By Claire Reilly
Retailers across Australia and New Zealand are being invited to submit for the Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAs) – an annual event that recognises the achievements of businesses in the field of e-commerce and online sales.
The event is held as part of the Online Retailer Conference and E-Commerce Expo in Sydney in July, and entries to the awards close tomorrow.
Consumer electronics and appliance retailers are no strangers to the ORIAs – last year’s winners include Dick Smith, which won awards for Best Multichannel Retailer and 2011 Online Retailer of the Year, and Appliances Online, which picked up the Best Customer Experience and Best Site Design & Optimisation awards.
Speaking about the company’s win last year, the CEO of Appliances Online, John Winning, said it was a great way to boost the online business.
“Winning an ORIA has enabled us to set our own benchmark and solidify our presence within the industry,” said Winning. “This recognition has truly helped us propel our online business into its next phase of operation.
“We have not only been driven to become even more innovative in this space, but the awards have provided us a strong advantage in demonstrating the power and potential of online to prospective business partners – particularly those who are dealing with an online retailer for the first time.”
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Steven Noble, senior analyst at Forrester Research and chair of the ORIAs judging committee, said Australian CE businesses form a strong part of the awards.
“Dick Smith and Appliances Online are two of the consumer electronics online retailers that have met with great success in recent ORIAs,” said Noble. “We’re keen to see what the sector has to offer today, especially in fast-moving areas like mobile commerce.”
More information on submitting can be found at the ORIAs website, with the following categories open for nominations:
– Best Pure-Play Online Retailer

– Best Multichannel Retailer

– Best New Online Retailer

– Best use of Technology

– Most Innovative Online Retailer

– Best Online Retail Marketing Initiative

– Best Customer Experience

– Best Aggregation Channel

– Best Site Optimisation & Design

– Best Mobile Commerce Site/Application (New Category)

– Industry Recognition Award

– Online Retailer of the Year