BENCHMARKYOUR BUSINESSSUCCESS

29 APRIL 2020ROME CAVALIERI HOTEL | ITALY

INNOVATION. CELEBRATION. REWARD. The 14th edition of the World Retail Awards will put a spotlight on the many examples of innovation, creativity and world-class retailing that can be found across all sectors and around the globe. At a time of enormous change, all of these qualities are having to be pushed further in order to meet the needs of today’s consumers.

This year’s Awards categories have been fully updated and reviewed to ensure that we recognise and reward the key areas that matter most to retailers in today’s market.

For the first time, the Awards will be recognised on the main stage of the Congress on the afternoon of day two. This allows all attendees to take inspiration from and celebrate the innovation, effectiveness and activities of the retailers, start-ups and technology partners who make the shortlist. This will be followed by an almighty industry party being held at the Villa Miani immediately afterwards.

Good luck to all who enter!

Ian McGarrigleCHAIRMAN | WORLD RETAIL CONGRESS & AWARDS

THE WORLD RETAIL AWARDS

Changing the face of retail? Be rewarded for your initiatives, ideas and innovation.

HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER IN 2020:

WORLDWIDE EXPOSURE

Your profile will be raised across theretail industry, resulting in increasedbrand awareness on a global stage. You will join a list of honor that includes businesses such as Alibaba, Nike, Sephora, JD.com, Metro, L’Occitane, Cotton On Group, Allbirds, Tommy Hilfiger, The Body Shop and many many more.

UNRIVALLED RECOGNITION

The Awards offer all retailers the unique opportunity to be recognized by their peers for the quality of their work and the impact of their ideas. Being shortlisted by the panel of esteemed judges adds third-party credibility to your business and is an excellent way to stand out from your competitors.

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

The Awards offer a level playing field for all entrants regardless of size. Whether you are a small business, an online retailer, a domestic or multinational retailer, all entries face the same judging process and are in with a chance to take home a World Retail Award trophy.

BENEFITS OF ENTERING

NOMINATED CATEGORIES

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

The Retailer of the Year is the premier award in the World Retail Awards. It recognises the retailer the Grand Jury believes to be a truly world-class operator that can be held-up to be best-in-class across a number of important areas. With retailing becoming ever more complex and demanding, the Retailer of the Year will demonstrate that it is not only delivering exceptional financial performance and sales growth, but will also reflect the changes that are taking place across the industry and around the world. To be an outstanding retailer today, this business will be able to show how it has adapted to the realities of the digital world by transforming its approach to retailing and the way that it is managing for the future. Revenue and profit growth over the last 4 years will be reviewed. If it has international operations, the judges will need to see that it is also executing this to the highest standards. Above all, this will be a retailer that should be setting new standards for the whole industry to admire.

These awards are not open to entries, instead nominations come from our expert judging panel, with the winners being chosen by the Grand Jury.

THE ISIDORO ALVAREZ AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP

In 2018, the World Retail Congress launched a very special new award in the name of the legendary former Chairman of El Corte Ingles who built the retailer to become the biggest in Spain. This award was inaugurated to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to retailing over their careers in the industry and who have the undoubted qualities of outstanding leadership. The award was first presented in Madrid where the Congress was hosted in 2018. Given the Congress’s strong links with Spain, having been launched in Barcelona in 2007 and then located again in 2008-9, the Congress was delighted when the daughters of Isidoro Álvarez, the former Chairman of El Corte Inglés, offered to endorse and support this important award in their father’s memory.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

The World Retail Congress launched the International Women in Retail Group in 2015 to recognise the achievements of women across the retail industry. To build on the success of this group, the Woman of the Year award was launched in 2017 with Zyda Rylands, the CEO of Woolworths South Africa winning the inaugural award. This very special award, selected by a panel of senior women retail executives, will go to the woman who they believe embodies outstanding qualities of retail skill, resilience, strength, ambition and willingness to battle through whatever challenges and adversity they have had to face in order to be a role model to others and of course, very successful at what they do.

2019 winner: Judith McKenna

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We’re very honored to receive this award. I think we always strive to really create meaningful experiences, and I’m delighted that that’s been awarded and seen by the judges, and we will keep on creating beautiful experiences.

L’Occitane Flagship Store, Regent Street, London with FutureBrand UXUSWINNER OF OUTSTANDING STORE DESIGN <1200SQM

This is the greatest honour to our company, and also to our partners in ICONSIAM. And I think this project has completed its mission to bring Thailand good recognition on the world stage.

ICONSIAM, Bangkok, Thailand with Urban Architects Co. WINNER OF OUTSTANDING STORE DESIGN >1200SQM

It feels really great because we had haveno expectations when we went hereto be pretty honest. Seeing all the othercompetitors, really great competitors withus in this category. I have to say thank you to the whole team..

