Internet Retailing readers can win one of 10 free tickets to this year’s Internet Retailing Awards.
To be in with a chance of clinching a ticket to the glitzy party and awards ceremony, to be held on what’s believed to be London’s highest balcony terrace, 600ft up at Heron’s Tower, nominate the retailers you believe are most worthy of recognition.
Last year’s winners included House of Fraser , Apple , Amazon , Aurora , Mr Porter , Net-a-Porter and Burberry . You can help decide who will win this year’s crowns. The judges meet to make their decisions on May 7, and voting deadline is this Friday.
Ian Jindal, editor-in-chief of Internet Retailing, said: “Tell us who deserves to win! The awards are nominated by retailers, judged by retailers and as such represent the highest acclaim in multichannel retail. Anyone can pick big, famous and high-profile companies to win awards, but only multichannel professionals can give us the insights, under the hood, as to why the acclaim is deserved.
“Don’t be too modest to bring your own multichannel business to our judges attention – remember that it’s the reasons behind the nomination that will catch our eyes.
“Ten nominating readers will be chosen to join the celebrations at the Party on June 26 as our guests so whether you nominate now, several times or at the last minute doesn’t matter – provided only that you do nominate!”
This year’s awards are in eight categories. The Innovation Award recognises, in the words of the judge’s guidelines, “inventive and inspiration solutions for problems, or the creation of new opportunities.” It was won in 2012 jointly by Aurora Fashions and House of Fraser. The Omni Award, won last year by Apple, is for a company who has successfully extended their ecommerce footprint across a range of devices and channels. It’s for, say the judges guidelines, “a company that astounds us with its appetite for ‘more’ and its ability to tame complexity and deliver in every dimension, simultaneously.”
The M-Retailing Award, new this year, is for retailers who go beyond that app and tablet optimized site to, in the words of the judges, “create an integrated, coherent and compelling experience under their brand, via the mobile, for a customer on the move.” Also new this year is the IRIS Award for internet retailing in-store. It will recognise a retailer that has successfully grappled with the challenges of the digitally-enabled store to, say the judges, “recognise retailers who have moved beyond digital displays and point digital offerings to create an immersive, connected and compelling realization of this next iteration of retail.”
The Customer Award, won jointly in 2012 by Mr Porter and Net-a-Porter, recognises the impact on the customer of the website experience. The winner, say the judges, “will have done things that make the customer go ‘wow’ and the rest of the industry long to emulate them.” And The Capability Award, won in 2012 by Amazon, is for the 90% of ecommerce that is rooted in consistency and development. “The winner of this award,” say the judges, “may or may not have the snazziest interface or the most-hyped consumer brand, but boy oh boy do we look at them and wonder just how on earth they can be so efficient, effective and all-conquering.”
This year’s awards roster is capped by two international awards, both new this year. Both the International Award and the Global Award recognise pureplay and multichannel businesses who have made international growth part of their ongoing business as usual.
If you are a retailer, fill in this short form here and tell us which retailers you think should win and why.
Not a retailer? Nominate by recording a Vine video of yourself completing this sentence: “[Impressive retailer of your choosing] should win [the XAward] because…” — then tweet it to @etail on Twitter with the hashtag #theawards. The best Vines will be hosted here on InternetRetailing.net.
Nominations close May 3 2013. Have your say now.
