Nominations close in
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All about
ARC Retail Awards 26
- Thursday 11 June 2026
- 5:00pm – 10:00pm AEDT
- The Ritz Carlton, Grand Ballroom, Melbourne
Timeline
Nominations close
Ensure your submissions are finalised and submitted by midnight, 14 April.
Finalists announced
Finalists for all award categories will be announced in early May.
Official ARC Retail Awards ceremony
Winners will be announced at the ARC Retail Awards ceremony on Thursday 11 June 2026.
Award categories
Retail Excellence Awards
People & Culture Excellence
The People & Culture Excellence Award acknowledges the dedication of a retailer in cultivating a workplace that prioritises employee well-being, fosters a positive company culture and demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to workplace relations. The award recipient can demonstrate the successful implementation of initiatives across areas such as in-house training programs, talent management and professional development.
DE&I Excellence
The DE&I Excellence Award recognises a retailer showcasing exceptional progress towards creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, where members of the team feel valued, respected and have a strong sense of belonging. The recipient demonstrates a commitment to embracing creative solutions that address DE&I inequities in the retail industry and ensures the next generation of leaders reflects our diverse society.
Sustainability Excellence
The Sustainability Excellence Award acknowledges the dedication of a retailer’s stewardship and innovation in embracing sustainable practices. This award recognises a business who has implemented groundbreaking initiatives to transition to a low-carbon economy. The award recipient actively collaborates with their team, stakeholders and customers to enhance positive environmental outcomes. Going beyond mere target-setting, the recipient uses their influence to champion positive policy changes that broaden the adoption of sustainable practices within the retail sector.
Store Design Excellence
The Store Design Excellence Award acknowledges a retailer that has markedly elevated its customer experience through changes, upgrades or additions to its store fit-out, resulting in a direct improvement in customer satisfaction, loyalty or uplift in business performance. These modifications may encompass the introduction of new features, functionality, design elements or technology.
Customer Experience Excellence
The Customer Experience Excellence Award acknowledges a retailer that consistently delivers exceptional customer experiences, setting the standard for excellence in the industry. The award recipient prioritises understanding and meeting customer needs, creating memorable interactions that foster loyalty and satisfaction, whether via in-store, online, or an omnichannel approach.
Marketing Campaign Excellence
The Marketing Campaign Excellence Award acknowledges a retailer that has executed a new and impactful marketing campaign displaying innovation, creativity and a fresh direction for the business. The recipient can demonstrate a clear strategy and implementation that has resulted in a measurable increase in sales, volume, profitability, customer engagement or loyalty.
Retailer of the Year Awards
Online Retailer of the Year
The Online Retailer of the Year Award recognises a pure-play online retail business that has demonstrated excellence in e-commerce innovation, customer experience and digital growth. This award celebrates a retailer that excels in areas such as website design, seamless user experience, personalisation, fulfilment and digital marketing. The recipient showcases a strong commitment to leveraging technology, data and customer insights to drive engagement, loyalty and commercial success.
Shop Small Retailer of the Year
The Shop Small Retailer of the Year Award acknowledges businesses operating in the retail sector generating up to $10M in revenue annually. The award recipient may have thrived amidst uncertainty, showcasing continual innovation and growth, excelled in crafting a compelling brand identity while offering a distinctive shopping experience, or exemplified innovation as well as sustainable business practices. Their retail spaces, whether online, bricks-and-mortar, or omnichannel, are inviting havens that foster loyalty among both employees and customers.
Franchisee Retailer of the Year
The Franchisee Excellence Award acknowledges a franchisee/licensee who has demonstrated exemplary performance within their franchise/licensee network. Success could include financial achievement, market share growth or the delivery of exceptional customer service. This business will be able to demonstrate outstanding efforts in innovation, leadership and contribution to the overall performance of the franchise system, whilst upholding the standards of the franchise. Franchisors are not eligible for the Franchisee Excellence Award. We invite Franchisors to enter the Franchise/Franchisor Retailer of the Year Awards category.