Own Business Day 2018 - METRO GMBH - Serviceplan Campaign, Hamburg WINNER OF BEST INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

ICONSIAM, Bangkok, Thailand with Urban Architects Coa. WINNER OF OUTSTANDING STORE DESIGN >1200SQM

2020’S OUTSTANDING STORE DESIGN <1200SQM

2020’S OUTSTANDING STORE DESIGN >1200SQM

With retailers recognising that the store needs to increasingly serve as a flagship, this category is looking to find the world’s outstanding new store designs. Open to all retail sectors and store sizes that have opened in the last 12 months, successful entries will demonstrate that the design is delivering a real customer experience, enhancing the retail brand while proving to be a truly innovative and commercial success. And in this omnichannel world, it is increasingly important for new store design to embrace technology that enhances the shopping experience and also helps form a bridge with the brand’s online proposition. Judges will also be looking for evidence of commercial success and customer acceptance.

BEST INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

To achieve a successful marketing campaign in today’s fragmented media market is increasingly challenging. A retail marketing campaign demands consistency of message but in turn this has to be mindful of the requirements of the different media channels. This new category highlights those marketing or advertising campaigns undertaken by retailers that can demonstrate a highly creative and innovative approach that uses multiple channels in the most effective way that delivers a fully integrated campaign with demonstrable results.

ENTRY CATEGORIES

Means a lot to us because last year ourschool won. We had a lot of pressures, andwe want to make it as good as possible.And we [have] also done a lot of hard work. We really wanted to thank everyone whosupported us.

Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityWINNER OF THE FUTURE RETAIL CHALLENGE AWARD

It means a lot to the business. I think one thing that we’ve been really proud of is our ability to get on the ground and roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty in the projects that we actually get behind. And I think that’s probably one of the aspects that the judges you know, saw the difference.

Kenya cotton project - Cotton On Group WINNER OF THE RESPONSIBLE RETAILER INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

It’s a great recognition for all the hard work that teams have been doing. And we always try to push the boundaries of what’s the potential retail. So I think we as a company feel very honoured and privileged to have won this prize.

Nike WINNER OF RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityWINNER OF THE FUTURE RETAIL CHALLENGE AWARD

ENTRY CATEGORIES

RETAIL EMPLOYER INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Retail is a large-scale employer, in some regions one of the most significant contributors to GDP. It requires a range of skills with an increasing demand for highly skilled and experienced digital personnel as well as customer serviced focussed team members plus a range of skills in merchandise, marketing and infrastructure build. The competitiveness to recruit and retain the very best people is growing ever tougher. This means that retailers have to place an even great emphasis on their people across the entire business from the way they are attracted to the company and then in meeting their career aspirations. Retailers have to be at the forefront of the most

advanced policies in human resources. This important category looks to recognise those retailers that are truly outstanding in their approach to the most important asset – people. If you believe you have introduced an initiative in the last year that enhances your standing as a place to work, if you have introduced a new policy or program to build retention or if you believe you have been at the forefront of a new initiative that drives employee satisfaction, we want to hear about it. Please tell us the story that enhanced your standing as a great place to work.

SUSTAINABLE RETAILING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The retail industry is increasingly aware of its environmental responsibilities and it is clear that consumer and legislative pressure is also building that could force businesses and manufacturers to take dramatic steps to improve sustainability. The World Retail Awards have always recognised the role of Responsible Retailing but for 2020 we are launching this new category to focus on the genuine innovations and strategic solutions being developed by retailers that are starting to deliver positive and significant environmental and or social gains and improvements. The judges will be looking for a game-changing innovation or initiative be it strategic or a unique technologically-led solution that can demonstrate that they are leading to environmental improvements such as in the area of emissions, consumption of natural resources, a focus on waste and recycling and which may also have people benefits either within your business, your product sourcing and manufacturing and/or your customers.This category will be split in two: for retailers and for shopping malls to ensure that we recognise all great initiatives to delivering amazing customer experiences.

RETAIL START-UP OF THE YEAR

Retailing has always been driven by the entrepreneurial spirit which has seen new businesses launch each year, many of which have gone on to become massive international or national businesses. But with the industry entering a new digitally-driven era, we are seeing a new generation of retail businesses being launched. Many are online-only and some are operating across channels including physical space. This new category looks to recognise the dynamism and creativity of retailing and the new entrepreneurs within it. We are looking for great new retail start-ups who have been trading for up to five years and can already demonstrate that they have a scale-able, sustainable business that is helping reinvent or reshape a category and is serving today’s consumers in new and compelling ways.

NEW

It’s such an honour to get this award and really, as a payments and technology company, we wouldn’t be anywhere without our retail partners. So this is a really, really big industry recognition for us.

