The Winners 2022
Raise a glass to the frontline heroes
George MacDonald, executive editor, Retail Week
George MacDonald, executive editor, Retail Week
Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners. Once again, the retail industry has shown its skill in adapting to change and often challenging conditions in order to serve customers consummately.
There is plenty to celebrate in every category, reflecting the big shifts that have taken place and continue to unfold, both in the industry and the environment in which it operates.
As retailers vie to attract the best talent, take inspiration from the great initiatives that made the shortlists in fields such as Best Place to Work and Diversity Champion.
Raise a glass to the frontline heroes in stores, distribution centres and head offices who have – as always – stepped up to the plate as fantastic ambassadors for their companies and role models for others.
Great stores, innovative customer experiences and specialist excellence all take their place in the spotlight, along with the best companies and outstanding leaders who have made a lasting contribution to their businesses and the wider sector.
The retail industry can be justly proud of its achievements. In the face of uncertainty and more than a few obstacles, it has shown the versatility, accomplishment and resourcefulness that has so often characterised it and made it a world-leader.
Choosing from such a strong field was a tough ask. Congratulations to all who made the shortlist, as well as to our deserving winners.
Headline sponsor comment
from Salesforce
Navkinder Sanghera, area vice president, head of retail and consumer goods UK and Ireland, Salesforce
Navkinder Sanghera, area vice president, head of retail and consumer goods UK and Ireland, Salesforce
The innovation, dedication and resilience on show at this year's Retail Week Awards has been truly remarkable.
The winners and nominees are a real credit to our industry. Each one has been pivotal to reimagining the way we work, providing differentiating and relevant customer experiences, serving customers from anywhere and building loyalty to create a sustainable future.
As the headline sponsor of this year's ceremony, Salesforce is proud to partner with these industry-defining awards. Congratulations to all of the winners.
The AlixPartners Outstanding Contribution to Retail
Theo Paphitis
As a man who clearly lives and breathes the industry, Theo Paphitis is this year’s winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Retail Award.
One of the most famous faces in retail thanks to his stint on TV show Dragons’ Den, Paphitis made his fortune in the industry and is consistently vocal in defending and celebrating it.
From his first-ever sales assistant job at Watches of Switzerland, his passion for shopkeeping was ignited. He later went on to buy businesses including Ryman, Contessa, La Senza and Robert Dyas. Paphitis prides himself on investing in and improving the businesses he has acquired, rather than “running [them] for a three-year smash and grab”. In 2011, he launched lingerie retailer Boux Avenue, his first attempt to create a brand from scratch – and a successful one.
In addition to running his retail empire, Paphitis has been a prominent voice in the campaign for business rates reform, frequently calling on the government to act, and a passionate promoter of entrepreneurial businesses through his Small Business Sunday campaign.
Retail Leader of the Year
Roger Whiteside
No UK-listed retailer delivered more profit upgrades during the past 12 months than the five issued by Greggs between May 2021 and January 2022.
In the 52 weeks to January 1, 2022, pre-tax profit jumped 34.3% from pre-pandemic levels to £145.6m, while total sales increased 5.3% to £1.23bn. Equally noteworthy is how the business invested those profits into all stakeholders – investors, communities and colleagues.
The impressive scale and speed of Greggs’ recovery, achieved while “doing the right thing” by its people, convinced our judges to crown Roger Whiteside the Retail Leader of the Year.
The honour represents a fitting end to Whiteside’s nine-year tenure with the high street chain and is a testament to the scale of change he has overseen in transforming Greggs from a decentralised bakery business cooking bread rolls in individual stores, to a centralised food-on-the-go powerhouse selling salads, sandwiches, pizzas – and, of course, vegan sausage rolls.
The Okta Retail Activist
Jo Whitfield
Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield is this year’s recipient of the Retail Activist Award.
When Whitfield joined the business in 2017, she was the only female chief executive of a major grocery retailer, and encouraging the next generation of women into senior positions has remained a passion project.