Franchise Retailer of the Year
The Franchise Retailer of the Year Award recognises a retail franchisor that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation and support for its franchise network. This award celebrates a franchisor that empowers its franchisees through strong operational frameworks, comprehensive training and strategic growth initiatives. The recipient exemplifies excellence in brand stewardship, customer experience and sustainable business practices, setting a benchmark for success in the franchising sector. Franchisees are not eligible for the Franchise Retailer of the Year Award. We invite Franchisees to enter the Franchisee Retailer of Year Award category.
Medium Retailer of the Year
The Medium Retailer of the Year Award celebrates enterprises operating within the annual turnover range of $11M to $499M. The award recipient exhibits resilience and advancement amidst uncertain circumstances, establishing themselves as sought-after employers and trusted brands in the retail market. They distinguish themselves by delivering unparalleled customer experiences while upholding innovative, sustainable and inclusive business practices. Prioritising the welfare of their workforce, these retailers foster environments where both employees and patrons eagerly frequent, fostering lasting connections and loyalty.
Major Retailer of the Year
The Major Retailer of the Year Award acknowledges businesses operating on a large scale, generating more than $500M in annual revenue. The recipient is able to consistently demonstrate innovation and growth, even in times of uncertainty, establishing themselves as sought-after employers and respected brands in the market. They prioritise delivering a unique and exceptional customer experience at a national scale.
Retail Leader Awards
Retail Team of the Year
The Retail Team of the Year Award recognises an outstanding functional team within a store or head office that has demonstrated exceptional collaboration, innovation and impact. This award celebrates a team that has gone above and beyond to drive business success, enhance customer experiences and contribute to a positive workplace culture. The winning team exemplifies teamwork, leadership, and a commitment to excellence in the retail industry. This award accepts both self-nominations and nominations from others.
Store Manager of the Year
The Store Manager of the Year Award acknowledges an outstanding individual whose retail leadership sets a shining example to others in our industry. This award recognises their skill in overseeing a store, whether online or physical, delivering not only exceptional customer experiences but also fostering high employee satisfaction and driving impressive bottom-line results. Their leadership is marked by a profound understanding of their business and the ever-evolving dynamics of the retail industry. This award accepts both self-nominations and nominations from others.
Rising Star of the Year
The Rising Star of the Year Award acknowledges exceptional up-and-coming talent in the retail industry, spotlighting an individual under the age of 25. This award provides a platform to recognise, inspire, and mentor our future leaders, supporting their professional development and growth within the retail sector. This award accepts both self-nominations and nominations from others.
Retail Leader of the Year
The Retail Leader of the Year Award acknowledges an outstanding individual within the retail sector who has proven success through their exemplary initiative, leadership, and dedication to advancing business development. The award is open to retail employees across all levels and positions within a retail business, regardless of whether they hold a formal management or leadership role. This award accepts both self-nominations and nominations from others.
Meet our judges
Here are our confirmed independent panel of retail leaders and industry experts.
Stay tuned as we reveal more on the the respected voices who will bring their expertise, integrity and real-world insight to judging the ARC Retail Awards.
Fiona Moylan
Managing Director, Retail Transformation Practice
Accenture Australia
Fiona Moylan
Fiona is a skilled executive with extensive experience in digital transformation ranging from strategic development, due diligence of technology solutions through to global execution; this experience is complemented with a unique mix of marketing, BI, process improvement and change management skills. Fiona was named one of the Top 10 Ecommerce Executives in Australia in 2020. Fiona has transformed & grown new businesses across a range of industries including Retail, FMCG and Property. Far from being a digital evangelist, her approach is pragmatic with an unwavering focus on delivering profitable growth. Fiona has initiated, transformed and executed data & digital technology strategies which have driven sustainable sales growth, reduced costs and enhanced the customer experience resulting in an improved customer LTV . With more than 20 years professional experience, Fiona is highly skilled in commercial negotiations, international business development strategies (Digital, Ecommerce and Data Driven Marketing), extensive and proven experience in leading and implementing digital, Ecommerce and data strategies within China together with a strong track record of building and developing high performance teams. Fiona also brings strong strategic and governance value, she has initiated and is fully accountable for leading a Global Data Governance Committee, has successfully led and delivered GDPR / Privacy Compliance Projects globally, and is also accountable for online PCI and Fraud management Globally. Fiona’s professional experience is supported by a successful academic track record, with an MBS, Master Degree from UTS (International Business), Six Sigma Black Belt certification, AGILE Product Owner (Axis Agile) accreditation, underpinned with the recent (2018) completion of the ACID Company Directors course with an Order of Merit.
