Away, Bloom Nutrition and Poshmark are finalists for this year’s Modern Retail Awards
For this year’s Modern Retail Awards, the finalists emphasized authenticity and relatability through educational and experiential marketing and other community-centric initiatives. Compelling storytelling and strategic expansions into new product offerings also allowed brands and retailers to better connect with customers, leverage existing loyalty and drive growth.
For instance, in the Best Launch Campaign category, luggage brand Away is a nominee after revitalizing the softside luggage market with a blend of style, functionality and relatable storytelling. Away’s Softside launch featured a humorous 30-second film starring New York personalities like Alan Ruck, Tyshawn Jones and Megan Stalter, each of whom revealed their softer side through candid inner monologues while waiting in line at the airport. This playful narrative connected with travelers on a personal level, highlighting diverse personalities unified by their love for Away’s Softside. The multichannel campaign fueled engagement, while the Softside exceeded sales projections in its first week.
The Founder of the Year nominees include Mari Llewellyn of Bloom Nutrition. After losing 90 pounds through strength training, Llewellyn launched Bloom in 2019 to offer high-quality, delicious wellness products that make healthy living accessible. Under her leadership, Bloom evolved from a small startup to a global brand. Her innovative approach and commitment to authenticity have resonated deeply, building a loyal community of more than 2 million followers. This year, Bloom expanded its retail presence to more than 14,700 locations, including major partners like Target, Costco and Kroger, and doubled distribution nationwide.
Fashion resale marketplace Poshmark is among the finalists for Best Community Engagement Strategy. In 2023, the company introduced Posh Shows, a live-selling feature designed to transform how resellers interact with buyers in real-time. Poshmark’s experiential events, including PoshFest, Posh Parties and Posh + Connect meetups, were revamped to highlight this new offering. At PoshFest 2023, more than 600 attendees participated in live-selling masterclasses and hands-on Posh Shows demonstrations. Since the feature’s launch, sellers have hosted more than 1 million shows, with viewers streaming over 1 billion minutes of content.
Stay tuned for the reveal of this year’s winners. In the meantime, check out the full shortlist below.
Best Back-End E-Commerce Technology
Croissant + HATCH
DRINKS Powers Alcohol E-Commerce for Speakeasy’s 300+ Brands
Max Retail
Optoro – driving circularity for retail returns
Rithum Commerce Solutions for Marketplaces: AI Magic Mapper
Route & Solo Stove
Best Brand Collaboration
Boll & Branch x Prabal Gurung: Making of the Met Gala Gown
Best Community Engagement Strategy
Mad Rabbit
Poshmark
STACKTˣ Storefront by STACKT & DS Studio
Best Customer Service Experience
fatty15
Mila Cares Program: A dedicated customer care team
Best E-Commerce Experience
Albertsons Companies – A Connected Shopping Experience
Pattern & Rothy’s – Redesign of Rothys.com
Phoebe Philo and Work & Co: Launch of PhoebePhilo.com
TalkShopLive Powers Video Commerce From Coast to Coast
THG Commerce x Toblerone
Best Event
e.l.f. SKIN Ame.l.f.i Coast Beach Club Pop-Up
Best Expansion Strategy – NEW
Democratizing Luxury: Angara Launches Lab-Grown Diamonds
Glowbar Grows Membership by 160% and Studio Footprint by 85%
Lovevery Extends Reach & Impact with The Reading Skill Set
Naturepedic – Best Expansion Strategy
The NOW Massage
ŌURA Expansion – Retail Launch via Best Buy, Amazon & Target
Best Fulfillment Strategy
Pattern’s Fulfillment Solution Helps Consumer Brands Scale
THG Fulfil – World-class fulfilment
Ware2Go empowers Amazon sellers with Seller Fulfilled Prime
Best Launch Campaign
Away’s Softside Campaign
SunSip by Health-Ade Launch
Supergoop! Debut’s Protec(tint) Daily SPF on the NYFW Runway
Best Loyalty Program – NEW
Hugo Boss in Partnership with EPAM Continuum
KORRES Circle Loyalty Program – Launch of korres.com
Smarty – Launch of Smarty Coins
Ulta Beauty Rewards: The Rewardiest Beauty Loyalty Program
Best New Store Concept – NEW
H&M
The Radio Flyer Store
Best Omnichannel Experience
Albertsons Companies – A Connected Shopping Experience
SML Delivers Enhanced Omnichannel Operations for H&M
UNTUCKit & NewStore
Best Personalization Strategy
Loyalty Redefined: Bath & Body Works x Movable Ink
Best Retailer/Agency Collaboration
Ember & GR0 – Seasonal Success Through Strategic Insight
Wondersauce & Brookfield Place
Best Subscription Strategy
Coterie
fatty15
Ordergroove – Powering Bonafide’s Subscription Growth
Best Transformation
Alcohol Retailer LCBO Transforms CX w/Coveo AI Search
Firing up Engagement: Sparkfly and Chipotle
Liquid I.V.®’s Transformative Brand Journey
Paul Smith & Cloudinary – Headless, Visual-First E-Commerce
Best Use of AI – NEW
Laws of Motion – Licensing Laws of Motion’s AI Sizing Tech
Lily AI & Tapestry – AI to Maximize Product Discovery
NBCUniversal Must Shop TV x KERV
Pipedrive’s AI Suite for Small Businesses
StyleFile–Stitch Fix’s AI-Driven Style Personality Resource
Zenni
Best Use of Shoppable Content
Carhartt x January Digital – Snapchat Holiday Success
Chicory & Giant Food Partner to Drive Store Visits
DGMN+DoorDash+Kellanova: A Shoppable, Omnichannel Activation
Serenity Kids and G-Comm: Baby Food Aisle Shoppable Success
TalkShopLive+Rolling Stone Launch Kate Hudson’s Debut Album
Best Use of Technology
Ember & GR0 – Seasonal Success Through Strategic Insight
fullthrottle.ai™️
GlossGenius Inventory Management Feature
Laws of Motion – Licensing Laws of Motion’s AI Sizing Tech
Trax Retail – Signal-Based Merchandising
TreviPay & Lenovo: Transforming B2B Payments for Growth
Best Use of TikTok
IPSY – Glam-O-Ween TikTok campaign
E-Commerce Executive of the Year
Andy Hunter – bookshop.org
Whatnot – Grant LaFontaine Co-founder and CEO
Whisker CEO, Jacob Zuppke
Founder of the Year
Bloom Nutrition – Mari Llewellyn
BRĒZ – Aaron Nosbisch
Kendra Scott
Max Retail – Melodie van der Baan
poppi – Allison Ellsworth, Co-Founder + Chief Brand Officer
RetailNext – Alexei Agratchev
Most Inclusive Retailer – NEW
Knix Introduces the New Redesigned WingWoman Contour Bra
Most Innovative Retail Model
Knix Introduces the New Redesigned WingWoman Contour Bra
Max Retail
Minoan launches Showroom
Radio Flyer Store
Travelport’s Content Curation Layer for Travel Agencies
Wolf & Badger
Most Responsible Retailer
KORRES – Launch of Recycle Lab
Vancouver Aquarium – Eco- Freindly Plush Line
Retail Startup of the Year
Awe Inspired
Rebelstork
Free AF
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