The big winners of the Lenovo RetailBusiness Awards 2021

Plaisio Computers was named Retailer of the Year, while Iakovos Andreanidis, the Managing Director of Lidl Hellas, won the distinction of Retail Manager of the Year

The 19th Lenovo RetailBusiness Awards 2021 culminated in Direction and RETAILBUSINESS magazine proclaiming Plaisio the Retailer of the Year and Iakovos Andreanidis, Managing Director of Lidl Hellas, the Retail Manager of the Year.

The big celebration of Greek Retail and Industry was held this year on Tuesday, 20 July, at Ble Azure on Alimos Beach, in partnership with the Hellenic Retail Business Association (HRBA) and the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (ESEE). As it is every year, it was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Development and Investments.

This special evening, which was held in full compliance with the public health protocols and the protective measures to avoid the spread of Covid-19, was attended by Retail, Industry, and Communications executives, as well as media representatives.

The big winners of the Lenovo RetailBusiness Awards 2021

In a 100% secure event, the Lenovo RetailBusiness Awards 2021, for the 19th consecutive event, kept their date with the Retail and Industry market, highlighting and rewarding executives and businesses that are driving the sector ever further ahead. A year before the milestone of the 20-year anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2022, the most important and distinguished Institution in the field of Greek Retail and Industry once again brought to the forefront the Values and Excellence of the sector.

It should be noted that the winners, once again, emerged after the evaluation and voting of a broad evaluation committee, which included representatives of the 24 most important institutional bodies, institutes and chambers of the Greek market, the heads of 4 research companies and a team of respected academics. Deloitte Greece was the Audit Body, ensuring that the process was carried out with complete transparency, objectivity and credibility, for yet another year.

The companies that won awards at the Lenovo RetailBusiness Awards 2021 include 3alfa, 362 Grocery, AB Vassilopoulos, Athenian Brewery, Venetis, Germanos, Giotis, Coffee Island, Cosmote, Dodoni, ELAIS-Unilever Hellas, e-fresh, Everest, Frank & Fame, Goody’s Burger House, IKEA, Masoutis, Loux-Marlafekas, Magiq Doorz, MEGA, Metro-My Market, Barba Stathis, Ogilvy, Pizza Fan, Plaisio Computers, Public-MediaMarkt, Septona, Volton, Watt+Volt and Chrysi Zymi.

The Suppliers of the Year, based on the survey carried out for the 12th consecutive year, exclusively for RetailBusiness magazine and Direction Business Network by the Athens University of Economics and Business, in collaboration with The Hellenic Research House, were ELAIS-Unilever Hellas (Non Food), E.I. Papadopoulos (Food & Drink), Β/S/H (Appliances and Audiovisual Equipment)) and HP (Technology).

Honorary Awards were also given to the Galaxias-5 SA chain, marking the 50th anniversary of its successful presence in the Greek market, and to the Sarantis Group for its continuous and dynamic growth trajectory and the continuous strengthening of its presence in the categories in which it is active.

See the winners of all the awards at www.retailawards.gr!

In his opening address, the editor of Direction and host of the evening, Vangelis Papalios, congratulated all the winners and participants, stating that preparations for next year’s anniversary event have already begun and expressing his optimism that the 2022 Awards Ceremony will take place in a world free from the pandemic and in a Greece that has seen its economy transformed. “It will be a great celebration that will link us to the past but, at the same time, will also mark the beginning of a new era for the institution, the market and the economy,” he noted.

Iakovos Andreanidis, the Chief Executive of Lidl Hellas – receiving the distinction of Retail Manager of the Year from Panagiotis Makryniotis, General Manager of Lenovo Greece & Cyprus, which was the title sponsor for the event for the second consecutive year – having thanked the chain’s people and remarked on the unique characteristics of the past year, expressed the hope that “all of us, together, within 2022 at the latest, can continue dynamically on the path to a better tomorrow.”

Kostas Gerardos, Vice President and CEO of Plaisio Computers, which received the event’s top distinction, noted that “this rewards a great effort and the very good results of 2020, but mainly it vindicates and rewards a number of very major decisions that we have taken over the past 10 or 12 years with the PLAISIO team.”

