2026 ORIAS Winners & Finalists

• Fempro Armour
• Mr Pool Man
• Flexisuit
• Edible Cutlery Pty Ltd
• Nourishy
• Azura Runway

Small Business innovation is critical for creating a competitive advantage, driving growth and delivering customer satisfaction. This award recognises those small businesses that have innovated to deliver a new product or service, outstanding customer experience, or business process. Entries for this category will only be accepted from independent businesses with between 2 to 20 employees, and annual revenues up to $10 million.  

Proudly sponsored by:

• Vinnies Finds
• Pablo & Rusty's Coffee Roasters
• SKIPPER
• THE ICONIC
• Koh
• Nakie

Note: Australia Post will not accept compostable packaging as a positive form of innovation. An independent Life Cycle Assessment commissioned by Australia Post shows compostable packaging has a greater environmental footprint than packaging made from recycled plastic, in the context of eCommerce. Additionally, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation states that compostable packaging is not generally recommended for applications other than food storage.

Proudly sponsored by:

• Shh!t Happens
• Francesca Jewellery
• TWOOBS
• Being Wear
• Jala Jala
• MEDIAFORM

Australia Post is proud to be one of Australia’s most diverse workforces. This category celebrates other businesses who have made an outstanding contribution to supporting diversity and fostering inclusion within their business and beyond including; Culturally and Linguistically diverse, Disability, Gender equality, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and Veterans.

Proudly sponsored by:

• Petbarn
• Adore Beauty
• Freedom Furniture
• Oz Hair and Beauty
• Elite Supplements
• Rebel Sport

Multichannel is open to retailers demonstrating best practice in integrating traditional bricks and mortar retail with digital retail in an innovative, effective way to grow the overall retail business. Judging will be based on the brand’s ability to successfully integrate both its offline and online touch points to maximise the multichannel customer experience. Judging considerations will focus on the offline, online, mobile and combined overall retail experience on offer, including strength of cross-channel functionality. Entries are welcomed from former pureplay online retailers which have augmented their offer via multiple physical points of presence (e.g. more than a single showroom / flagship store) as part of their strategy.

Proudly sponsored by:

• City Beach: Redefining Digital Fashion Discovery
• THE ICONIC
• Akubra Hats
• MESHKI
• Salty Crush
• Muscle Republic

Best Online Fashion Retailer is open to retailers demonstrating best practice in retailing fashion products and utilising innovative technologies to recreate the instore purchasing experience, online. 

• Archie Rose Distilling Co.
• Edible Blooms & Co
• Naked Asian Grocer
• Aid Station
• Skull & Barrel
• ST. ALi Coffee

This category is open to new and established retailers who demonstrate best practice in innovation, service, functionality, delivery and customer experience when it comes to Food & Beverage retailing online. Judging will be based not on overall size but on efficiency, ingenuity, dedication to delivering food & drink – be it perishables, groceries or ready to eat meals.

Definition of a Online Food & Beverage Retailer: Nominations for this category will only be accepted from businesses that sell food and beverage online, either as a pureplay or multichannel retailer, or as a restaurant group preparing and delivering fresh meals.

• Freedom Furniture
• SHEIKE
• Akubra Hats
• Bed Bath N' Table Christmas Destination Shop
• Best&Less Pre-order: A Better Way to Shop Christmas
• Oz Hair and Beauty

We’re looking for the most imaginative initiatives in the online retail space, whether that is in site design, usability, customer experience, service, fulfilment or any other area of the retail discipline. What we’re looking for is something original, exciting and practical. Submissions should be able to prove demonstrably how innovation has led to tangible, positive results.

Proudly sponsored by:

• Seed & Sprout
• Appliances Online
• Ivory & Deene
• Muscle Republic
• The Low Tox Project
• Carma

This category is open to new and established online-only retailers who demonstrate best practice in merchandising, service, functionality and customer experience. Judging will be based not on overall size but on efficiency, ingenuity, dedication to customer experience and proven business success.

Definition of a Pureplay Online Retailer: Nominations for this category will only be accepted from businesses that have originated online and with no more than one physical store / showroom.

• Ivory & Deene
• Dazy Dog
• Mr Pool Man
• Style My Wall
• Bowy Made
• LACEVO

This category recognises the achievements of small ecommerce exemplars who demonstrate best practices in ecommerce, innovation and growth, with an effective business strategy. Nominations for this category will only be accepted from independent businesses with between 2 to 10 employees, and annual revenues up to $10 million. Businesses that form a subsidiary of a larger group of businesses with employee numbers or revenues in excess of those outlined above will not be considered.

