Steven Noble, chair of the ORIA judging panel and senior analyst with Forrester Research, saisd the panel was gratified to see the spread of entries and finalists ranged from the larger established retail players, such as Bing Lee, Sportsgirl, Big W, ABC Shop, Dick Smith and Teds Cameras, to niche/specialist retailers including, Shoes of Prey, Appliances Online, OZScopes and Joe Button.

 

“The year ending mid-2011 was a period of extraordinary growth for Australian online retail. Existing merchants vastly improved their online offers, while high street retailers took important steps online and new players continued to enter this market,” said Noble.

“The quality and quantity of the ORIA entries this year reflected the expansion and increasing maturity of Australian online retail. Practices that were noteworthy 12 months ago are quickly becoming standard, and this year’s best entrants have risen to the mark, setting new benchmarks for what we expect in this country.”

As the online retail industry has diversified, so too have the ORIAs with the introduction of the new category Best Aggregation Channel, which will award aggregators and channels that boost the online retail ecosystem, such as marketplaces, comparison sites and group buying sites. The finalists in this category include: ClubQT, GetPrice, StyleTread and Buyii.

The shortlisted entrants will now proceed to the final stages of judging, with one winner to be announced for each category, and one contender from all categories to be named Online Retailer of the Year for 2011.

The nominees for the ORIA Industry Recognition Award have also been released, with some familiar names and notable industry figures entering the race:

John Debrincat, CEO, eCorner
Ruslan Kogan, Founder and CEO, Kogan and Milan Direct
Michael Fox, Co-Founder and Director, Shoes of Prey
Peter Pakarinen, Owner, Niche Fashion Technology
John Winning, CEO, Appliances Online
Paul Greenberg, Executive Chairman, DealsDirect.com.au
Gabby Leibovich, Director, CatchOfTheDay.com.au

The Gala Awards Ceremony for the ORIAs will be held at the Parkside Ballroom, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour on Tuesday, 27 September at 7pm. 

2011 Finalists:

Best Pure-Play Online Retailer, sponsored by: ExactTarget:

• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• SurfStitch.com | www.surfstitch.com
• Kogan | www.kogan.com.au
• Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com
• Mooo | www.mooo.com.au
• OZScopes |www.ozscopes.com.au

Best Multichannel Retailer, sponsored by Salmat:

• Big W | www.bigw.com.au
• Dick Smith | dicksmith.com.au
• Ted’s Cameras | www.teds.com.au
• Bing Lee | www.binglee.com.au
• ABC Shop | shop.abc.net.au
• Barkers Online | www.barkersonline.co.nz

Best New Online Retailer:

• Dan Murphy’s | danmurphys.com.au
• StyleTread | www.styletread.com.au
• BoutiqueAccessories.com.au | www.boutiqueaccessories.com.au
• Le Domaine | www.ledomaine.com.au
• Joe Button | www.joebutton.com

Best Use of Technology, sponsored by IBM:

• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com
• SurfStitch.com | www.surfstitch.com
• Mooo | www.mooo.com.au

Most Innovative Online Retailer, sponsored by Macquarie Telecom:

• Joe Button | www.joebutton.com
• Kogan | www.kogan.com.au
• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• Sportsgirl | www.sportsgirl.com.au
• BoutiqueAccessories.com.au | www.boutiqueaccessories.com.au

Best Online Retail Marketing Initiative:

• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• Catch Of The Day | www.catchoftheday.com.au
• Big W | www.bigw.com.au

Best Customer Experience, sponsored by Coghlan:

• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• Big W | www.bigw.com.au
• SurfStitch.com | www.surfstitch.com
• Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com
• StyleTread | www.styletread.com.au

Best Aggregation Channel:

• ClubQT | www.clubqt.com.au
• Getprice | www.getprice.com.au
• StyleTread | www.styletread.com.au
• Buyii | www.buyii.com.au

Best Site Optimisation & Design:

• Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au
• Ted’s Cameras | www.teds.com.au
• ABC Shop | shop.abc.net.au
• OZScopes |www.ozscopes.com.au
• Le Domaine | www.ledomaine.com.au

For further information: http://www.onlineretailer.net/or/home