Once again, the evening’s presenters were journalists Dimitris Kambourakis and Dora Pandelis, and the event was honoured by the presence of the Minister of Development and Investments, Adonis Georgiadis, who, in his address, underscored the institution’s validity and its importance for Greek business. “I would especially like to congratulate the award-winning companies that, during the pandemic, managed to maintain their efficiency, sales and quality at a high level, and I would like to urge other businesses to emulate their good example in the future,” he said.

For the second consecutive year, Lenovo was the sponsor of the 19th RetailBusiness Awards. AB Vassilopoulos sponsored the “Supplier of the Year Food & Drink- Non Food” category, while Phaistos Networks sponsored the “e-retailer” category. Also supporting the event were OPAP, Sarantis, Sklavenitis, West, OK!, Anytime Markets, MEGA Personal Hygiene Products (Sponsors), Eza-Hellenic Breweries of Atalanti, Asterias Creative Design, Theoni, Sound & Visual K. Papathanasiou, Ogilvy, We for Media, Imagepro, Vision, happy people team, Evin Intzoglou, Greek Wine Cellars (Official Partners), Pressious Arvanitidis (printing), Polichromo (digital printing), Mass Courier (deliveries) and Deloitte (auditing body).

*The Award Ceremony is available for viewing:

Gold Protagonists 2010-2020

Business of the Decade: Hellenic Hypermarkets Sklavenitis

For the sixth time, Direction Business Network organised the awards-institution of the Greek business world

The businesses that stood out for their economic performance during the decade from 2010 to 2020 were honoured by the awards-institution of the Greek business world, “Protagonists of the Greek Economy,” which Direction Business Network hosted for the sixth time, on Monday, 19 July 2021.

At Ble Azure on Alimos Beach, with over 300 high-ranking business executives and representatives of academia in attendance, businesses were acknowledged for finding a way to rise to the challenges of a very unique and difficult time for the Greek economy, emerging stronger from the country’s years-long economic recession.

The awards were given based on the companies’ official financial data as set out in the detailed financial reports included in the publication “The Strongest Greek Companies,” by Directions Business Network, which just came out and is also dedicated to the decade from 2010 to 2020.

More specifically, the first to be honoured were the Industry Protagonists: leading businesses in key Greek industries, based on cumulative turnover and total earnings before taxes for the financial years from 2010 to 2019. The winners in this category were Β&F Clothing (Clothing Industry), Bold Ogilvy Communication (Advertising Companies), The Mall Athens – Lamda Development (Shopping Centres), PPC (Energy), OLYMPIC Commercial & Tourism Enterprises SA-ΑVIS (Car Rental and Leasing), Athenian Brewery (Brewery), Barilla Hellas (Pasta), Plaisio Computers (Computers – Technology), Athens Medical (Medical Services), Papastratos (Tobacco Products), Hellenic Petroleum (Petroleum products), Kotsovolos Dixons South East Europe (Retailers of Electrical and Electronic Products), AB Vassilopoulos (Supermarkets), ACS Postal Services (Courier Services), PEI.FA.SYN (Pharmaceutical Wholesalers) and MEGA Personal Hygiene Products (Personal hygiene paper products – Tissue).

Additionally, Karelia Tobacco, Med Frigo-Cargo Med Group, Papastratos, Pharmathen and Uni-Pharma (Tsetis Pharmaceutical Group) were honoured for their significant moves in the areas of Development and Investments, with Karelia Tobacco and Papastratos also receiving awards for standing out in the field of Business Openness, as did Lakiotis SA.

Turnaround Business awards were conferred on Famar and McCann Erickson, in recognition of their achievement in overcoming any difficulties they faced and returning to a growth trajectory.

Awards were also received by the Greek Business Champions of the Decade, which managed to simultaneously increase their turnover and earnings before taxes by more than 50% between the financial years of 2010 and 2019.

