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December 21, 2010

The Container Store and Urban Outfitters to Receive Gold Medal and Innovator Awards at NRF 2011 Annual Convention

Contact Kathy Grannis for high resolution headshot images of winners

For Immediate Release
Kathy Grannis (202) 783-7971 or grannisk@nrf.com
www.nrf.com/annual11

The Container Store and Urban Outfitters to Receive Gold Medal and Innovator Awards at NRF 2011 Annual Convention
-Sir Philip Green, Arcadia Group Wins International Retailer of the Year-

Washington, December 20, 2010 - The National Retail Federation is pleased to announce that executives from Nordstrom, The Container Store, Urban Outfitters and Sir Philip Green of Arcadia Group (which includes Topshop, Wallis and Burton) are the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. The recipients will accept their awards during the Annual Retail Industry Luncheon at NRF’s Annual Convention and EXPO on Tuesday, January 11, 2011. NRF’s BIG Show will be held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, January 9-12, 2011.

“In this highly competitive industry, it’s important for retailers to break away from the mold and push their company to new heights,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Every year we search to find those who continue to do just that. We applaud each of this years’ winners and are thrilled to honor them in front of their peers.”

Gold Medal Award: Kip Tindell, Chairman and CEO, The Container Store

The Gold Medal is the most coveted award in retail, given to individuals who have served the industry with distinction and achieved a national reputation for excellence. The recipients have also displayed creative genius and inspirational leadership and have won the respect of fellow merchants for devotion to the retail craft.

Tindell has been at the helm of The Container Store since it first opened its doors in Dallas in 1978 – creating the first ever store devoted solely to storage and organization products. With 49 stores nationwide, a thriving Web site and 2010 sales projected at $560 million, Tindell continues his commitment to being a trailblazing retailer. But for Tindell, the goal never has been growth for growth’s sake. Rather, it’s to adhere to a fundamental set of corporate values, centered around an intense employee commitment, strict merchandising and superior customer service. Success has been the natural and inevitable result. Tindell continues to embody the unique corporate culture he created, and has nurtured a fierce employee loyalty that has landed the company at the top of FORTUNE magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” the past 11 years. In 2006, along with wife Sharon Tindell (Chief Merchandising Officer) and Boone, Tindell was inducted into the Retailing Hall of Fame.

Retail Innovator of the Year: Glen T. Senk, CEO, URBN, Urban Outfitters, Inc.

Recipients of this award have successfully distinguished themselves as retail pioneers through the use of new, innovative or imaginative techniques, formats or service. Furthermore, they have demonstrated an ability to sustain and build this concept in the face of challenges.

Glen T. Senk was named CEO of Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters, Inc. in May 2007. Senk’s career with the Company began in April 1994 when he joined Anthropologie as president of what was then a single store prototype. Senk was named executive vice president of Urban Outfitters, Inc. in May 2002 and elected to the Company’s board of directors in June 2004. Prior to Anthropologie, Senk served as senior vice president and general merchandise manager of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. where he oversaw the retail and mail order operations for Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Hold Everything, Chambers and Gardener’s Eden. During his tenure at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Senk developed the strategy and laid the groundwork for Pottery Barn’s rapid expansion and sales growth.

Senk holds a BA degree, magna cum laude, in psychology, computer science and mathematics from New York University; and a MBA degree in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School Of Business, where he received the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In addition to serving as a director of URBN, Senk is on the board of Tory Burch Inc., David Yurman Inc., and the Vetri Foundation.

International Retailer of the Year: Sir Philip Green, Arcadia Group

This award is given annually to an individual who has achieved international recognition for excellence in their native country and internationally.

Sir Philip Green was born in 1952, and left school at 16 years old. He helped his mother with her businesses from his teenage years, and taught himself many different aspects of retailing. Sir Philip opened his first shop in 1979 on Conduit Street, in central London, selling discounted designer brands. Over the next twenty years, he purchased, managed, turned around and sold many retail businesses including Sears which he bought and sold in 1999. In 2000 and 2002 he bought British Home Stores and Arcadia Group respectively which his family owns and he runs to date.

With eight well-known British high street brands BHS, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Topman and Wallis – his companies have a significant presence on the UK High Street, with more than 2,500 outlets, and in excess of 10% share of the UK clothing market. Their international presence is ever expanding and to date there are nearly 600 international frnchise stores in 37 countries, and wholesale operations in a further 16. The brands are available on-line in more than 115 countries worldwide.

Both the BHS and Arcadia businesses have grown considerably under Sir Philip’s family ownership, and were integrated into one Group in 2009, and now employing more than 45,000 people. In the latest financial year, the Arcadia Group generated cash of £386 million on sales of £2.8 billion.

Silver Plaque: Sheryl Garland, Vice President, Senior Counsel - Risk Management, Nordstrom

NRF’s Annual Convention and EXPO serves as the world's leading retail event, bringing 18,000 retail executives and vendors from more than 60 countries together for educational and networking opportunities. NRF’s EXPO floor, open on Monday and Tuesday of the Convention, hosts more than 600 exhibiting companies and features one-of-a-kind pavilions displaying the latest in retail technology. NRF's Convention is ranked as one of the Top 200 events in North America, as well as one of the 50 fastest-growing events, according to Tradeshow Week.

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry’s key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2008 sales of $4.6 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.

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NRF is pleased to grant complimentary registration to editorial staff members of the press, as well as accredited retail analysts and bloggers. Click here to register online for the NRF’s 2011 Annual Convention & EXPO, or call Kathy Grannis at (202) 626-8189.

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