry and should be honoured for their lifetime achievements and contribution to retailing. The 2016 inductees are Tommy Hilfiger, Jo Malone and Solomon Lew.  The World Retail Hall of Fame was created in 2007 to recognise the lifetime achievements of the legends of the retail world, the pioneers and entrepreneurs who have founded and led modern retailing’s greatest companies and brands. It was launched containing the names of over 100 outstanding retailers who had created or helped build iconic retail brands, as well as contributing to the success of retailing generally. Each year new names from around the world are inducted into the World Retail Hall of Fame. Jo Malone MBE, Founder, Jo Malone, Jo Loves Jo Malone has been described as an English ‘scent maverick’ and the woman responsible for creating some of the world’s most-loved fragrances. Originally discovering an instinctual talent for creating scented products in her kitchen, Jo launched her first brand, Jo Malone London in 1994, and quickly gained cult status around the world. In 1999 Jo sold the business to Estee Lauder Companies and remained Creative Director until she left in 2006. In November 2011, five years after leaving the Jo Malone brand, she launched her new brand Jo Loves to global anticipation and in 2013 opened the first store in London’s Belgravia. Bottling her undeniable desire to create beautiful and unexpected fragrances, pioneering new products and entertaining experiences, Jo Loves embodies luxury, creativity and innovation. “Over the past 30 years, I have been privileged to be part of an industry I simply love. The key to my career has always been to run on the track of creativity and opportunity and being able to create fragrance in my own unique way and take my business around the world has been an incredible adventure. My passions in life are fragrance, innovation and creativity and to be recognised by the World Retail Congress for all three and inaugurated into the Hall of Fame is an incredible honour and a moment I will never forget. I’m looking forward to continuing my retail journey by doing what I love most and building for the future with one clear goal in mind; to change the way the world wears fragrance…for a second time!” Tommy Hilfiger, Principal Designer, The Tommy Hilfiger Group For 30 years Tommy Hilfiger has brought classic, cool, American apparel to consumers around the world. Under Hilfiger’s guidance, vision and leadership as Principal Designer, The Tommy Hilfiger Group has become one of very few globally recognized designer brands offering a wide range of American-inspired apparel and accessories. Hilfiger introduced his first signature collection in 1985 by modernizing button-down shirts, chinos, and other time-honored classics with updated fits and details. The relaxed, youthful attitude of his first designs has remained a distinctive hallmark throughout all of Hilfiger’s subsequent collections. Today, the Tommy Hilfiger brand continues to bring preppy, all-American classics to consumers around the world.  The business has grown from a single menswear collection in 1985 to a global lifestyle brand achieving over US $6.7 billion in retail sales in 2014. There are over 1,400 Tommy Hilfiger stores in over 115 countries on five continents. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the World Retail Congress and be inducted into its Hall of Fame,” says Tommy Hilfiger. “We’ve just wrapped up our celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, and it has been amazing to look back on the journey we’ve had. It’s incredible to reflect on how we’ve grown into a true global lifestyle brand, with over 1,500 Tommy Hilfiger stores and 20,000 points of distribution worldwide. Though I always say the best is yet to come – I can’t wait to see what the future will hold.” Solomon Lew, Chairman, Premier Investments Solomon Lew is the Chairman of Premier Investments Limited; Just Group Limited; and Executive Chairman of the Century Plaza Group of Companies. He has over fifty years’ experience in the manufacture, wholesale and retailing of textiles, apparel and general merchandise and in property development. His success in the retail industry has been largely due to his ability to read fashion trends and interpret them for the Australasian market, in addition to his demonstrated ability in the timing of strategic investments.  Mr Lew is a former Chairman, Director and major shareholder of the Coles Myer Group which was then the largest retail conglomerate in Australia with over 160,000 employees and sales of AUD$45 billion. He is also a former Board Member of the Reserve (Central) Bank of Australia and Member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council. Mr Lew has also been the Chairman or a Director of a range of philanthropic organizations. “I am deeply honoured to be recognized by my international colleagues and to join such eminent figures in the World Retail Hall of Fame. The fact that I am the first Australian to be inducted serves to honour not only me, but the Australian Retail Industry which has developed to become one of the most vibrant and competitive in the world. A strong retail industry is the lifeblood of a strong economy with an immense economic multiplier effect both before and beyond the point of sale. For retail to be my life’s vocation, and to have the opportunity to work and engage with so many talented people, continues to be a privilege.” World Retail Congress 2016 The 10^th World Retail Congress (WRC), the world’s most exclusive retail event for senior executives, will be held in Dubai for the first time between 12-14 April 2016, under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. 2016 is the first year the Congress is being hosted by a city outside Europe, reaffirming Dubai’s position as a market leader for the global retail sector and as a pioneer in retail innovation. In partnership with Majid Al Futtaim and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, WRC 2016 will be held under the theme “Attracting and Engaging the Modern Customer”. It will bring together over 1,000 leading retailers and industry experts to showcase the region’s potential in the sector and discuss topics such as disruption and innovation within retail, how to effectively engage with customers, and what’s next for the sector, both within the region and globally.