• Freedom Furniture
• Salty Crush
• Lolly May
• LACEVO
• Healthylife
• In Bed With Bed Bath N' Table For Their Annual Pyjama Party

Social media is the rocket fuel that boosts retailer’s engagement with their customers, and this category awards the retailer that makes an art form out of building community engagement through any and all social channels. The award recognises the most innovative and effective social commerce initiatives - those in which the retailer leverages social networks for brand building, customer service and a sales channel, while also tying social media to the online and physical store experiences.

• Appliances Online
• Love to Dream™
• Healthylife
• Carma
• Kennards Hire
• Ivory & Deene

This category will reward retailers who focus on excellence in customer service across every touchpoint that serves to add value and create an experience that instils trust in the brand.  This award recognises those retailers who know that you are only as good as your last communication, your last action and your last mile.

Proudly sponsored by:

• Kulani Kinis
• Love to Dream
• VisionDirect.com.au
• The Nile
• The Equine Practice Company
• MAISON de SABRÉ: Building a Global Luxury House from Australia

 This award is for Australian-based retailers who are making inroads into international markets. Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate they have found overseas markets, adapted to the global marketplace, managed international shipping and logistics effectively, and built a substantial following in regions outside Australia. They will also be looking for innovation in how overseas presence and / or market penetration has been delivered and sustained

Proudly sponsored by:

• The Gamesmen
• Carma
• Freedom Furniture
• Love to Dream
• Appliances Online
• The Nile

This award is for the best overall, multi-channel site design and integration from an aesthetic, usability and technology perspective, with specific focus on conversion optimisation features to improve shopability and the path to purchase. This category includes mobile friendly use and/or smartphone application.

• Carma
• Oz Hair and Beauty
• Ivory & Deene
• Archie Rose Distilling Co.
• The Gamesmen
• Petbarn

This category will reward retailers who manage to achieve excellence in customer experience throughout their customers’ online journey.  From the point of discovery, through to the look and feel of the website, to the personalisation, AI and ease of transition from selection, to ordering, to payment and finally to fulfilment, customer experience is the true differentiator between the retailer and its competitors. The winning retailer will be able to demonstrate how they have left a lasting impression across the buyer’s entire journey by proactively delighting their customers at every turn.

• Jethro Marks
• Lisa Jones
• Mal Chia
• Justin Irvine
• Ben Hare
• Mark Gray

A special award, nominated for free by the public, for the individual who has made the most outstanding contribution to the Retail e-commerce industry in Australia, this may include and is not limited to:

•       Changed and/or significantly impacted the Australian online retail industry.
•       Shown leadership to the benefit of the broader Australian online retail industry. Examples of leadership might include:
  a) lobbied the government
  b) created exemplary tools/technologies that have enhanced the online retail experience
  c) contributed to leading strategy thinking or analysis of the industry
  d) created connections between individuals and organisations for mutual benefit
  
•       Set an example, promoted education and knowledge of online retail within the industry and/or mentored newcomers.
•       Made a meaningful and significant contribution to the health of online retail that may not be visible to the broader industry.

Proudly sponsored by:

• THE ICONIC Platform Business
• Archie Rose Distilling Co.
• Erskine Dental
• LSC Security Solutions
• Vela Estate
• Serious Play Business

The B2B Ecommerce Excellence award is open to all companies demonstrating best practice in successfully translating B2C ecommerce/online retail practice into the B2B space.  What we are looking for is to see how the company has been able to transform into a more digitally agile business and is offering its B2B clients the very best in online merchandising, service, functionality and customer experience. Entries are welcome from wholesalers who are retailing products on both a B2B and/or D2C, B2C retailers who have blended B2B into their current offering and traditional B2B companies who have transformed their business model to embrace ecommerce as a channel to market over traditional face to face sales channels. 

Judging will be based on how well the nominee demonstrates the implementation of B2C ecommerce principles and in particular the success in growing their B2B business via online/ecommerce channels. 

• THE ICONIC
• BCF
• Salty Crush
• Supercheap Auto
• SHEIKE
• LEO LIN

The Hall of Fame Inductees include: Shoes of Prey, Appliances Online, Dan Murphy’s, Showpo, Tinyme, LoveHoney, and Cue. Once again in 2026, the judging panel will debate and nominate several inductees, with each brand inducted into the Hall of Fame earning permanent status as a member.

Proudly sponsored by:

The Best of the Best - the recipient of this award will be selected from the above categories as being the best of the best in Australian online retailing in 2026. Retailers are unable to complete an entry for this category. The winner of this award is picked from the total collection of entrants nominated as finalists for the above categories, and will be announced on the ORIAS gala evening.