However, during the pandemic, Whitfield put her mind to another challenge facing the sector: the high levels of abuse and violence faced by frontline shopworkers. She has been at the forefront of the campaign led by the Co-op, the British Retail Consortium, the Retail Trust and other retailers to get the government to enshrine protections for shopworkers into law.
The campaign has been successful, but Whitfield shows no sign of stopping. She is now pushing for retailers to invest more in security equipment and is working with local police forces to drive better conviction rates for offenders.
The Page Group Diversity Champion
Prince Okoro, EE
Silver: Peter Batt, The Co-op
EE store manager Prince Okoro is this year’s Page Group Diversity Champion in recognition of his efforts to encourage his team at the Dalston store – as well as the wider EE and BT network – to embrace the local and diverse communities they serve.
Okoro, who joined EE in 2018 to manage the Dalston branch, encouraged staff of different races and religions to learn about each other’s beliefs and customs. During Ramadan in 2021, for instance, Okoro invited his team to take part and they would break fast together at the end of each day.
This sense of belonging created by Okoro within his own team extended beyond the store when he created video content for EE’s Facebook channel entitled 'Dalston – After Hours', which saw him interviewing Muslim colleagues about their faith and traditions.
Okoro, who is also a member of the wider BT and EE diversity and inclusion network, has welcomed discussions within his own team around wider issues and current affairs, such as Black Lives Matter and Pride, in a series of ‘red table’ talks.
“He’s gone above and beyond”
Okoro’s drive to look beyond his job description and shine a spotlight on diversity and inclusion impressed our judging panel. “He was very much on his own initiative and really influenced the wider business,” one judge said.
The judges also highlighted how Okoro “challenged the norms”, even with the extra layer of difficulties caused by Covid and without being directly instructed to do so by the organisation.
“He’s got everyone on board without someone coming in saying ‘I need you to do this’,” one judge added. “He’s gone above and beyond.”
As a result of his hard work, Okoro is now leading the team in the new flagship store at BT headquarters.
The Salesforce Best Place to Work
The Very Group
The Very Group was the unanimous winner of the Salesforce Best Place to Work, highlighting its commitment to hybrid working.
In 2020, The Very Group was one of the first retailers to embed hybrid practices and it has since invested £2m in supporting its colleagues, refurbishing its offices and upgrading its technology.
The retailer’s ‘Live life well’ campaign resonated with judges, with statistics to back up its claims.
The Very Group is ranked best in class for colleague engagement, with a 93% acceptance rate on job offers.
Judges also highlighted The Very Group’s recognition on Glassdoor, where it is the only retailer to feature on the top-20 list of British companies, is ranked as the number one retailer for the work–life balance it offers, and scores 4.2 out of 5 for diversity and inclusion.
The etailer’s internal colleague playbook, which seeks to showcase its principles via videos and podcasts, has been accessed by 75% of its workforce. It also enlisted the help of Dr Greg Wells to offer his renowned Ripple Effect wellbeing programme through masterclasses and blogs.
Ninety-five per cent of its workers have returned to the head office on a hybrid basis, but it has given each team and worker autonomy to decide what is best for them
The Very Group said 95% of its workers have returned to its head office on a hybrid basis, but that it has given each team and worker autonomy to decide what is best for them – a feat the judges admired.
As a consequence, 81% of Very’s office-based staff reported feeling relaxed, happy or excited about hybrid working, compared with 70% in its baseline survey.
Such a plethora of measurable achievements indicated to the judges that The Very Group was a very deserving winner of this award.
The SAP Head Office Heroes
Winner: People team, New Look
Silver: Steve Bird, Currys
As retailers tackle the continuing impacts of the pandemic on their business, one head office team took on even more.
Judges commended the New Look people team for the tactful and proactive approach they took in communicating with colleagues about furlough arrangements while also supporting them through the business’ second CVA in two-and-a-half years.
The statistics speak for themselves – the New Look team sent out more than 15,000 letters to employees, dealt with 1,600 pay enquiries and made 669 personal phone calls to handle individual furlough questions.
Judges commended the New Look people team for the tactful and proactive approach they took in communicating with colleagues
In return, the team received more than 4,000 compliments from staff members.
