Walmart and Alibaba Group nab top prize at World Retail Awards
Alibaba Group and Walmart were jointly recognised as Retailer of the Year at the World Retail Awards, held virtually yesterday during a close to World Retail Congress Connected.
Elsewhere, JD.com won the Sustainable Retailing Initiative of the Year Award for its Green Stream Initiative, launched in 2017 to create an industry-wide environmental transformation that improves the utilisation rate of supply chain resources whilst reducing carbon emissions.
Pets at Home’s commitment to supporting its teams’ mental health through its Employee Assistance Programme was named Retailer Employer Initiative of the Year. Reiss was lauded for its recent turnaround with the Retail Transformation and Reinvention Award.
bonprix snagged Best Customer Experience Initiative for its ‘fashion connect’ store in Hamburg, with its in-store shopping experience allowing customers to use an app to choose clothes, control smart fitting rooms, check out and pay.
Whilst adidas won Outstanding Store Design >1,200 sqm for its adidas LDN flagship store on London’s Oxford Street.
Neela Montgomery, CEO, Crate & Barrel, says: ‘This was such an unusual year where all retailers across the world had to adapt and innovate as Covid-19 impacted their associates, customers and communities.”
“The retailers recognised in this most unusual of years had not only laid the foundations for a digital transformation ahead of the pandemic but also led the industry with integrity and new customer initiatives such as drive in cinemas in Walmart US or TMall’s Luxury live streaming.”
“This proved that leadership and innovation have never been more relevant to this exciting industry despite the obvious new challenges we all face.”
