Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient 2023- Morry Fraid
This year’s LFRA Annual Awards Gala Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to Morry Fraid, joint owner of the Spotlight Group.
The award was announced at the 2023 LFRA Annual Gala Awards Dinner in November.
It was created to recognise and acknowledge someone who has made a significant and enduring contribution to the Large Format Retail sector and the LFRA.
It is selected by the LFRA Board to not only acknowledge an individual in the industry, but to pay tribute to their continuous innovation, leadership, and mentorship across the Large Format Retail sector.
Morry claiming the prestigious title should be no surprise. A prominent figure in Australia and New Zealand, Morry is a much respected and admired industry leader, along with his brother, the late Ruben Fried.
After arriving with their family in Australia from Israel in 1956, the family began their retail career with a stall at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne.
Morry attributes a lot of their success to key learnings from their parents’, such as their dedication and strong work ethic.
Ruben and his wife Vivienne opened their first brick and mortar store to establish Spotlight on Glenferrie Road, Malvern, in 1973 and Morry joined a few years later. From there the expansion begun.
Since then, Spotlight has excelled beyond every milestone imaginable by the two young brothers.
Right from the beginning, the family emphasised the importance of this store capturing the same, grassroots market ethos of their original stall, enticing more new customers.
By 1987, there were 16 stores across Australia with an annual turnover of $50 million, a staggering growth for a retail outlet during that time.
Now known as the Spotlight Group Holdings (SGH), the retail business encompasses iconic Australia brands including Spotlight, Anaconda, Mountain Designs, and most recently, Harris Scarfe. It also includes some of the best-known retail centres in Australia and New Zealand.
The business continued to thrive into the early 2000s and by 2006, Spotlight was employing over 6,000 people.
Spotlight has continued to grow and eventually crossed the shores to expand its stores into Singapore, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
Now, millions of customers shop at SGH each year, both in-store and online, with its VIP loyalty program being one of the largest in Australia.
Spotlight recently celebrated its 50th birthday which underlines the brand’s longevity and relevance in an ever-changing retail market with 12,000 team members and almost $3 billon in sales.
Morry’s success is admired across the Large Format sector and more broadly across the general retail market. The family’s dedication to innovation and authenticity has underpinned its success.
Morry has consistently reflected on the “influence and instincts” of his migrant parents and their belief in building a consumer-focused business with continued hard work and drive.
Most importantly, Morry stresses the importance of always creating “win-win” scenarios in the business, by always maintaining a strong focus on the customer whilst generating profit for the business.
Morry’s passion for the business, the industry, and his family has been reflected in all his achievements and this award is no exception.
Congratulations and thank you to Morry for your enormous contribution to the Large Format Retail industry and your ongoing support and inspiration.
