Modern Retail Awards

The Modern Retail Awards recognize the companies and campaigns modernizing retail in the digital age. Over the years, these awards have honored industry-leading work from Casper, CVS Pharmacy, SoulCycle and more.

Interested in entering? To access everything you’ll need to join the ranks of our past winners including our entry kit, expert tips on crafting a winning entry and past coverage of this program, click here.

View the finalists

Key Dates

  • Shortlist Announcement: View shortlist
  • Winners Announcement: Dec 17, 2024

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Categories

  • Best New Store Concept

    Awarding the most innovative and effective new store design or concept that has successfully enhanced the customer shopping experience, driven foot traffic, and hit sales goals.

  • Most Inclusive Retailer

    Awarding the retailer that has best embraced customers and employees of all races, ages, genders, incomes and more.

  • Best Expansion Strategy

    Awarding the company that has most successfully executed a strategic expansion plan, whether through new store openings, entering new markets, or growing their online presence.

  • Best Loyalty Program

    Awarding the loyalty program that has most effectively increased customer retention and engagement.

  • Best Use of AI

    Awarding the use of AI that has most significantly enhanced business operations, customer experience, or decision-making processes.

  • Best Experiential Campaign

    Awarding the marketing campaign that has created the most immersive and engaging customer experiences, effectively promoting a product, brand, or service.

  • Best Use of UGC

    Awarding the strategy that has most effectively leveraged user-generated content to boost brand awareness, authenticity, and customer engagement.

  • Retail Startup of the Year

    Awarding the startup that has been most successful in establishing its brand and growing its business.

    Last Winner:
    Little Spoon
  • Best Event

    Awarding the event and/or marketing activation that most successfully achieved set goals.

  • Best Use of TikTok

    Awarding a TikTok strategy that most successfully achieved goals.

    Last Winner:
    poppi
  • Best Social Campaign

    Awarding a social media campaign that most successfully achieved goals.

  • E-Commerce Executive of the Year

    Awarding the executive who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and strategic vision in the realm of e-commerce.

  • Best Use of Shoppable Content

    Awarding the most effective use of shoppable content used to promote a product, brand or service.

    Last Winner:
    TalkShopLive & Walmart
  • Best Use of Technology

    Awarding a use of technology that has most significantly enhanced the customer experience and driven sales.

    Last Winner:
    Simbe & SpartanNash
  • Best Launch Campaign

    Awarding a launch campaign that most successfully generated buzz and audience engagement around a new product.

    Last Winner:
    Travelport
  • Best Content Creator Collaboration

    Awarding the content creator campaign that has been most creative, strategic and effective in achieving its objectives.

  • Best Brand Collaboration

    Awarding the collaboration between two brands that has most successfully achieved set goals.

  • Best Retailer/Agency Collaboration

    Awarding the retailer/agency collaboration that has most successfully achieved set goals.

  • Best Customer Insight Strategy

    Awarding the retailer who has most effectively employed new strategies using customer feedback and/or data.

    Last Winner:
    Stitch Fix
  • Best Personalization Strategy

    Awarding the retailer who has been able to tailor each shopper's experience most successfully.

    Last Winner:
    fetch
  • Best Subscription Strategy

    Awarding a subscription or membership strategy that has successfully achieved set goals.

    Last Winner:
    Athletic Greens
  • Best Omnichannel Experience

    Awarding the retailer who has best utilized a combination of in-store and online experiences to increase sales.

    Last Winner:
    Vince & NewStore
  • Best E-Commerce Experience

    Awarding the retailer with the most seamless e-commerce experience.

    Last Winner:
    Whatnot
  • Best Customer Service Experience

    Awarding the retailer with the most supportive and efficient customer service experience.

    Last Winner:
    fatty15
  • Best Community Engagement Strategy

    Awarding the community-building strategy that resulted in consistently high audience engagement and a strong sense of community.

    Last Winner:
    poppi
  • Most Innovative Retail Model

    Awarding the retailer who has most effectively changed the way customers shop and discover their brand(s).

    Last Winner:
    Bookshop.org
  • Best Transformation

    Awarding the retailer whose physical and/or digital transformation that has allowed them to modernize their business.