On top of the pandemic and CVA, the team passed an HMRC audit with flying colours and managed to keep mental health front of mind, as well as raising £400,000 for charitable causes.
One judge noted that the team’s role was “unglamorous” but integral in keeping both morale and the business going, putting aside their personal feelings to focus on the wellbeing of others.
Usually just one of these challenges would be a big task for any HR team, but to take on all at once and succeed is truly admirable.
Judges awarded Currys wellbeing manager Steven Bird silver in this category for his grassroots campaign to place mental health on the agenda.
After wellbeing was highlighted as something the electrical retailer needed to improve upon in a colleague survey in October 2020, Bird and other members of the people team worked outside of normal hours to develop a wellbeing corner for Currys’ intranet.
The site has been visited by 17,000 colleagues since its launch and the team has upskilled 700 staff members to act as mental health first-aiders and champions to drive the focus on wellbeing across the business.
The Parcel Pending by Quadient Store Hero Award
Brian Torley, Marks & Spencer
Silver: Joanne Hammond, Poundland; Steve Tappin, Holland & Barrett
Marks & Spencer Falkirk store manager Brian Torley was deemed a standout winner due to his ambition and leadership.
Last year, the Falkirk Foodhall underwent a transformation as part of the organisation’s renewal programme, increasing its size by 60% and launching an additional 1,500 lines. Prior to the transformation, M&S Falkirk ranked 12th as a standalone Foodhall within the business.
Torley, however, set the target of becoming a top-three M&S Foodhall.
He faced several obstacles in the quest to achieve this goal, including maintaining the branch’s operations while it remained open over the 13-week transformation. He also sadly lost his sister, Evelyn, while the store lost two of its staff in the same year.
Torley showed great leadership abilities during these difficult circumstances, staying in touch with the families of those who had passed. One of the colleagues was something of a ‘local celebrity’, nicknamed Mr Falkirk. Brian displayed a photo of him and a book of remembrance in the store lobby. The book was full before lunchtime on the first day as customers, colleagues and the local community flocked to pay their respects. Customers donated more than £8,000 at the door and £15,000 via JustGiving for the colleague’s family.
“He really tuned into the community and really understood in an empathetic way what the team and the broader community needed in those circumstances”
Torley also achieved the goal he had set out months previously. Following the opening of the reworked store in September, M&S Falkirk rose up the ranks and now sits in the top three .
Sales have grown by 60% compared with 2019 and the store now boasts the highest average basket size of any M&S in Scotland.
The judges were moved by Torley’s achievement. One stated: “I just thought it was incredible.”
Another added: “Putting Falkirk on the M&S map, being top three in the UK, is pretty impressive.”
A third said that Torley “really [tuned] into the community and really [understood] in an empathetic way what the team and the broader community needed in those circumstances”.
One judge even said: “I want to recruit him.”
The Relex Responsible Retailer Award
The Co-op
The judges were united in their decision to bestow the Relex Responsible Retailer Award on The Co-op as an exemplary business.
One judge commented that The Co-op was “miles ahead of everyone else” with sustainability “immersed in everything it does”.
While many retailers have made sustainability pledges over the past year, The Co-op has a much more “aggressive” stance.
The grocer has a 10-point plan, laying out its path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of international agreements and many of its peers.
One judge commented that The Co-op was “miles ahead of everyone else” with sustainability “immersed in everything it does”
Its plans have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative and the retailer has said it intends to take its customers along on this journey, educating them as it goes.
The plan includes a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality on own-brand products by 2025 and on its operations, both by offsetting emissions; investing in and price matching its vegan Gro range to meat alternatives; and ensuring that its home-delivery fleet is 100% electric by 2025.
Judges also admired The Co-op’s commitment to plastic reduction - it launched Europe’s most extensive in-store soft plastic recycling scheme in 2,000 of its stores in July 2021.
The Co-op’s own-brand food packaging is also now 100% recyclable, which represents a first for a UK nationwide grocer.
Where many retailers have made lofty pledges, The Co-op is evidently one step ahead of the rest – and one step closer to saving the planet.