AfterpayWINNER OF THE RETAIL TECHNOLOGY GAME CHANGER AWARD

We are very honoured today, on behalf of all Majid Al Futtaim and family. We feel we are privileged today to have won this award. we’ve been into this transformation journey for the last two years. And we have worked very hard day in day out in order to make sure to have the best in class customer experience and making sure we provide our customers with the best omnichannel experience. This award today really means a lot for us, especially to my colleagues who work relentlessly with providing the greatest customer experience.

Majid Al Futtaim-Carrefour WINNER OF RETAIL TRANSFORMATION AND REINVENTION AWARD

It means a huge amount to us because last year we were finalists. So to come back and actually stand up on the stage meant a great deal, I think it meant a great deal for a couple of reasons. One was because we’re a Canadian startup. So that means being in a room full of global superstars is a huge milestone for us. But also, I think, it reinforces all the hard work that’s been done by the RYU team.

Creating Customer Experiential Centres with RYU Apparel IncWINNER OF BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE – RETAILER

Majid Al Futtaim-Carrefour WINNER OF RETAIL TRANSFORMATION AND REINVENTION AWARD

ENTRY CATEGORIES

THE RETAIL TECHNOLOGY GAME-CHANGER

Retailing is embracing rapid transformation as it remodels itself for the digital age. Every aspect of retailing is changing from the supply chain to the multiple selling channels, payments and the final delivery of products to customers. The common factor in all areas of change is the development of new technology solutions that are helping drive efficiency, innovation and sometimes a revolutionary new approach. This new category is looking to recognise the technology start-ups that are inventing new solutions for the retail industry that will impress the judges for the way that they have developed a new approach to an existing retail process that helps the business and ultimately creates a better experience for customers and employees. The award is open to start-ups of no more than three years old and is for one technology solution only.

This category will be split in two: for retailers and for shopping malls to ensure that we recognise all great initiatives to delivering amazing customer experiences.

RETAIL TRANSFORMATION AND RE-INVENTION AWARD

Retailing is facing unprecedented external and industry change, driven-on by new digital technologies which are being adopted by consumers and which in turn is changing existing business models. This award therefore recognises those retailers who the judges believe have most successfully re-engineered and re-energised their business to be fit-for-purpose in this new digital, High Velocity Retail age and who look set to deliver sustainable growth. Through a focussed strategy that is seeing a reorganisation of the business, perhaps even the business model, the leadership and culture, embracing of partnerships and collaboration, the deployment of the best technologies and a clear focus on the customer, these retailers are now highly relevant to their consumers and to their retail sector. Given that transformation or turnaround does not happen over just 12 months, companies should submit supporting evidence and material for the last 4 years to show the transition of the business.

BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE

How can retailers gain that all-important competitive edge when the battle over original product or best prices grows ever harder? Increasingly, that edge is being delivered by great customer experiences that deliver to a retailer’s brand positioning or sets them apart from the competition through its originality and appeal. We are seeing examples of this from both offline and online retailers. From Alibaba’s Singles Day to the 2017 category winner, Tommy Hilfiger’s Tommy’s Pier. This award category is therefore looking for examples of outstanding customer experience that are being delivered by a retailer. It could be an amazing customer

experience delivered in store, or an experiential event created especially to deliver something truly outstanding that connects with your customers. Judges will be looking for customer experiences that really stand out in an already highly competitive landscape. What makes this different and how has it captured the imagination and support of your customers? This category will be split in two: for retailers and for shopping malls to ensure that we recognise all great initiatives to delivering amazing customer experiences. How did you measure the initiative? What indicators did you use to ensure the success?

HOW TO ENTER

CREATEAN ONLINE ACCOUNT

Visit www.worldretailawards.com/enter to create an account and viewthe entry requirements for each category.

CHOOSEYOUR CATEGORY(IES)

There are ten entry categories in total and there is no limit to the number of these you may enter.

CREATEYOUR ENTRY

Following the criteria guidelines, complete your entry response (usually no more than 500 words – you can save as you go) and upload any relevant

supporting material/links. Top tips: 1) the more visual collateral you include, the better 2) tell a story to bring your submission to life

SUBMITAND PAY FOR YOUR ENTRY

Once complete, submit your entry and complete online payment before 24 January 2020. Each entry costs £300 (discounts available for previous

entrants and multiple entries). Finalists will be contacted w/c 22 February 2020.

ENTRY DEADLINES

Entries open: 22 October 2019Entries close: 24 January 2020Shortlist announced: 22 February 2020Winners announced: 29 April 2020

FOR ENTRY ENQUIRIES:

Naomi CoxE: naomi.cox@ascential.com T: +44 (0)20 3033 4237

FOR TABLE AND SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES:

Julia JonesAccount DirectorE: Julia.jones@worldretailcongress.com T: +44 (0)20 3033 2952

#WRA2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

visit www.worldretailawards.com

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