    Last Winner:
    Sparkfly & Bojangles
  • Most Responsible Retailer

    Awarding the retailer who is the most socially/sustainably responsible.

    Last Winner:
    Nisolo
  • Best Fulfillment Strategy

    Awarding the retailer with the most efficient, unique, and innovative use of technologies to streamline and/or automate fulfillment operations.

    Last Winner:
    Dropit
  • Best Back-End E-Commerce Technology

    Awarding a platform or vendor that has most successfully helped e-commerce brands streamline their business and achieve set goals.

  • Founder of the Year

    Awarding the founder that has best displayed excellence through outstanding and inspired work at their company.

    Last Winner:
    Dagne Dover

Judges

  • Malinda Sandman
    SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL ACQUISITION & PARTNER MARKETING
    INTUIT MAILCHIMP
  • Alexandra Pellicano
    DIRECTOR OF BRAND MARKETING
    STITCH FIX
  • Francisca Fanucchi
    SENIOR DIRECTOR, RETAIL & ADVERTISING COMMUNICATIONS.
    INSTACART
  • Francisco Bram
    VP OF MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
    ALBERTSONS
  • Carolyn Sarnoff
    CMO
    PATTERN
  • Armand Wilson
    VP OF CATEGORIES AND EXPANSION
    WHATNOT
  • Meredith Blechman
    HEAD OF MARKETING
    ARCHIVE
  • Bryan Moore
    CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
    TALKSHOPLIVE
  • Liz Primm
    VP, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
    BABYLIST
  • Terry Boyle
    CEO
    TROVE
  • Jen Catto
    CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
    TRAVELPORT
  • Joris Rigerl
    GROUP DESIGN DIRECTOR
    WORK & CO
  • Dr. Tess Marshall
    SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MARKETING AND EDUCATION
    AG1
  • Melissa Mash
    CEO AND CO-FOUNDER
    DAGNE DOVER
  • Laura Kaplan
    VP, COMMERCE & RETAIL MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS LEAD
    DENTSU
  • Jessamyn Myers
    SENIOR DIRECTOR, BRAND MARKETING
    OAKLEY
  • Edina Sultanik
    GLOBAL DIRECTOR, BRAND COMMUNICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
    SPERRY
  • Sarah Corwin
    SENIOR MANAGER OF INTEGRATED MARKETING - CLIENT SOLUTIONS
    WALMART CONNECT
  • Zoë Richards
    DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS
    ROTHY'S
  • Jeff Teitelbaum
    SVP, JOINT CLIENT ACCOUNTS
    RISE
  • Kevin Bridgewater
    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC RETAIL SOLUTIONS
    QUAD
  • Liz Grabek
    SVP, CONSUMER STRATEGY
    BETTY

Past Winners

  • 1-800 Contacts
  • 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.
  • Bombas
  • Brooklinen
  • Casper
  • CVS Pharmacy
  • Eargo
  • eBay Ads
  • Food52
  • Mejuri
  • Rothy's
  • SoulCycle
  • StockX
  • Thrive Market
  • Zulily

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for companies or campaigns that can clearly demonstrate success over the past 12 months. Judges are seeking companies or campaigns that have seized challenges and created opportunities and will evaluate entries based on the following criteria: Innovation, Creativity, Consumer Value, Results and Overall.

Judges will require evidence to substantiate all entries. This can include details of financial performance, specific KPIs, creative evidence in the form of a sizzle reel, campaign images, or links to the final project or related sites. The judges will also consider the structure, presentation and clarity of each entry.

Judging Process

Judges will score each entry prompt and consider any supporting materials submitted. After each judge submits their score for the above criteria, the scores of each criteria will then be averaged and then combined to determine overall score for each entry. The highest scoring entries will appear on the shortlist and winner lists.

Confidentiality

All material will remain confidential to the judges. Only the ‘Credits’ section of an entry will be made public via the shortlist/winners announcement. If you win a particular category, our team may summarize the entry for shortlist/winner announcements and winners guides.

Contact

For more information, contact our awards team at awards@modernretail.co.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact us here.
Interested in being a judge? Fill out the form here.