The American Express Distribution/Delivery Hero
Jhorvis Tyrell, Marks & Spencer
Silver: John Mark Brown, The Co-op
Bronze: Andrew Wiseman, Ocado Group
For the judges, Marks & Spencer warehouse operative Jhorvis Tyrell’s story instantly stood out because of his “lifetime of achievement”.
Tyrell was born with a disability that impacts his vision, learning ability and confidence. He spent four years out of work before finding employment through The Prince’s Trust. He was later made redundant from his position and spent a further 15 months unemployed. Tyrell also had to deal with losing both his father and grandfather in 2019.
However, despite the challenges he experienced, Tyrell showed considerable determination and perseverance, and returned to the workplace. He enrolled in The Prince’s Trust Get into Logistics programme, gaining a temporary contract with M&S at its Castle Donington fulfilment centre.
Tyrell’s team manager Terence Manning said: “He asked for support with his self-development and with a little encouragement he quickly grew into an important part of the team. He’s really sociable and always works with a smile on his face, which has a great impact on his colleagues around him."
“He always works with a smile on his face, which has a great impact on his colleagues around him”
His upbeat attitude saw him secure a permanent contract after he completed his logistics training and he is now described as a key member of the warehouse’s busy team, which picks and ships up to 2.5 million items per week.
Tyrell’s journey has inspired the organisation as a whole and he was awarded the Rising Star award by The Prince’s Trust.
His positive attitude and triumph spoke to the judges. “He was so standout – to have all those disadvantages, he’s got every reason to say ‘poor me’,” said one judge.
“It’s a beautiful story of human endeavour, adversity, overcoming disability and lack of confidence,” another added.
Best New Store
Situ Live, Westfield London
Silver: Eataly, Bishopsgate, London
Situ Live, which opened in Westfield London in October, was described as being “brave and disruptive” by the judges. One stated simply: “It’s an amazing idea.”
Situ Live, which spans 7,500 sq ft, is an attempt to reinvent the traditional store. It describes itself as a “discovery playhouse” that allows shoppers to experience innovative products from leading brands under one roof.
It offers live demonstrations in a number of dedicated spaces, including fitness, sleep and wellbeing, and the kitchen. Visitors to the store can also engage with staff to learn more about individual products.
The judges were instantly curious about the new type of shopping model that Situ Live presented, helping consumers discover innovations in one location. Brands including Bosch, Fitbit, Philips and Lenovo pay a monthly subscription to Situ Live so their products can be showcased in the space.
“It’s what physical retail should be”
This allows Situ Live to focus on the shopper experience rather than the sale of the products. “From a customer point of view, you don’t have that bias around brands,” said one judge. “That can add more trust that they want you to find the right thing for you.”
If visitors are interested in purchasing items they discover in store, they can scan a QR code, add certain items to their favourite list and buy directly from the brand.
“I was really interested in the concept. It’s a great experience and much more enjoyable than walking around a traditional department store,” one judge remarked.
“It’s what physical retail should be. I like the fact people are being bold and putting money into these things in a premium part of Westfield.”
The EXL Customer Experience Award
Screwfix
Screwfix launched its rapid delivery service Screwfix Sprint last August, offering customers the opportunity to order an essential tool or part for a project and receive it in under an hour.
The service requires no minimum spend and there is a set fee of £5 per delivery. It now offers near-instant delivery of 9,500 products and joins Screwfix’s existing click-and-collect service, which promises items will be available to collect from a store in as little as one minute.
Screwfix Sprint is now available from 225 of its stores, reaching more than a third of the UK population located in 35 major cities and towns. To achieve this, the logistics are operated by a third-party rapid delivery specialist, which allows the DIY retailer to ensure the online ordering experience is as seamless as possible.
“Screwfix does amazingly obvious brilliant things”
Screwfix chose to roll out the service as a result of its understanding of its target market, stating that time is money for tradespeople. Average delivery time is 45 minutes, with the fastest recorded to date standing at five minutes. More than 1,200 orders are placed each week and that continues to climb.
Screwfix will extend the service to more stores this year, with plans to eventually offer Sprint across its entire branch network.
