The People First Award

For businesses putting people at the heart of success  

Great businesses are built by great people but this award goes beyond the basics. It recognises retailers taking a fresh, innovative or ground-breaking approach to how they support, engage and empower their teams. 

Whether you’ve reimagined your culture, introduced a new way of working, or found a bold solution to a long-standing challenge, this category celebrates those setting a new standard for people-first retail. 

If you’re doing something genuinely different and it’s making a real impact, we want to see it. 

What we’re looking for: 

• A clear people-focused challenge or opportunity  

• A distinctive, innovative or unconventional approach  

• Thoughtful and effective action that goes beyond the expected  

• Real, measurable impact on employees  

• Evidence of improvement such as better retention or diversity  

• Ongoing commitment and potential to shape future ways of working