The Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAs) has announced its finalists, with several fashion etailers in the mix.
The event, which aims to recognise and reward Australia's leading and most innovative online retailers, will be held at the Parkside Ballroom, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour on September 27.
Finalists, choosen from over 100 entries, are split into 10 categories – 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, and the Industry Recognition Award – and represent some of the leading online retailers in the country, with many hailing from the fashion industry.
Among the fashion finalists, surfwear store Surfstitch.com.au, footwear e-boutique Shoes of Prey, and fashion aggregator Style Tread are nominated for three awards each, with Shoes of Prey co-founder and director Michael Fox also nominated for the 2011 ORIA Industry Recognition Award.
Shoes of Prey also recently launched its new 3D shoe designer software via the online boutique and is moving to launch a sister site – Sneaking Duck – which will sell “fashion forward” prescription eyewear and sunglasses.
The 3D Shoes of Prey site, which is currently in the “beta testing” stage, took six months to build. Fox said the 3D component was part of brand development and necessary to remain cutting-edge and will “enhance the customer experience”.
Fox also said the Sneaking Duck site, which will be branded as completely separate to Shoes of Prey, will allow customers to design their own eyewear at a price “cheaper than SpecSavers”, attracting a new market.
Sportsgirl, Big W online, fashion aggregator Club QT and Boutiqueaccessories.com.au are also nominated for awards.
The ORIAs, organised by National Media, will also coincide with the Online Retailer Conference and E-commerce Expo, which will run from September 26 to 29 at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sydney Darling Harbour.
For further information on booking tickets or tables, go to: www.onlineretailer.net/awards