An extensive collection of flats, wedges, pumps and heels, in a spectrum of colours and a range of materials and textures imported exclusively for ODEL, are now on the shelves of the company’s store network. The international trends for Spring/Summer 2013 encompass 60s pointy heels, clear uppers, Lucite heels, ankle straps, zebra and snake prints, block heels, metallics and  low heels, and the new collection reflects these trends, the company said. Available in sizes ranging from 35 to 41, the collection has styles for casual wear, office and evening functions, with a mix of embellishments including stones and bows.

The magazine’s second issue for 2013 came out in print for the April shopping season featuring the latest products available at ODEL, and can now be downloaded from iTunes or the Google apps store.The on-line version of the magazine is also available on www.odel.lk

A particularly exciting aspect of the app is its interactive feature which makes it extremely convenient to purchase products directly off the magazine: users have the option of clicking on certain products in the magazine and linking with product at the ODEL online store at www.odel.lk to make their purchases. Advertisers in the magazine also benefit as the app offers a link to their own websites from their advertisements.

ODEL’s ‘Monochrome’ theme for Spring is featured prominently in this issue, along with ‘Lust Have’ accessories for ladies, mouth-watering macaroons at the ‘Delight’ department, Menswear offerings in Black and White, digital prints for trendy young lasses and the latest products from ‘Backstage,’ ‘Embark,’ ‘ODEL Home’ and ‘LuvSL.’

The glossy print version of the ODEL magazine is free to pick up at ODEL stores, and the app for smart phones will make its contents available to a larger segment of consumers that increasingly uses hand-held devices to access information, a spokesman for ODEL said.

The app may be downloaded via at https://itunes.apple.com/lk/app/odel-magazine/id621340239?mt=8 for iPhones and at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shiftlk.odel.magazine&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zaGlmdGxrLm9kZWwubWFnYXppbmUiXQ for Android powered smart phones.

The company’s annual Employees of the Year awards recognise the top three retail personalities of the year and the top three supervisors of the year.

For the concluded year, ODEL’s Retail Personality of the Year was Mr. Kumar Dhinaswaran, and the first and second runners-up were Mr. G. K. S. Priyankara Perera and Ms. A. A. M. Subani Wijesinghe respectively. They were selected from 76 contenders - 12 that were adjudged Retail Personality of the Month at ODEL’s Alexandra Place store and 64 quarterly Retail Personality winners from the 16 other ODEL stores in Sri Lanka.

ODEL’s top three Supervisors of the Year for 2012 were Ms S. H. Dilani Wanamali, followed by Mr. S. Eranga Samarasinghe and Mr. Mohammed Ziyad Farook.

The Employees of the Year awards at ODEL recognise outstanding accomplishments, service and dedication by sales staff. A ten-point evaluation used in their selection includes attributes such as customer service, selling skills, grooming, personality, dependability, attitude, flexibility, team work, and leadership and also take into account customer commendations.

ODEL's top five Supervisors of the Year with Ms Otara Gunewardene (3rd from right).  From left - 4^th Runner up Ms. M. D. Priyangani Adhikari, 2^nd Runner up Ms. A. A. M. Subani Wijesinghe, 1^st Runner up Mr.  G. K. S. Priyankara Perera,Winner Mr. Kumar Dhinaswaran and 3^rd Runner up Mr. J. P. Lahiru Janith

Valid on 8^th April at ‘Kids’ and ‘Delight’ departments, the 10 per cent discount will be offered on each of the subsequent days up to 12^th April, at ‘ODEL Home’ (9^th April), ‘Backstage’ and ‘Embark’ (10^th April), ‘Ladies’ (11^th April) and ‘Men’s’ (12^th April),  the company said.

Additionally, five extra-lucky customers who shop with their Loyalty Points at ODEL’s flagship store at Alexandra Place up to the 12^thApril, will stand a chance of winning vouchers of Rs 10,000 each.

These benefits are in addition to the option of redeeming Loyalty Points accrued during previous visits to ODEL stores.

ODEL’s Loyalty Card was launched in December 2011 enabling customers to accumulate Loyalty Points on qualifying purchases at all ODEL stores in the country excluding the Duty Free store at the Bandaranaike International Airport. Online purchases via the company’s website too qualify for Loyalty Points.

Under the company’s loyalty rewards scheme, a purchase of Rs 100 earns one Loyalty Point. At the point of redemption one Loyalty Point is equivalent to Rs 1, a considerably higher value than that assigned by many loyalty schemes operating in the country at present.

Loyalty Points cannot be earned or redeemed for purchases of food, beverages or gift vouchers at ODEL outlets.A minimum of 100 Loyalty Points must be accumulated in order to redeem points for goods at an ODEL store.

The elegance of Black and the purity of White blended with strong contrasts of bright colour was the flavour of the catwalk when ODEL unveiled its new Spring collection on Sunday, 24^th March at its flagship store at Alexandra Place.

From jailbird stripes, checkerboard squares, houndstooth and tuxedo-like ensembles, Black and White pairings and monochromes are back with energetic force.  Coupled with solids like bright yellows, pinks and turquoise blues and exciting floral and bird prints, ODEL’s new collection is in perfect sync with the latest trends in leading fashion retailers around the world.

The new collection has also inspired a makeover of decor at ODEL stores, with Black and White images combined with bright stripes dominating walls and interior spaces.

Perfectly complementing the theme of the collection, the fashion show was also an occasion for sponsor A. Baur and company to show off some its stylish ‘Polar’ brand sunglasses.

Good cheer and spontaneous celebration were in evidence when ODEL felicitated staff for long service earlier this month. Two employees, Ms. A. L. P. Dilrukshi Perera and Mr. W. L. Pradeep K. Karunarathne who had completed 20 years with the fashion retailer were among 80 staff recognised for service of five, 10, 15 and 20 years at this event. Pictured here are the two employees receiving their award from ODEL CEO Ms Otara Gunewardene, and some of the scenes from the event. ODEL’s current staff strength of more than 900 is expected to increase in the near future, with the company’s planned expansions.

Sri Lanka’s celebrity fashion entrepreneur Otara Gunewardene has been spotlighted by India’s leading international fashion and lifestyle magazine ‘Verve,’ in a colourful supplement in the magazine’s February 2013 issue.

With  Verve’s spread on Otara, ODEL and Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, Otara joins the ranks of internally successful and gorgeous women celebrated by Verve, including Nita Ambani, India Hicks, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Barkha Dutt, Mira Nair, Aishwarya Rai, Liz Hurley and Queen Rania of Jordan.

The vibrant 12-page supplement is divided into three sections, and includes topics such as 10 things you didn’t know about Otara – a breezy get-to-know section about Otara as an ‘entrepreneur, animal welfare mentor, model and …. Gas station worker’ covering her first pet to her favourite vacation spots; The ODEL Story – from the boot of a car to hundreds of thousands of square feet of exciting retail space;

Finding Niko – Embark on a Passionate Cause – the concept and activities behind Otara’s very popular animal welfare initiative Embark.

The supplement also highlights the international tourist appeal of Sri Lanka, by focusing on some of the most gorgeous hotel properties in the Island. It features articles on Colombo Jewellery Stores, the new luxury properties of Jetwing Hotels and Cinnamon Bay Beruwala of John Keells.

Limited numbers of the February 2013 issue of Verve are on sale at ODEL’s Alexandra Place store.