2011 ONLINE RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS (ORIAS) FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
19 August 2011 | Sydney
Paving the Way for Australian Online Retail – 2011 Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAs) Finalists Announced
Shining a beacon in what has been a cloudy couple of months for Australian retail, the Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAs) are the only awards in Australasia to recognise and reward excellence in e-commerce retailing.
After receiving an overwhelming number of submissions and after countless hours of poring through over 100 entries, the panel of respected industry leaders have decided on the Australian and New Zealand retailers who have excelled with their e-commerce offerings and been named 2011 ORIA finalists.
The judging panel was gratified to see the spread of entries and finalists ranged from the larger established retail players, such as Bing Lee, Sportsgirl, Big W, ABC Shop, Dick Smith and Teds Cameras, to niche/specialist retailers including, Shoes of Prey, Appliances Online, OZScopes and Joe Button – to name a few.
“The year ending mid-2011 was a period of extraordinary growth for Australian online retail. Existing merchants vastly improved their online offers, while high street retailers took important steps online and new players continued to enter this market,” said Steven Noble, Chair of the ORIA judging panel and Senior Analyst serving the eBusiness and Channel Strategy Professional with Forrester Research.
“The quality and quantity of the ORIA entries this year reflected the expansion and increasing maturity of Australian online retail. Practices that were noteworthy 12 months ago are quickly becoming standard, and this year’s best entrants have risen to the mark, setting new benchmarks for what we expect in this country.”
As the online retail industry has diversified, so too have the ORIAs with the introduction of the new category Best Aggregation Channel, which will award aggregators and channels that boost the online retail ecosystem, such as marketplaces, comparison sites and group buying sites. The finalists in this category include: ClubQT, GetPrice, StyleTread and Buyii.
The shortlisted entrants will now proceed to the final stages of judging, with one winner to be announced for each category, and one contender from all categories to be named Online Retailer of the Year for 2011.
The nominees for the ORIA Industry Recognition Award have also been released, with some familiar names and notable industry figures entering the race:
- John Debrincat, CEO, eCorner
- Ruslan Kogan, Founder and CEO, Kogan and Milan Direct
- Michael Fox, Co-Founder and Director, Shoes of Prey
- Peter Pakarinen, Owner, Niche Fashion Technology
- John Winning, CEO, Appliances Online
- Paul Greenberg, Executive Chairman, DealsDirect.com.au
- Gabby Leibovich, Director, CatchOfTheDay.com.au
Honouring the leading online and multichannel retailing performers across varying categories spanning e-commerce, the ORIAs not only provide a standard for online retailers to strive for, but will establish an important focus on what constitutes best practice and excellence within the local industry.
The Gala Awards Ceremony for the ORIAs will be held at the Parkside Ballroom, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour on Tuesday, 27 September at 7.00pm. Not only will it be an opportunity to celebrate the winners, the event will be the single biggest social gathering of the Australian and international retail influencers in this country!
Event details:
Name: Online Retail Industry Awards Gala
Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Time: 7.00pm to 11.00pm
Venue: Parkside Ballroom, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Official Website: www.orias.com.au
CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF 2011 ONLINE RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS FINALISTS
For further information on booking tickets or tables, visit www.onlineretailer.net/awards
For all enquiries regarding the ORIAs, email nirosha@mediapad.com.au or call 03 9585 9872.