RAPAPORT... The National Retail Federation (NRF) named top executives from Amazon, Crocs, Kohl’s and lululemon as the recipients of its annual leadership awards. The senior executives will accept their accolades on January 15, during the annual NRF BIG Show, which runs January 13 to 16 in Manhattan. The NRF will award Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, with the gold medal, the ''most coveted award in retail'' that is given to an individual who has served the industry with distinction and achieved a national reputation for excellence. Crocs was named ''Retail Innovator of the Year,'' as its president, John McCarvel, distinguished himself as a retail pioneer through the use of new, innovative or imaginative techniques, formats or service. Website lululemon atheltica earned the distinction of ''International Retailer of the Year,'' under the direction of its chief executive, Christine Day. Finally, Ken Bonning, the senior vice president of logistics for department store Kohl's will be given the silver plaque for achieving prominence in his field and, who has shown outstanding leadership in NRF council or committee work. Bonning is the former chairman of NRF’s Strategic Supply Chain Council and played an instrumental role in the planning, implementation and launch of NRF’s Global Supply Chain Summit in May of 2011. “In this highly competitive industry, it’s important for retailers to continue to evolve with their customers’ expectations, while also thinking outside the box when it comes to innovation and consumer value,” said NRF's president, Matthew Shay. “We know we don’t have to look far to find our award winners each year as retailers are some of the most ground-breaking companies in the world, setting examples for other industries in customer service and experience, innovation and leadership. We applaud our winners this year and are thrilled to honor them in front of their peers.”
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