< Back to FMI.org

About

Tell us about creative ways your store manager has achieved positive growth and customer satisfaction over the past 12-18 months.

Store Manager Awards are given to outstanding managers who generate sales growth, effectively communicate company and store goals and objectives, demonstrate team leadership in their store/company, provide exceptional customer service through in-store programs and improve community relations.

Categories

Entries are judged in four categories:

Category A: Small retailers: Companies with 1-49 stores
Category B: Medium retailers: Companies with 50-249 stores
Category C: Large retailers: Companies with 250+ stores
Category D: International retailers: Companies operating outside of the U.S.

2026 Prizes

Finalists in each category will receive:

1 complimentary registration for the Future Leaders eXperience (transferable).
The four Grand Prize winners will be recognized and receive a crystal award and $1,000 USD each!

People’s Pick Award

Finalists for the Store Manager Awards qualify to be a part of the People's Pick Award contest. All finalists will be posted on FMI's website for one week and the nominee with the most votes by the end of the week wins $500 to celebrate their store employees.

If you have any questions, please reach out to StoreManagerAwards@fmi.org.

Get To Know This Year's Winners

Russell Blais

Roche Bros. Marketplace
Duxbury, Massachusetts

Timing is everything in store management, especially at locations with seasonal businesses. At the helm of a Brothers Marketplace along the coast in Duxbury, Mass., Russ has impeccable timing for scaling, servicing and steering. He meets the needs ...

Jason Johnson

K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., Food City
Gray, Tennessee

Like many leaders in this industry, Jason Johnson began working as a courtesy clerk at the age of 17. Back then, while assisting shoppers and joining his first store team, he couldn’t know that he would eventually work his way up to receive the ...

Ramatoulaye "Rama" Diallo

Jewel-Osco
Chicago, Illinois

Among many other things, Ramatoulaye, or “Rama” to her friends, is known for her merchandising skills that create a sense of theater in her store in the western edge of downtown Chicago. While she sets the stage for product discovery and bigger ...

Heath Redman

Harris Teeter LLC
Asheville, North Carolina

It’s been said that storms draw things out in people that calm weather doesn’t. That sentiment was especially true in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which wreaked devastation in many parts of the country in fall 2024, including western North Carolina....

Tahjae Welch

The MarketPlace Limited
Paget, Bermuda

This young leader has made history both on the pitch and in the store, showing that talent in one area of life often extends to another. The common denominators: sheer skill and a competitive fire. Tahjae started his career in the grocery industry ...