Alison Covington, AM
Founder & Managing Director
Good360 Australia
Alison Covington, AM
Brian Man
Consumer Markets Industry Leader
PWC Australia
Brian Man
Brian is a partner at PwC Australia and is currently the leader of the Consumer Markets Industry Sector. Having worked across both professional services and industry, Brian has experience across Asia Pacific in areas including Strategy, Technology, Sales, Marketing as well as Customer Experience – an area that he was practice leader for PwC Australia.
Brian has also held executive roles at Coles and Microsoft, where he was the Retail and Consumer Sales and Marketing leader across nine countries/territories across APAC, as well as the former Managing Director of Bang and Olufsen Australia and New Zealand.
A regular keynote speaker and advisor to APAC’s leading Retailers, Brian is known for his passion for the “what’s next” in consumer experience and implementing commercial and practical solutions for his clients.
Brian Walker
CEO & Founder
Retail Doctor Group
Brian Walker
Brian Walker is Chair and Founder of Retail Doctor Group and one of the region’s most respected retail strategists, advising boards, CEOs, and leadership teams across Australia, New Zealand, and international markets. In addition, Brian has founded the RDG Academy, Retail Excellence platform and Karmic investments.
Retail Doctor Group is also the Australian partner member to the prodigious Ebeltoft Group.
A global retail futurist and Top 50 Global Retail Influencer, Brian and his team operate, at the intersection of insights, strategy, performance, and transformation—helping retailers and brands build relevance, capability, and long-term enterprise value. His work spans strategic advisory, business transformation, through to retail excellence in deployment,
He has held a range of Board and Non-Executive Director roles and is an accomplished expert witness .
His contribution to the industry has been recognised through multiple international awards, including the Asian Retail Congress International Retail Leadership Award. His role on the ARC Awards Judging Panel reflects a career dedicated to understanding what drives sustained retail performance and enduring leadership.
Catherine Jolley
Head of Retail and Consumer Products
Roy Morgan
Catherine Jolley
Catherine Jolley is a strategic leader whose career bridges data, insight and creativity to deliver measurable impact for some of the world’s most iconic brands. With a career built on uniting data with big ideas, she helps organisations see clearly and think strategically in a changing retail landscape.
Her global experience spans Sydney, London, Singapore, North America and now Melbourne, where she has shaped strategy and growth for leading brands across all industries, with a particular focus on retail—including Telstra, adidas, Westfield, AMP and The Just Group.
After working with Roy Morgan data throughout her career, Catherine is now Head of Retail and Consumer Products at Roy Morgan, where she uses data to help clients understand retail trends and consumer buying behaviour. She was previously Director of Global Brand and Strategy at the University of Melbourne, and founded a strategy and insights consultancy later acquired by WPP.
She thrives on combining creativity with data-driven insight to anticipate and shape what’s next in retail.
Craig Woolford
Senior Analyst, Consumer Sector
MST Marquee
Craig Woolford
Craig Woolford began at MST Marquee in June 2021 and was most recently the Head of Research for Citi Australia/NZ. He led a team of more than 50 staff responsible for analysing stocks, interest rates and the economy. Craig was also the lead Consumer Analyst at Citi, leading the team that ranked top three with clients in both Retail and Food & Beverages.
