Priceline Pharmacy has been awarded the Australian Retailers Association’s (ARA) 2014 Australian Retailer of the Year award, this morning’ at an awards Breakfast in Melbourne.
ARA executive director, Russell Zimmerman, said this year’s awards were more competitive than ever, making it difficult for judges to determine winners and finalists.
“The ARA would like to congratulate the winners of our brand new category for 2014, the Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Upgrade of the Year, taken out by Saltwater Wine (also named Visa Australian Independent Retailer of the Year),” said Zimmreman.
Family business Claws ‘n’ Paws Pet Supplies took out the Victorian Retailer of the Year award for the second year running, with ABC shop honoured with the Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year award, as determined by Roy Morgan survey results.
This year’s FCB Australian Retail HR Practitioner of the Year award went to Laura Rankin of Super Retail Group, and Pandora claimed its second accolade for 2014, taking out the Australian Retail Employer of the Year Award after placing runner up in the Australian Retailer of the Year category.
Specsavers won two titles at the awards – Retail Innovator of the Year and Australian Multi-channel Retailer of the Year.
“With the ARA Retail Institute producing graduates like this year’s winners of the Staff Selection Software Retail Graduate of the Year award, Piyush Bhanot of Aldi Stores for his diploma of retail management and Carmen Apostolatos of Oxfam Shop for her certificate IV in retail management, I am confident that the future of the retail industry is in very good hands,” said Zimmerman.
“This year, the ARA Awards were centred on the theme of retail as a career of choice, not just a job. Take the Australian Retailer of the Year award winner, Sharon Ida, from NRMA Insurance, for example. Sharon has shown true leadership and inspiration to those around her, and it was our absolute pleasure to recognise outstanding individuals such as Sharon on a national stage here today.
“Enthusiasm for our industry was evident through every award submission during this year’s judging process – an unequivocal endorsement that retail is absolutely a desirable and honourable profession offering exciting and rewarding career opportunities.
“It’s unfortunate that many people see retail as only a stepping stone, an opportunity to obtain people skills before moving into other careers. These people are oblivious to the myriad of opportunities that exist beyond the cashier and sales assistant positions of the shop floor.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
Eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year
WINNER: Priceline Pharmacy
RUNNER UP: Pandora
FINALIST: Supercheap Auto
REST Industry Super Australian Individual Retailer of the Year
WINNER: Sharon Ida, NRMA Insurance
Visa Australian Independent Retailer of the Year
WINNER: Saltwater Wine & Stormriders
RUNNER UP: Beer Cartel
Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year – Diploma
WINNER: Piyush Bhanot, Aldi Stores
RUNNER UP: Katherine Barber, Beacon Lighting
Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year – Certificate IV
WINNER: Carmen Apostolatos, Oxfam Shop
FCB Australian Retail HR Practitioner of the Year
WINNER: Laura Rankin, Super Retail Group
RUNNER UP: Jarrod Reid, Salvos Stores
BDO Australian Retail Employer of the Year
WINNER: Pandora
RUNNER UP: Repco
Quest Payment Systems Retail Innovator of the Year
WINNER: Specsavers
RUNNER UP: Tyreright
FINALIST: Eyeclarity
Victorian Government Victorian Retailer of the Year
WINNER: Claws ‘n’ Paws Pet Supplies
RUNNER UP: Crocé & Colosimo Couture
Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Upgrade of the Year
WINNER: Saltwater Wine
RUNNER UP: Clearly
FINALIST: Wine Republic
Roy Morgan Australian Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year
WINNER: ABC Shop
RUNNER UP: Foodland
eBay Inc Australian Multi-channel Retailer of the Year
WINNER: Specsavers
RUNNER UP: The Co-op
