Two Exceptional Retail Businesses to be Honored

The Connecticut Retail Merchants Association (CRMA), the statewide association dedicated to serving, advocating and promoting Connecticut’s retail industry, is honoring two of Connecticut’s leading retail businesses for their customer engagement, superior business practices and outstanding community involvement.

The 2019 honorees are Pilgrim Furniture & Mattress City, selected as the Retailer of the Year, and Your CBD Store, chosen as Emerging Retailer of the Year.

In addition, CRMA will be recognizing a legislator who has been passionate about the unique legislative and regulatory issues facing the business community. State Rep. Jason Rojas of East Hartford will be recognized by CRMA as Legislator of the Year.

The awards will be presented on October 16 at the CRMA Annual Awards Luncheon, to be held at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford.

“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding retailers. They embody all that is good about a successful retailer,” said Tim Phelan, president of CRMA. “Whether a long-established business or one that is relatively new to our state, exemplary business practices attract customers and that is precisely what these retailers are demonstrating. We are proud to recognize their efforts in the retail business and their impact on the Connecticut community.”

The Annual Awards Luncheon brings together more than 200 people representing retail businesses throughout the state. Attendees will hear directly from leaders of the award-winning retailers, whose determination and resiliency have created jobs and economic impact in their local communities and the state. In Connecticut, there are an estimated 472,518 jobs supported by retail businesses. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) impact is $34.2 billion – 14 percent of the state’s total GDP. “One out of every five people is supported by a job in retail,” Phelan said.

Pilgrim Furniture & Mattress City operates four furniture stores in Connecticut – in Danbury, Manchester, Milford and Southington. The stores feature a great selection of living room, bedroom, dining room, home office, entertainment, accent, furniture, and mattresses, and can help customers with home design and decorating. Reflecting on their approach to retail, they state “Our customers aren’t numbers, they’re neighbors.” The company has served the Hartford area since 1961. From the beginning they have been “locally owned, Connecticut grown.” The company website is www.pilgrimfurniturecity.com.

Your CBD Store, while relatively new to Connecticut, has established eight retail locations in the state – in East Lyme, Glastonbury, Manchester, Milford, North Haven, Rocky Hill, and Southington. CBD is one of the fastest-growing industries in today’s economy. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in the cannabis plant which has many medical benefits. Your CBD Store® products are made using only the highest

quality, organically grown hemp from Colorado which has been certified by that state’s Department of Agriculture. The business has established retail locations in 35 states. The company website is https://cbdrx4u.com/.

“We are extremely excited and proud to recognize these leading retailers,” said CRMA Board Chairman Tom Wholley, owner of Connecticut Mattress. “They achieve success by constantly working at providing their customers with first rate customer service.”

The Legislator of the Year, Rep. Jason Rojas, represents the 9th Assembly District, which includes parts of East Hartford and Manchester. He is the House chair of the legislature's Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and a member of the Planning and Development Committee. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a history degree from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in public policy from Trinity College.

“Rep. Rojas consistently demonstrates responsiveness to his constituents and the retail business community in his district and our state,” Phelan said. “His determination to do what’s right, along with his willingness to listen and to lead, have earned him this distinction.”

The CRMA annual event is held at the Bushnell with lunch provided by the Max Restaurant Group. Reservations can be made on the CRMA website at www.crmaonline.com for the retail industry’s high profile event of the year.

CRMA is a trade association whose mission is to represent the interests of retailers and serve as a vital link between those retailers and state and governmental agencies. The association’s members include more than 2,000 stores throughout the state, including some of the world's largest retailers as well as the state's main street merchants. To learn more about CRMA, visit www.crmaonline.com or call 860-527-1044.