Blue Water Bridge scoops Canada's top award

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Blue Water Bridge Duty Free honoured again at the Frontier Duty Free Association's Gold Standard Awards in Toronto.

Just weeks after landing the prestigious Retailer of the Year prize at the Frontier Awards in Cannes, Blue Water Bridge Duty Free Shop has won the top Platinum prize at the Frontier Duty Free Association's (FDFA) Gold Standard Awards in Toronto.

At a ceremony at the FDFA annual convention last night, the company won the top prize among the country's land border operators, in awards sponsored by DFNI.

While Blue Water Bridge won Platinum, Gold Award winners were: Aldergrove Duty Free Shop; Boutique Hors Taxes de Philipsburg; DFS Ventures; Importations Guay; Johnstown Duty Free; Kitt's Duty Free; Niagara Duty Free; Osoyoos Duty Free; Peace Bridge Duty Free; Peninsula Duty Free; Thousand Islands Tax/Duty Free, and West Coast Duty Free.

There were five Silver Award winners: Boutique Hors Taxes De L'Est; Huntingdon Duty Free Shop; Kingsgate Duty Free; North Portal Duty Free, and Tobacco Plains Duty Free.

This year, there were three new awards for retailers. The Best Marketing Award was won by Peace Bridge Duty Free, the Best New Idea Award for innovation was won by the same company, and the individual prize for Outstanding Customer Service went to Janet Costa of Niagara Duty Free.

Supplier awards went to Imperial Tobacco (Canada), VPI, Maxxium Canada, DDFI 2002, Alfa Brands and Turkey Hill.
Showcase awards for suppliers went to Peter Mielzynski Agencies for Camus Ile de Ré and to Le Diffusion Joanel from Lavalle, Quebec, for its Florado Print handbag.

*A full report will appear in DFNI December 1