The inaugural Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIA) winners have been announced and City Beach website www.citybeach.com.au was awarded the Best Use of Technology Award. As reported in our last issue of ASB, City Beach partnered with software developer Brennan to help build its ecommerce platform in just 100 days. Today’s’ announcement is a nod to the three-year multi million dollar investment in City Beach’s online future. In a lavish ceremony celebrating Australian retail’s advances in cyberspace, the industry’s brightest gathered to recognise online excellence after the final day of the Online Retailer Conference in Sydney (July 1-4). A glittering black tie affair featured New Inventors host, James O’Loghlin, who had the gathered throng of almost 400 attendees in stitches with his take on innovation and the internet. The winners of the first industry awards set the bar high for future contenders with national retailer ABC Shop taking out the top award as Online Retailer of the Year, as well as the title of Best Multichannel Retailer for 2010. Another big winner of the night was Shoes of Prey, taking out three awards after only seven months in business thanks to its innovative online shoe design site. Shoes of Prey walked away with the Best New Online Retailer, Most Innovative Online Retailer as well as Best Online Marketing Initiative thanks to their YouTube campaign and ambitious use of social media.

“We are delighted to have had such a successful first event,” said Grant Arnott, ORIA program director. “The enthusiasm and desire for continuous improvement in the online retail industry is overwhelming, and we believe these awards will not only serve to recognise and celebrate excellence, but challenge all retailers to elevate standards and implement best practice. This can only be a good thing for the industry, and we’re extremely proud to now have a forum for building marks of excellence. Certainly the retailers I spoke to last night who missed out are already planning an assault on next year’s awards program.” 2010 ONLINE RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS 1. Best Pure-Play Online Retailer Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au

1. Best Multichannel Retailer Sponsored by Salmat ABC Shop | www.shop.abc.net.au

2. Best New Online Retailer Sponsored by PayPal Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com

3. Best Use of Technology City Beach | www.citybeach.com.au

4. Most Innovative Online Retailer Sponsored by Manhattan Associates Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com

5. Best Online Retail Marketing Initiative Shoes of Prey | www.shoesofprey.com

6. Best Customer Experience Sponsored by Coghlan Appliances Online | www.appliancesonline.com.au

7. Emerging Star Scoopon | www.scoopon.com.au

8. Best Site Design Big Brown Box | www.bigbrownbox.com.au

9. Industry Recognition Award Matt Bullock (eway) | www.eway.com.au

ONLINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR ABC Shop | www.shop.abc.net.au