The judges were impressed by how Screwfix has “upped its game” in recent years to meet the needs of its customers.
One judge commented: “It’s such a genius idea. Whether you’re a builder or you’re someone at home doing something, [you are] able to pay £5, a tiny bit of money, to get something you realise you then need. You don’t have to put your tools down and go and get it.”
“Screwfix does amazingly obvious brilliant things,” added another.
The Adyen Fashion Retailer of the Year
Winner: Asos
Silver: H&M
After much debate, the judges landed on Asos as the Adyen Fashion Retailer of the Year, admiring its ability to “reinvent itself and move forward”.
The judges particularly admired Asos’ decision to rescue Topshop and its sister brands Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT after the Arcadia Group tumbled into administration in early 2021.
“Asos saved a British icon – it has honoured it and loved it, and it’s done really well,” one judge commented.
“Asos saved a British icon – it has honoured it and loved it, and it’s done really well”
Asos has also made headway with its own-label brands, such as Asos Design and AsYou, as well as newer categories such as health and beauty.
The fashion giant’s Face & Body division is now a £150m business, with growth of 49% during the past financial year, while its own brands grew by 69%.
Over the full year, Asos grew its customer base by 13% to 26 million active users, while overall sales grew 22%.
Asos’ diversity, inclusion and sustainability initiatives were also a key factor in its win. The judges admired the retailer’s strong stance on achieving net-zero emissions and full supply chain transparency.
“Asos are not resting on their laurels,” one judge said. “They know their customer and they know they need to continue to reinvent themselves for the new Gen-Z customer going forward.”
H&M was awarded silver in this category because of its commitments to sustainability and its collaboration strategy.
The judges said that H&M “sets the bar” globally – it ranks as one of the highest on the Fashion Transparency Index and has made investments in recyclable packaging, renewable energy and circularity.
In 2021, the retailer also undertook collaborations with luxury brands such as Simone Rocha and Toga Archives, footballers Raheem Sterling and Héctor Bellerín, and actor John Boyega.
While many of its competitors have shied away from bricks-and-mortar growth, the judges also noted H&M’s commitment to the British high street, employing almost 10,000 workers.
Ascential Price + Promo Speciality Retailer of the Year
HelloFresh
As more consumers place convenience at the top of the agenda, HelloFresh was named the Ascential Price + Promo Speciality Retailer of the Year.
While the popularity of competitors such as Gousto and Mindful Chef has also soared during the pandemic, the judges admired the “unbelievable growth” of HelloFresh.
This includes its expansion into new categories, such as its Green Chef vegan arm, and the launch of its second production facility, which has created more than 800 new jobs within the company.
HelloFresh offers a rotation menu of 37 weekly changing recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare – an attractive prospect for time-poor customers.
The retailer boasts almost 7 million active customers across three continents and shows “no sign of slowing down”, according to one judge.
One judge said HelloFresh has “clearly got the proposition and quality in the marketplace”
In terms of sustainability, the brand has also scaled up its initiatives in 2021 – becoming the highest-rated B Corp-certified recipe box service and investing in reducing its plastic packaging.
The judges agreed that HelloFresh’s numbers were “incredible”, with sales growth up 140% year on year and more than 65% more web traffic compared with the nearest recipe box competitor.
Looking forward, HelloFresh plans to tap into the market with expansion into new meal occasions and diet plans, as well as invest in technology to enhance its personalisation capabilities.
One judge said that, while its competitors have done well, HelloFresh has “clearly got the proposition and quality in the marketplace”.
Another said that the convenience element would only become more important in future.
Best Own-Brand Range or Product
Simply Be
For the judges, it was a unanimous decision to vote N Brown’s Simply Be’s own-brand lingerie, Pretty Secrets, as best in this category. The range stood out to the panel because of its focus on targeting consumers not traditionally represented in this space.
“They’re doing something that is not a trend and is actually really in tune with what customers want and need, very inclusive and accessible,” commented one judge.
Simply Be created its own brand, Pretty Secrets, which promises a wide range for every woman. It offers a large range of bra sizes, with chest measurements ranging from 34-50in and cup sizes from B-K.
