World Retail Hall of Fame to honour Paul Smith and Stuart Rose

British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith and former

Marks & Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose have been named among the new inductees to the World Retail Hall of Fame for the 2012 World Retail Congress.

Each year, the Congress honours three retailers from around the world who they believe have made an outstanding contribution to their  businesses and the wider industry, and this year the World Retail  Congress has also announced that it is to honour one of the UK’s top  designers, brands and retailers, Sir Paul Smith.

Joining Stuart Rose into the World Retail Hail of Fame for 2012 are Lew Frankfort, chairman and chief executive officer of luxury US accessories brand Coach, and Dickson Poon, chairman of Dickson Concepts, owner of Harvey Nichols. They will take their place  alongside a roll call of over 100 names of retailers that have helped  create modern retailing around the world.

Commenting on the honour, Rose said: “Retailing has been my life and I  really can’t imagine being in any other industry. It has allowed me to  work with some fantastic brands and great teams of people and has been enormous fun as well as hard work.

“It is therefore a great honour to be recognised by my fellow  retailers with membership of the World Retail Hall of Fame for a career that I have thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy in my  roles with the businesses I am now involved with.”

All will be honoured at an exclusive World Retail Hall of Fame lunch during the World Retail Congress which takes place in London,  September 19 to 21.