Craig was at Citi for 16 years and prior to that was at CommSec as a lead analyst on the Consumer sector for four years. He is regularly cited in industry journals and the media for his insights about the state of Australian retailing and performance of the major companies across the retail and food and beverages sectors. Craig also has experience in funds management and debt capital markets.
Craig Woolford is appointed as an authorised representative of Retail Mosaic Pty Ltd, who is an authorised representative of MST Financial.
Gareth Jude
CEO & Co-Founder
ThinkUncommon
Gareth Jude
Gareth Jude is CEO and Co-Founder of ThinkUncommon, a consulting firm that helps retailers and consumer businesses innovate their customer experience, operating models, and retail networks. With a career spanning senior retail leadership and advisory roles, he has worked with major retail and technology brands in Australia and internationally on strategy, innovation, and growth. Gareth is also an active researcher and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney Business School, where his work examined consumer collaboration in last-mile logistics. He is co-author of Retail Innovation Reframed and is a regular commentator on retail transformation, supply chains, and the future of stores.
Prof Jana Bowden
Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour
Macquarie Business School
Prof Jana Bowden
Jana Bowden is a Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour at the Macquarie University Business School and a leading expert in how consumers engage with brands. A seasoned media commentator and speaker, she regularly provides marketing and consumer insights across TV, print, radio and digital platforms. With a background in market research and brand management, Jana combines academic rigour with real-world perspective. She has been recognised by Stanford University as being in the top 2% of marketing researchers globally.
Liana Kohn-Gardner
Vice President Merchant Partnerships AUS / NZ
American Express
Liana Kohn-Gardner
Liana is the Vice President of Merchant Partnerships for American Express in Australia and New Zealand. In this role, Liana drives the growth of a dynamic merchant network by building strong partnerships and innovative account development strategies. She also has responsibility for Amex’s merchant product suite, including AccessLine, which delivers a convenient and rewarding solution for business payments.
In her 13 years at American Express, Liana has led business development for network partnerships and global merchants across both the U.S. and APAC.
Most recently as Vice President of Loyalty and Partnerships, Liana was responsible for Amex’s proprietary rewards program, Membership Rewards, and co-brand card partnership strategies for Qantas and Velocity.
Liana has a Bachelor of Psychology from Wesleyan University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Natalie Turmine
Chief Executive Officer
Service and Creative Skills Australia
Natalie Turmine
Natalie Turmine is a highly accomplished executive with 30 years of leadership experience spanning workforce development and community impact. Her expertise encompasses leading organisations delivering workforce development, employment, disability, Indigenous initiatives, apprenticeships, labour hire, community programs, social enterprises, and vocational training across Australia.
As CEO of Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA), she leads national skills and workforce planning for the Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism, and Hospitality sectors. Natalie is also the Chair of the Australian Racing Drivers Club & Sydney Motorsport Park, Non-Executive Director of Hydrogen House Australia, State Councillor for Business NSW and sits on the NSW 24-Hour Economy Council.
With a career spanning numerous executive roles and board positions, Natalie is dedicated to fostering sustainable growth, innovation, business and workforce excellence.
Olivia Hitchens
Principal & CEO
Artemide Law
Olivia Hitchens
Olivia advises many of Australia’s largest private businesses, property owners, high net worth families and private funds and is an expert in Commercial/Business Law and Property. Known for her ability to solve complex legal problems and strategise, Olivia is a trusted advisor who blends legal skill with business acumen and relentless drive. As business legal advisor to ARC and its 12,000+ members, Olivia is widely regarded as a Retail, Franchising and Hospitality Law expert and has worked on some of the largest consumer M&A transactions in recent times. Olivia was formerly the Co-Founder of Hitch Advisory. Olivia is now the proud CEO of Artemide – a full-service law firm with a specialist focus in Retail Law and Franchising, Property and complex problem solving.
