The Australian Retailers’ Association is delighted to announce the winners ofthe 2019 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards. This year’s Awards were held atMyer Mural Hall, with retailers from across the nation coming together tocelebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations in the industry.
In the lead up to the Awards, the ARA received an outstanding number ofsubmissions from some of Australia’s largest retailers including PETstock,Bakers Delight, Vodafone and Coles Group. With 12 awards up for grabs, the ARArecruited an elite group of retail leaders to decide the ‘finest in retail.’
This exceptional judging panel included Alla Buinowicz, Managing Director atTaking Shape; Bernie Brookes AM, Adjunct Industry Fellow at SwinburneUniversity of Technology; Radinck van Vollenhoven, Country Manager of Stocard;Robyn Batson, Group People and Development Manager at Sussan Group; andWarwick Ponder, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at eftposAustralia.
2019 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Award Winners
Award category: Customer Experience
Recognising Australian retailers who create and enhance the
customer experience at every step of their shopping journey.
2019 Manhattan Associates Excellence in Customer Experience
- PETstock
- Birdsnest
2019 Daylight Agency Excellence in Retail Marketing
- Bakers Delight
- PETstock
2019 Pronto Retail Innovator of the Year
- Biome
2019 Store Design and Fit-Out of the Year
- First Choice Liquor Market – Coles Liquor
Award category: People in Retail
Recognising individuals and employers in the retail industry
paving the future of Australian retail.
2019 Rest Retail Business Woman of the Year
- Chelsea McIntosh – Spoilt Gift and Homewares
2019 FCB Retail Employer of the Year
- PETstock
2019 Rest Young Retailer of the Year
- Aled Ball – On the Run
2019 Retail Graduate of the Year
- Esther Laub – The Sydney String Centre
Award category: Retailer of the Year
Celebrating and acknowledging progressive retailers in Australia who havetransformed their business to adapt to the new era of retail.
2019 eftpos National Retailer of the Year
- Vodafone
2019 eftpos Digital Commerce Retailer of the Year
- YCL Jewels
2019 eftpos Franchise Group of the Year
- Bakers Delight
2019 eftpos Independent Retailer of the Year
- Birdsnest
The Executive Director of the ARA, Russell Zimmerman, said the vast scale ofretailers in attendance at this year’s awards shows the perseverance andcommitment these individuals and organisations have for their businesses,employees and the wider community.
“Although the retail landscape will continue to be disrupted by emergingtechnology and international competitors, it is truly gratifying to see theindustry filled with hardworking retailers who continue to power retailthrough innovation and adaption,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“Our annual Awards program is an excellent platform for retailers to cometogether, network, share stories, and most importantly support one another.Their ongoing passion and dedication is what and contributes to the vitalityof the $320bn sector,” he added.
This year’s theme, Retail Morphosis, encompassed the development of theretail sector, and how it has matured into a thriving, adaptable industry.Keeping with the theme Retail Morphosis , the ARA coordinated a fashionparade that captured the history of Australian retail from the 1920s, 50s, 60,70s, 80s to the 1990s. Each model’s outfits were carefully curated by Myer toemulate the appropriate decade, with hair and make-up created by Chiseled Hairto complete the look.
Following the parade, leading consumer futurist and keynote speaker, AmandaStevens delighted the audience with an informative presentation that combinedvaluable consumer insights and research into consumer purchasing behaviour forthe audience to take away. The host of this year’s Awards, and CEO of thecentury-old Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses retail chain, Steve Plarre, closed theshow with a show-stopping rendition of ‘Uptown Funk’ which had the audiencejumping out of their seats and clapping along.
eftpos CEO, Mr Stephen Benton, said eftpos is proud to support these awardsbecause they recognise the extraordinary work that is done by the hundreds ofthousands of retailers who serve Australian communities every single day.
“Retail is an exceptionally important industry because it impacts all of ourdaily lives and is the barometer of our economy. These Awards provide anopportunity to recognise the contribution of these businesses and the peoplewho run them,” Mr Benton said.
The ARA would like to thank its corporate sponsors, esteemed judges andpartners for organising this year’s Awards, and looks forward to hosting theAwards next year.
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