More specifically, the following companies received awards in this category. Theoni Natural Mineral Water, Ioannina Agricultural Poultry Cooperative PINDOS, Carrier SE Europe, Aktina, Amvyx, Anastasopoulos G. Vasilios, ANEDIK Kritikos, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Venetis, V+O, Viakar, BIC Violex, Violanta, Carat Communication Services, Cosmos Aluminium, Cosmote E-Value, Gregory’s, DSV Hellas, Entersoft, Eurocatering, European Reliance, Macedonia Thrace Brewery, Granarolo Hellas, Hafco, Intertrade Hellas, IFET, KALTEQ SA, KARELIA TOBACCO INDUSTRY, Cosmos Sport, CREAMTEAM, LOUX Marlafekas, Majar – Matzaridis Bros, Manessis Travel Organization, Mati – Mati, MEGA Personal Hygiene Products, Metron Engineering, Mediacom, Moustakas Toys, Bakalaros Group, Navicon, Nef – Nef, Novastar, Olympia – Xenia, Olympic Brewery, Med Frigo – Cargo Med Group, Papastratos, Pescanova Hellas, Pet City, Pharmathen International, Pot & Pan Foodservice, Premier Capital Hellas, Prometheus ”Avance”, Tseti Ioulia & Irini ‘Intermed’, U.T.C. International Transport, Uni – Pharma Kleon Tsetis, Pharmathen, West SA and Westnet Distribution.

Solidarity Excellence Awards were also given out this year. These awards honoured the commitment to the value of human life and the social solidarity demonstrated following the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic by the companies The Mall Athens – Lamda Development, PPC, Olympic-ΑVIS, Athenian Brewery, Barilla Hellas, Plaisio Computers, Athens Medical Group, Papastratos, Hellenic Petroleum, Kotsovolos Dixons South East Europe, AB VASSILOPOULOS, PEI.FA.SYN, MEGA Personal Hygiene Products, Karelia Tobacco Industry, Pharmathen, Uni-Pharma (Tsetis Pharmaceutical Group), Famar, Theoni Natural Mineral Water, ANEDIK Kritikos, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Violanta, Cosmos Aluminium, Eurocatering, European Reliance, Macedonia Thrace Brewery, Info Quest Technologies and Olympic Brewery.

CVC Capital Partners was honoured for its dynamic investment activity in our country. CVC Capital Partners is one of the largest fund management companies in the world and has invested over €1 billion in Greece since 2017, in various sectors.

Finally, Hellenic Hypermarkets Sklavenitis won the top distinction in this year’s event, following a vote by 8,500 senior executives from major Greek enterprises. The candidates were 20 of the most important Greek enterprises, with positive growth trends in the decade from 2010 to 2020, resulting from a pre-selection process carried out by the event’s special award committee, after reviewing their financial data and their general image and progress in the market. The award was received by Christos Maragkos, the company’s Management Advisor for Markets, who referred to the “great struggle” he had mounted over the past decade, also mentioning the late Stelios Sklavenitis. “We miss him, but we are certain that, from on high, he is proud of our growth,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Giorgos Georgantas conferred the highest distinction, noting, among other things, to the honoured businesses: “The government is trying – and I think the results are apparent – not to be an obstacle to your entrepreneurship. We are trying to create a safe and investment-friendly environment in which you can grow even further. We are not just removing obstacles; we are also trying to create the right conditions.”

The event was moderated by journalist Nikos Filippidis, and the evening was opened by publisher/director of Direction Business Network Evangelos Papalios, who, among other things, stressed that “enterprises that succeeded through systematic work, long-term planning, continuous investments, composure in strategy and calm in their moves must now be ready to conquer even higher peaks from here on,” underscoring that everyone involved must rise to the circumstances and capitalize on the Recovery Fund for Greece.

The Award Ceremony was also honoured by Minister of Finance Christos Staikouras, who, in a videotaped greeting, said that the winning enterprises “are driving the country and the economy forward and are a precious asset for us to continue into the next decade, which can and must be a period of rapid and strong recovery and high and sustainable growth following the test of the pandemic.” He also referred to the Greece 2.0 plan, which, he said, “strengthens reform, investment and the economy, and is a springboard for changing the country’s economic model towards a more competitive, innovative, smart and green production model.”

The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Development & Investments and was sponsored by Info-Quest Technologies and Accomplish Financial. The Telecoms Provider was Wind, with supporters including the Eza-Hellenic Breweries of Atalanti, asterias creative design, Theoni, Amvyx (Glenfiddich) and Weber Shandwick. Also supporting the event were Pressious Arvanitidis (Printing), Polichromo (Digital Printing), Hellenic Wine Cellars, Sound & Visual K. Papathanasiou, WeforMedia, Image Pro, Vision, Happy people team, Εvin Intzoglou (Οfficial Partners), Mass Courier (Deliveries) and eventora (voting platform).

*The Award Ceremony is available for viewing