Awards

WASHINGTON — National Retail Federation and the University of Phoenix will award ten current retail employees in the U.S. a Dream BIG scholarship.

Each of the ten recipients will receive full tuition at any University of Phoenix campus or online program, to encourage them to pursue career opportunities within the retail industry.

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. – Co-founder and CEO of The Upper Deck Company Richard P. McWilliam died unexpectedly in his Rancho Santa Fe home Saturday, January 5. He was 59 years old.

McWilliam is credited with transforming the sports trading card business by creating Upper Deck, a company that grew to become a leading sports trading card business and expanded to become a major sports and entertainment company. He drove that growth through continuing innovation to improve the quality, breadth of content and the form and style of trading cards.

Nineteen of the nation’s leading retail and CPG companies received perfect scores on the 2013 Corporate Equality Index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign released its 2013 Corporate Equality Index, which gives companies ratings of up to 100% based on their policies regarding LGBT employees and also released a buyer's guide for LGBT consumers. According to the equality advocacy group, a total of 1,848 companies were invited to submit applications, of those 530 actually did so and of those 252 received scores of 100%.

WASHINGTON — The NRF Foundation and American Express announced the winners of their fifth annual Aspire2Retail Intercollegiate Challenge. Each student will receive an educational scholarship worth $2,500.

The contest is designed to increase understanding of diverse career paths in retail by engaging university students in a competitive, collaborative roleplay that involves implementing a multi-tiered business strategy.

Michael Francis is among 10 top executives Advertising Age has singled out on a list of movers and shakers for 2013.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Dole’s entry into the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade took home the top prize for the third consecutive year.

Dole’s float, called “Dreaming of Paradise,” received the parade’s Sweepstakes Trophy, the highest honor given for the float deemed to be the most beautiful entry.

Amazon.com, LLBean.com and QVC.com were the top three retailers on ForeSee’s Annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction survey.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Whirlpool brand's Whirlpool Gold Gas and Electric Ranges with TimeSavor Convection cooking systems earned the Good Housekeeping Seal from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.  

Whirlpool’s TimeSavor Plus True Convection cooking system and AccuBake temperature management system work together to circulate hot air over, under and around food, which allow the range to cook and bake dishes evenly.