Small retailers, innovators in the running for the 2023 Australia Post Online Retail Industry Awards

A South Australia-based milk formula startup created by three mothers and a marketplace that showcases Australian bush businesses are among the small independent retailers and businesses in the running for this year’s Australia Post Online Retail Industry Awards (ORIAs).

This year’s ORIAs finalists, announced this week, include six businesses in the Best Small Independent Retailer category, which recognises the achievements of small e-commerce exemplars who demonstrate best practices in e-commerce, innovation and growth, with an effective business strategy.

Adelaide baby formula and toddler milk brand Mumamoo is one of those finalists, and is up against Ivory & Deene, a family business from Tasmania; jewellery brand Kavalri; luxury bedding brand Touché, swimwear business UNE PIECE; and yoga and reformer mat brand Yogat.

This year’s awards also feature a number of Impact categories, including one for Small Business Innovation. The finalists for this category include e-commerce marketplace Buy from the Bush; Australian adaptive clothing label JAM the label; Jean Pool which offers designer denim products; Cairns-based business Prickly2sweet; Brisbane-based Soka Australia; and Stymie, an anonymous harm reporting tool proactively used by schools to support students.

Now in its 14th year, the annual premier retail awards program celebrates industry leaders and their inspiring achievements from the year. Up to six finalists were announced in each category and the winners will be revealed at the Australia Post ORIAS Gala Dinner on July 20 in Sydney on the final night of the Online Retailer Expo.

Mumamoo founder Charlotte Chambers told SmartCompany that being a finalist is a huge deal for the startup.

“As a female-founded and owned startup, the ORIAS are a brilliant showcase for all that is great about the thriving e-commerce scene here in Australia,” she said. 

“To be a finalist alongside businesses that are either heritage brands, disruptors, or best-in-category is a huge deal for us and gives us an opportunity to reach a different audience and gain further consumer credibility.” 

Aussie SaaS assessment review and mapping tool Prickly2Sweet director Vanessa McCarthy said being a finalist is exciting for the business.

“Developing the Prickly2sweet product that is the first of its kind, positively disrupting the market, and removing the need for compliance personnel in the RTO to waste thousands in time, resources and money has been a massively rewarding experience. To win an award to recognise this effort and achieve would be icing on the cake,” she said.

Other categories featured in this year’s program include Best Online Fashion Retailer; International Conqueror; Best Online Food & Beverage Retailer; Customer Service Excellence; Best Social Commerce Initiative; Best Online Retail Marketing; Best Multichannel Retailer; Best End-to-End Customer Experience; Best Phygital Initiative; Technology Champion; Best Pureplay Retailer, and lastly a category honouring Industry Recognition.

Event director Matt Smith said the organisers are particularly proud of the new Impact Awards in this year’s program. 

“Using e-commerce to affect change in the world is essential to the evolution of this industry. These awards will hopefully spotlight the retailers pioneering this movement and foster them to continue their amazing work,” he said. 

Australia Post executive general manager for parcel, post and e-commerce services Gary Starr said Australia Post works with many e-commerce businesses. 

“We work hand in glove with so many e-commerce businesses and are proud to be a partner of the Australia Post ORIAS Awards which recognise the fantastic outcomes achieved by Australian e-commerce companies,” he said.

“This year it has been great to see so many entries in the new Australia Post Impact Awards categories which acknowledges positive work achieved in innovation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.”

The full list of this year’s finalists is available here.