Singapore and Hong Kong – March 12, 2010 – Leslie Hand, Research Director for IDC Retail Insights was recently conferred the acclaimed Retail Leadership Award at the Asia Retail Congress held in Taj Lands End, Mumbai, India on February 9-10. The Retail Leadership Award is the most prestigious award an individual can receive at the Asia Retail Congress.

Upon receiving the award, Leslie Hand, Research Director for IDC Retail Insights said, "It is an honor to be recognized as a retail leader by the Asia Retail Congress – my 28 years in retail is paying off. The Congress is providing an incredibly valuable service to the retailers in the region, delivering really good content from leaders around the world. ‘Organized’ retail leaders in India are avoiding the mistakes made by counterparts in other regions, by learning from best practices and implementing excellent foundational systems."

Dr. Christopher Holmes, Vice President for IDC Retail Insights Asia/Pacific commented, “IDC Retail Insights Asia/Pacific was officially launched in Singapore a month ago and Leslie Hand’s achievement in this region is certainly a boost to the IDC Retail Insights practice in this part of the world.” Dr. Holmes added, “We look forward to building our capabilities in this region by tapping on Leslie's wealth of experience in the market and technology developments within the retail sector.”

Leslie Hand is based out of IDC Retail Insights’ office in the United States. She is responsible for the research and analysis of IDC Retail Insights’ supply chain, merchandising and demand management services. She also provides thought leadership on sustainability, IT for green and RFID.

To set up an interview with Leslie Hand or Dr. Christopher Holmes, please contact Lay-Fang Tan at lftan@idc.com.

About IDC Retail Insights

IDC Retail Insights provides research-based advisory services and custom research focused on market and technology developments in the retail industry. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of direct industry experience, IDC Retail Insights covers the entire retail value chain – from global sourcing and supply chain to demand-based merchandise planning, straight through to the consumer shopping experience – providing independent, timely, and relevant analysis focused on key business issues. IDC Retail Insights provides a portfolio of research and advisory services that are relevant to the needs of retailers and retail IT suppliers. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-ri.com.

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