Leading retailers take a shine to ARA gold

AUSTRALIA’s top retailers and staff have been crowned in the Australian Retailers Association’s (ARA) 2015 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards, with Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics taking out the coveted Retailer of the Year title.

Winners were revealed for all 11 awards categories at a breakfast in Melbourne on July 2, with Jodie Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey delivering the keynote address at the awards breakfast, attended by more than 400 industry supporters.

Beauty retailer, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, took home the top accolade for 2015, the eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year, being recognised for its leadership within the retail sector. According to the awards judges, Lush was chosen for its impressive employee education programs, focus on employee well-being, and corporate social responsibility. 

Wilson Retail’s Saltwater Wine and Stormriders won the Realise Group Australian Independent Retailer of the Year. Earlier this year the Wilson brands had won retail honours in the Australian Surf Industry Awards.

The Good Guys were named NORA Australian Multichannel Retailer of the Year.

Paul Baker, manager of NRMA Insurance’s busy Liverpool branch won the REST Industry Super Australian Individual Retailer of the Year.

Cannings Free Range Butchers, in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, won the MasterCard Australian Retail Payments Leader of the Year.

Pronto Software Australian Retail Innovator of the Year was the eyeclarity group, which has excelled in its Melbourne Emporium, Sunbury, Bacchus Marsh and Melton locations.

Stormriders won the Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Fit-out of the Year.

Charmaine Wilson, the human resources adviser for Super Retail Group, won the FCB Australian Retail HR Rising Star of the Year.  

Leaanne Stone, of Beacon Lighting, won the Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year.

True Value Hardware won the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year, and Specsavers was awarded the BDO Australian Retail Employer of the Year. 

Bruce Mansfield, eftpos managing director, congratulated the winners and nominees for the 2015 eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year.

“Eftpos is proud to support these awards because they recognise the extraordinary work that is done by the hundreds of thousands of retailers who serve Australian communities every single day,” Mr Mansfield said.

“Retail is an industry that touches all Australians and contributes to the economies of almost every community across the nation, no matter how small.  

“It is an exceptionally important industry because it impacts all of our daily lives and it is great to have an opportunity to recognise the contribution of these businesses and the people who run them. Today’s winners represent the diversity of Australian retailing and the depth of talent we have in this important industry.”

ARA executive director, Russell Zimmerman praised the quality of entries to the 2015 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards, with the high standard of submissions proving the retail sector’s strength and resilience.

“The Australian retail sector continues to go from strength to strength, with the diversity and calibre of entries this year showing the tenacity and innovation of retailers in this evolving and increasingly competitive environment,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“The ARA would like to congratulate all of the 2015 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards winners, who have beaten out tough competition to receive this recognition, particularly Lush.”

The annual eftpos Australian Retail Awards are sector’s longest running awards, recognising the growth and achievements of both businesses and people within Australia’s largest private industry.

“Our awards celebrate and congratulate Australia’s leading retailers. Australia’s retail industry is one of the most exciting, innovative and challenging industries, and it is important that these retail stars receive the recognition they deserve,” Mr Zimmerman said. 

“Retail is an industry that touches all Australians and contributes to the economies of almost every community across the nation, no matter how small and it is great to have an opportunity to recognise the contribution of these businesses and the people who run them.”

The Awards breakfast was hosted by executive chairman of the National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Paul Greenberg, while Ms Fox provided the audience with an insight into Shoes of Prey’s growth, secrets of success, and trends and opportunities available to retailers for the future.

“The Australian retail industry is at a tipping point whereby the elements we've long wished for are all becoming available to us,” Ms Fox said. “It’s never an easy road to build a successful business – and there are plenty of failures along the way, but I’m optimistic about what we as a nation of retailers can achieve.”

www.retail.org.au

2015 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards winners

eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
RUNNERS UP: Priceline Pharmacy, 7-Eleven

The Realise Group Australian Independent Retailer of the Year
Saltwater Wine | Stormriders – Wilson Retail

NORA Australian Multichannel Retailer of the Year
The Good Guys

BDO Australian Retail Employer of the Year
Specsavers

MasterCard Australian Retail Payments Leader of the Year
Cannings Butchers

Pronto Software Australian Retail Innovator of the Year
eyeclarity

Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Fit-out of the Year
Stormriders
RUNNER UP: Pickings and Parry

FCB Australian Retail HR Rising Star of the Year
Charmaine Wilson, Super Retail Group
RUNNER UP: Jarrod Appleby, The Coffee Club

REST Industry Super Australian Individual Retailer of the Year

Paul Baker, NRMA Insurance

Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year

Leaanne Stone, Beacon Lighting

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year
True Value Hardware
 
 

ends