The deadline for submission of entries for the inaugural Retail Customer Excellence Awards is in two days with retailers encouraged to submit their entries.
The awards night, with a gala dinner, will be held on May 11 at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne.
The event, which is expected to raise the profile of Australian retail businesses who place the customer at the core of everything they do, according to event manager Catherine van der Meulen, is a collaboration between Inside Retail and Association and Communications Events and Total Retail & Payments EXPO conference.
“We are experiencing a dynamic, ever evolving retail landscape where technology has taken centre stage,” said Van der Meulen.
“These awards shift the limelight to the people of the businesses who create lasting and memorable experiences for their customers every day.”
Van der Meulen said they are looking forward to seeing the “submissions from Australian retailers that we know are engraining customers’ needs and wants into every company decision, collaborating teams to harness each other’s assets and bring to life extraordinary experience that connects with customers at every touch point of the brand.”
She encouraged retailers to enter because, according to her, whether they win or not, it is going to be a “great experience for team members to be a part of by building the business case to share with the world and achieve the recognition of what they are actively contributing to retail.”
Super Retail Group CEO, Peter Birtles, has been announced as keynote speaker for the event.
The awards will be adjudicated by judges from retail organisations including Inside Retail, Azurium, Telstra, Australian Centre for Retail Studies, Monash Business School and Good On You. The application process involves answering 10 questions with the inclusion of supporting documents.
“It’s a great way to elevate your business and for the judges to learn about your organisation and the story behind the business and your success,” said Van der Meulen.
“It helps to gather team members in certain departments to come together to put their submission together highlighting and outlining all the proactive things they have been doing to building a customer centric organisation.”
The full list of Retail Customer Excellence Awards categories is below:
Customer centricity excellence award
In store Customer Experience Award
Online Customer Experience Award
Omni-channel Customer Experience Award
In store Technology Implementation Experience Award
Loyalty Program Experience Award
Personalisation Excellence Award
Customer Excellence Team Award
Responsible Impact Excellence Award
In store Theatre Experience Award
More information on The Retailer Customer Excellence Awards can be found at www.retailerawards.com.au
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