The Awards

The Retailer Awards are a celebration of the most exceptional of automotive retailers; brands and individuals that not only inspire those in the automotive industry but set the bar for all retailers across all sectors.

This year we have eight exciting award categories designed to help us identify the best of the best. The winners of three of the categories will be determined either by a comprehensive independent mystery shopping programme, expert industry analysis or from an in-depth analysis of millions of data points.

This year we have five categories that are self-nomination, offering you the chance to show an independent judging panel of experts why you, your colleague, or your business is better than the rest: the Innovation Award, People & Culture Award, Rising Star Award, Sustainability Initiative Award and the Woman of the Year Award.

This year's data driven categories:

**Retailer of the Year Award**
Our most prestigious award is designed to recognise the very best of the automotive retail industry.
This award will be split to include car, van, and bike retailers, and for the first time, will include the **New Car Retailer of the Year** award.

**Customer Choice Award**
As well as those retailers that are receiving the best customer reviews, this category will reward those businesses that are engaging with their reviews.

**Customer Experience Award**
Based on one of the largest mystery shopping exercises of its type, this category will see 1,000 of Auto Trader’s best performing retailers gradually whittled down to just three deserving winners via three mystery shopping phases.

This year's self-nomination categories:

Each year an independent panel of experts judges the submissions to our self-nomination awards, with last year seeing over 250 of you submitting an entry to our awards.

This year’s confirmed judges include experts from John Lewis, MoneySuperMarket, LinkedIn, and The Carbon Literacy Trust, with more to follow.

You can submit an entry for as many categories you feel eligible for. Entries open on 18th June and close on 12th August. Click the button below for entry form and judging criteria.

**Innovation Award**
Our prestigious panel of independent expert judges will be looking for retailers that have successfully innovated to better their business.

**Sustainability Initiative Award**
Introduced last year; this award is for those retailers doing all they can to become more sustainable and helping to combat the climate crisis.

**People and Culture Award**
If your business puts its people first and has created a dynamic, open and diverse workspace then this award category is for you.

**Rising Star Award**
If you’re a retailer that’s been in business for up to three years and destined to set the industry alight, then this category is your opportunity to have your potential recognised.

Woman of the Year Award

This award is open to any woman working in a retail organisation, large or small, car, bike, leisure, or van, who is driving change in automotive retailing, and shaping the future of the industry for the better.

The category will be independently judged by a panel of experts from a variety of organisations and industries who will be looking to award an individual who is having a clear positive impact on her retail organisation, as well as the wider automotive retail industry, either directly or indirectly. This might include leading/supporting a significant campaign, initiative, or innovation; or successfully managing a large team, division, or the business itself. Crucially, the winner will be an individual who inspires their colleagues, customers, and counterparts, and above all, supports other women around them.

With this self-nomination category, you can nominate yourself or a colleague.