NICHE magazine has announced the nominees for its 2008 Top Retailer Awards program.

Professional fine craft artists throughout the United States and Canada nominated more than 600 craft galleries, retail stores, arts nonprofits, museums and guilds.
 
Criteria for nomination were based on NICHE magazine’s Retailers’ Guide to Best Practices, which details the characteristics of craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the American craft community.
 
The Top Retailer Awards program annually recognizes 24 retailers and gallery owners, one Retailer of the Year, and several retailers, galleries, museums and guilds in the following categories:
 
* Best Arts Nonprofit
* Best Merchandising
* Best Customer Newsletter (print or electronic)
* Best Advertising/Direct Mail Campaign
* Best New Store (less than five years old)
* Best Museum Store
* Best Guild Store
* Best Website/Online Marketing
* Best In-Store Event
 
The nominated retailers will receive an application, which must be completed and returned in order to advance to the judging stage of the competition. A panel of independent judges, made up of prominent members of the craft community, will review and score each retailer application. The retailer with the highest score in each category will be named the winner. Judges will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
Award winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Aug. 3, during the summer Buyers Market of American Craft, Aug. 2-4, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Winners in each category will be published in the Autumn 2008 issue of NICHE magazine.

JCK