To achieve this, Simply Be fits all products on real women across four size grades to find the ideal fit, adding features such as grading of straps, elastic and wire casing on larger bra sizes.
“They’re doing something that is not a trend and is actually really in tune with what customers want and need, very inclusive and accessible”
To further the inclusivity of its offerings, Simply Be launched its Skintones range this year. First, it researched shades of nudes that best matched women’s skin tones across the diverse population, deciding on six shades of nude. It then designed a variety of lingerie in a wide range of sizes in all six of these tones.
Affordability is also a key factor in Simply Be’s quest, with underwired bras starting from £10.
Shoppers are enthused about Simply Be’s inclusive offerings, with sales rising 10% over the past three years. This includes a 5% increase in the past year alone.
“They've done something that is not out there generally for consumers, but is really important,” said one judge.
“It’s fantastic what they’ve done, they’ve nailed it and owned that category,” concluded another.
The Microsoft Grocer of the Year
Winner: Tesco
Silver: Marks & Spencer
The grocers shared our Outstanding Contribution to Retail Award last year in recognition of the Feed the Nation campaign during the pandemic, but this hotly debated category returned this year.
The judges recognised how all grocers have “stepped up” over the past two years, but it was market leader Tesco that emerged as the victor.
Our panel pointed to Tesco's impressive customer switching gains, the success of its Clubcard loyalty programme and the roll out of its rapid-delivery service Whoosh as particular highlights from a sterling year.
Tesco has won 700,000 more shoppers during the past year, wooing consumers with its powerful combination of the Aldi Price Match promise and Clubcard Prices.
“They’re the biggest but they keep reinventing themselves … which is so powerful for a business of that size”
Its Clubcard scheme now boasts 20 million households and 6 million app users, allowing Tesco to collect a wealth of consumer data and provide more personalised offers to shoppers.
Tesco has expanded its 60-minute Whoosh delivery service to more than 200 stores, and partnered with super-fast delivery company Gorillas, as it seeks to lead the quick-commerce charge.
“They’re the biggest but they keep reinventing themselves; they could plateau but they step on, which is so powerful for a business of that size,” one judge said.
Marks & Spencer picked up a silver award as the judges commended the retailer's progress with its transformation plan.
The panel said M&S had been “very progressive” in its merchandising, value communication and product development, including the growth of its Plant Kitchen vegan range.
The Salesforce Best Retailer Under £250m
Reiss
Already a well recognised fashion brand, Reiss was named best retailer in this category for its transformation during the pandemic.
The retailer’s ethos remains unchanged from its founding in 1971. Reiss is focused on longevity as it aims to create pieces shoppers will treasure.
However, to meet the demands of the modern shopper, Reiss has now entered a period of reinvention and expanded its ranges beyond formalwear. In 2020, it launched a casual collection and that was joined last year by golf, petite and childrenswear ranges. It has also collaborated with sportswear brand Castore.
“Formalwear has been particularly challenged through Covid. Fashion is a difficult space. Reinventing themselves to be singularly focused on modernising and extending categories is all we expect from a really great retailer,” one judge noted.
“Fashion is a difficult space. Reinventing themselves to be singularly focused on modernising and extending categories is all we expect from a really great retailer”
Reiss has also invested in its omnichannel approach in recent years, opening multiple stores from California to London. It has added virtual personal shopping to its website and begun offering online exclusives, including hosting Paige as its first guest clothing brand.
The fashion retailer’s online customer base rose 12% compared with 2020 and increased by 42% from pre-pandemic levels.
Reiss has also signed won investment from Next, a deal that impressed the judges as it illustrated the value the big retailer has seen in Reiss.
The judging panel highlighted “really strong numbers” that showed financial success, such as sales exceeding the level reached pre-pandemic.
“I think they have worked incredibly hard to reposition themselves as a British favourite,” one judge commented.
The Best Retailer Over £250m
The Very Group
The judges were unanimous in their choice for winner of the Best Retailer Over £250m, and believed The Very Group was delivering in all areas.
The Very Group has succeeded in improving both customer and colleague experiences throughout the past year, while also achieving stellar results.