Peter Drennan
Managing Director
Qi Insights
Peter Drennan
Peter Drennan is CEO of Qi Insights, a research practice with 16 years specialising in industry intelligence and data storytelling. With a background in economics and statistics, Peter transforms complex data into clear, compelling narratives that inform strategy and drive real decisions.
He works closely with industry associations to produce member intelligence and public-facing reports that demonstrate sector value, bringing that same rigour to his role as a judge for the Australian Retail Council’s Retail Awards.
Peter’s expertise spans economic analysis, consumer behaviour research, and translating numbers into stories that resonate with retail leaders, the media, and consumers alike.
Ryan Swenson
Founder & MD
InPact Advisory
Ryan Swenson
Delivering impact-led growth through business transformation, innovation and systems change.
Ryan is an experienced senior executive recognised for delivering impact-led growth through business transformation and innovation, uniting diverse stakeholders around shared goals to drive meaningful outcomes at pace.
Leveraging multidisciplinary experience across procurement, manufacturing, marketing, operations, and corporate affairs, Ryan has achieved high-growth results in both mature and emerging markets across the corporate, social enterprise and not-for-profit sectors. He specialises in aligning business strategies with commercial, social and environmental objectives to create lasting value.
Ryan’s leadership is defined by his ability to build high-performing teams, fostering collaboration and embedding governance systems that ensure operational excellence and cultural resilience.
Holding an MBA in Strategic Carbon Management (University of East Anglia) and a Bachelor of Business (Monash University), Ryan is committed to driving systems change and guiding organisations towards a more sustainable, impactful and prosperous future.
Trent Rigby
Director
RC Advisory
Trent Rigby
Trent Rigby is a retail and consumer strategy advisor. As director of RC Advisory, he works with retailers, brands, landlords and private equity to turn customer insights into practical commercial decisions. He brings over 15 years’ experience advising CEOs and senior leadership teams across strategy, customer engagement and growth.
With deep expertise across customer experience, commercial strategy and future trends, Trent has worked with leading Australian and global retailers including Nespresso, Accent Group, Super Retail Group, The Iconic and Mirvac – delivering insights that blend actionable intelligence with real-world impact.
A trusted voice in retail innovation, Trent’s work spans consumer behaviour, category leadership and digital transformation – including advanced research into how customers interact with AI-driven systems to shape more human-centred experiences. He is a regular media commentator and industry speaker, known for cutting through the hype to focus on what matters for retailers navigating the next phase of change.
FAQs
Who is eligible to enter the ARC Retail Awards?
To be eligible, you must own, operate or work for a registered retail business with a physical and/or online presence currently operating within the Australian market. You must also be a member of ARC.
Why should I, or my business, enter the ARC Retail Awards?
The ARC Retail Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership across the Australian retail industry.
Presented by the Australian Retail Council (ARC), the Awards recognise retailers, teams and individuals making a meaningful impact through customer experience, innovation, sustainability, leadership or business performance.
The Awards provide a national platform to showcase outstanding retailers, emerging leaders and industry pioneers, while celebrating the achievements of Australia’s highest-performing retail businesses across multiple categories.
Do I need to be a member of ARC to enter?
Yes. The ARC Retail Awards 2026 are only open to members of the Australian Retail Council.
f you are not a member, we welcome your membership inquiry today.
Where and when will the ARC Retail Awards be held?
The ARC Retail Awards 2026 will be held on 11 June in 2026 at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Ballroom, Melbourne.
Save the date – purchase your ticket today.
Do I need to attend the Awards to win?
To receive an award, a representative from the winning organisation must be present at the ARC Retail Awards ceremony.
For individual award categories, the nominee or their nominated representative must attend to be eligible to accept the award.
Does it cost anything to enter the ARC Retail Awards?
No. There is no cost to submit a nomination for the ARC Retail Awards.
Is there a limit to the number of categories I can enter?
There is no limit to the number of categories you or your business may enter, provided eligibility criteria are met. However, only one entry per business is permitted in each business award category.
