With the 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards slowly approaching, retailers across the country have already started submitting their entries. The Awards this year are titled ‘The Retail Realm: thinking outside the shop’. Have you got your entry in?

The ARA are calling all retailers to put themselves forward to be recognised in the country’s largest and longest running national retail awards program, the 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards.

This year’s awards titled, The Retail Realm: thinking outside the shop, will touch on every element in the retail sphere including customer experience, technology, payments, sustainability, supply chain, business growth, employee development and corporate social responsibility.

As retail is an exceptionally important sector for the Australian economy, the Awards will celebrate the breadth of talent across the dynamic and ever-evolving retail landscape.

This year’s Awards breakfast will be a great platform for progressive retailers to share their experiences inside and outside the shopfront to inspire future industry leaders to push the retail realm forward.

With myriads of Australian retailers eagerly anticipating the event, brands across the country have already started submitting their entries. In fact, the ARA have already had small, medium and large retailers around the country submit their entries across the three Award categories – customer experience, retail workers and industry leaders.

This year’s Awards will search for retailers who encompass every element of the Retail Realm within their business as the dynamic nature of retail means businesses needs to engage with consumers through a number of channels.

With 13 awards up for grabs, the ARA’s panel of experts will be looking for exceptional retailers – from independent owner-operators, national brands, industry innovators and inspiring employees – who think beyond the shopfront.

The 2018 Retail Awards will be held on 18 October in front of 500 guests at the Myer Mural Hall in Melbourne, a venue rich with retail history and known for its revolutionary nature.

The keynote speaker for this year’s Awards will be Naomi Simson, founding director of online experience retailer RedBalloon.

Known for her regular appearance on Network Ten’s popular television series, Shark Tank, Naomi is one of Australia’s most prominent entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The ARA are excited to host such an innovative and passionate retailer for this year’s Awards, as Naomi brings a wealth of business knowledge across various elements in retail.

Retailers across the country will be able to hear her insights into how retailers of all sizes can engage better with their consumers across various forms of technology and communication platforms.

With retail now touching every aspect of consumers’ lives, these prominent Awards echo the strength and diversity of Australian retail. As a vital part of the Australian economy, we believe it’s important that the industry recognise the leaders and workers in retail as they are the heart and soul of the industry. encourage retailers of all sizes to submit an entry, nominate an influential leader or instrumental employee before 10 August.