The etailer reported record-breaking revenues, up 13% to £2.3bn, while its active customer base grew 7.6% to 4.8 million.
Over the year, it invested in its facilities and technology, allowing colleagues greater flexibility to return to work on a hybrid basis as they saw fit.
As a result, The Very Group ranks as one of the top 20 companies – and the only retailer – on Glassdoor, which the judges commended as a difficult feat.
The judges also commented that the retailer “knows who their customers are and are excellent at serving them”.
The Very Group ranks as one of the top 20 companies – and the only retailer – on Glassdoor, which the judges commended as a difficult feat
The introduction of an AI-powered chatbot to the Very website has become an integral part of its customer service channel, answering 268,000 monthly queries and resolving 75% of queries on first contact.
Customers can also make use of a variety of payment options including Very Pay, a flexible credit option.
By investing in its digital journey, The Very Group achieved app sales and visits up 45% and 77% respectively, boosted by customer experience improvements such as personalisation.
The fashion and lifestyle retailer also opened new highly automated fulfilment centres, as well as rolling out partner fulfilment options, which has meant orders can be fulfilled in as little as 17 minutes.
The judges agreed that The Very Group has achieved “phenomenal growth”.
The Attentive Consumer Choice Award
Amazon
While there has been significant change at the top at Amazon in the past year, as founder Jeff Bezos stepped away from the day-to-day running of the business, some things never change - Amazon was voted the winner of the Attentive Consumer Choice Award for the fifth consecutive year.
Amazon emerged as the clear winner following a survey by Respondi of 2,287 consumers, beating others such as Tesco, Aldi, Marks & Spencer and Asda to the coveted top spot.
Shoppers cited the online retailer’s breadth of range, price competitiveness and convenient delivery options as the key reasons behind their choice.
That is reflected in the number of shoppers flocking to Amazon. In his first letter to shareholders as chief executive, Andy Jassy said the number of people signed up to its Prime membership scheme had grown to 200 million in 2021. He added that the retailer had “dramatically lowered prices, further increasing customer value” to help consumers with the cost-of-living crisis.
While Amazon continues to expand its online proposition, it has also been focusing investment and innovation on its store presence in the UK over the past 12 months.
Amazon has opened 38 of its Fresh stores across the US and UK, using its Just Walk Out technology to simplify and speed up the checkout experience. It reportedly wants 250 or more grocery stores in the UK as it seeks to take an even bigger share of consumers hearts, minds and wallets.
THE JUDGES
- Henry Birch, CEO, The Very Group
- Pano Christou, CEO, Pret a Manger
- Alexa Churchman-Mountbatten, senior RVP, marketing cloud, retail and consumer goods (travel, transport and hospitality), Salesforce
- Danny Emmett, COO, AO.com
- Liz Evans, managing director, George at Asda
- Anthony Fletcher, former CEO, Graze, and founder, Believe in Science
- Wendy Gardner, director, global retail industry advisor, Salesforce
- Susanne Given, chair, Made.com and Hush
- James Gold, co-founder and CEO, Skinny Dip
- Debbie Hewitt, chair, White Stuff, Visa Europe, BGL and the Football Association
- Jo Jenkins, CEO, White Stuff
- Will Kernan, CEO, River Island
- John Lyttle, CEO, Boohoo
- George MacDonald, executive editor, Retail Week
- Manju Malhotra, CEO, Harvey Nichols
- John Mewett, CEO, Screwfix
- Mandeep Singh, co-founder, Trouva
- Craig Smith, director, retail customer transformation, Salesforce
- Luke Tugby, editor, Retail Week
- Lyn Warren, retail and people director, Joules
- Jo Whitfield, CEO, Co-op Food
Written by: Caoimhe Gordon, George MacDonald,
Hugh Radojev, Rosie Shepard & Luke Tugby
Produced by: Rebecca Dyer, Stephen Eddie & Emily Kearns
To find out more about sponsorship opportunities for the
Retail Week Awards 2023,
please contact Paul Stewart on
paul.stewart@retail-week.com or
+44 (0)20 3033 2755
Built with Shorthand