When do nominations close?
Can I submit a late entry?
Late entries will not be accepted. Please ensure your submission is completed by the published closing date.
Can franchise businesses enter?
Yes. Franchisees are welcome to enter the ARC Retail Awards. Franchisees must ensure they have obtained any required approvals under their franchising agreement prior to submitting an entry.
Do I need a manager endorsement to enter?
Endorsements are not mandatory. However, a testimonial from a senior leader or manager can strengthen submissions for leadership and individual award categories. Please refer to individual category criteria for specific requirements.
Who are the judges?
Our judging panel comprises respected retail leaders and industry experts. Judges will be announced closer to the Awards.
Are supporting documents required?
Supporting materials are optional but encouraged.
Entrants may upload documents, data or testimonials that strengthen their submission or demonstrate outcomes and impact.
Some individual categories may require a manager testimonial—please review category criteria carefully.
Who can I contact for further information?
>For any questions regarding the ARC Retail Awards, please contact the ARC team at:
arc.awards@retail.org.au | events@retail.org.au
Submission T&Cs
Terms & conditions
The ARC Retail Awards 2026 (“the Awards”) are presented by the Australian Retail Council (ARC).
Entry opening and closing dates will be published on the ARC website. Late entries will not be accepted.
Entries may be submitted by the business itself or by a third party nominating another business or individual. Nominees must be informed and consent to the nomination and these Terms & Conditions.
By submitting an entry, you confirm that all information provided is accurate and truthful. ARC reserves the right to disqualify any entry that contains false or misleading information or does not meet eligibility requirements.
Entrants are responsible for ensuring contact details remain accurate and up to date. ARC is not responsible for communication issues arising from incorrect information.
Finalists will be selected through a structured, multi-stage judging process, including moderation and due diligence checks. Key judging and finalist announcement dates will be communicated directly to entrants.
Finalists must confirm acceptance within the timeframe specified in their notification. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
Winners will be announced at the ARC Retail Awards 2026 ceremony.
ARC reserves the right to remove a finalist or winner at any stage if:
- false or fraudulent information is identified, or
- conduct is deemed to bring the Awards, ARC or its stakeholders into disrepute.
Judging decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
ARC accepts no responsibility for technical issues, incomplete submissions or circumstances beyond its control.
ARC reserves the right to amend, postpone or cancel the Awards at its discretion if required.
Data protection and privacy
All information submitted will be treated as confidential and used solely for Awards administration and judging purposes.
By entering, you consent to ARC storing your information for Awards-related communications.
You may opt out of ARC communications at any time by contacting events@retail.org.au.
Sponsorship opportunities
Sponsoring the ARC Retail Awards is an opportunity to support the retail industry, celebrate excellence, and stand alongside the retailers shaping Australia’s future. Let’s talk ARC Awards.
Contact Partnerships@retail.org.au
Presenting partner
About Amex
American Express (NYSE: AXP) is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Our colleagues around the world back our customers with differentiated products, services and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ brand is built on trust, security, and service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and Membership value for our customers. With over a hundred million merchant locations across our global network, we seek to provide the world’s best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations.
For more information about American Express, visit americanexpress.com, americanexpress.com/en-us/newsroom/, and ir.americanexpress.com.
Event partners
About Rest
Established in 1988, Rest is one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member superannuation funds, with more than 2 million members and around $105 billion in funds under management.*
We use our size and expertise to deliver competitive long-term investment performance to our members. We’re driven by our purpose to create super our members love and our mission to make the super experience simple.
Rest has worked alongside businesses for over 37 years – providing tools, insights and support to create better member and workplace super experiences. Today, more than 300,000* employers choose to work with us to make super simpler for their team members. Read more here.
About Australia Post
We’re Australia’s oldest continually operating organisation. We contribute to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity and reinvest in the community to advance our enterprise purpose: Helping our people, customers and communities deliver a better future. Everyone, Everywhere, Every day.
