Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has been crowned Australia’s top retailer today at the Australian Retailers Association’s (ARA) 2015 Eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards.

Beauty retailer, Lush, was awarded the coveted Eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year title at the awards breakfast, with Jodie Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey, delivering the keynote address, attended by more than 400 industry supporters and Inside Retail in Melbourne.

According to the Awards judges, Lush was chosen for its impressive employee education programs, focus on employee wellbeing, and corporate social responsibility.

A full list of the 11 awards categories and winners can be found below.

Eftpos MD, Bruce Mansfield, congratulated the winner of the 2015 Eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year.

“Eftpos is proud to support these awards because they recognise the extraordinary work that is done by the hundreds of thousands of retailers who serve Australian communities every single day,” Mansfield said.

“Retail is an industry that touches all Australians and contributes to the economies of almost every community across the nation, no matter how small. It is an exceptionally important industry because it impacts all of our daily lives and it is great to have an opportunity to recognise the contribution of these businesses and the people who run them. Today’s winners represent the diversity of Australian retailing and the depth of talent we have in this important industry.”

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, praised the quality of entries in the 2015 awards, with the high standard of submissions proving the retail sector’s strength and resilience.

“The Australian retail sector continues to go from strength to strength, with the diversity and calibre of entries this year showing the tenacity and innovation of retailers in this evolving and increasingly competitive environment,” said Zimmerman.

“The ARA would like to congratulate all of the 2015 Eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards winners, who have beaten out tough competition to receive this recognition, particularly Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, winner of the 2015 Eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year.”

The annual Eftpos Australian Retail Awards are sector’s longest running Awards, and recognise the growth and achievements of both businesses and people within Australia’s largest private industry.

The awards breakfast was hosted by executive chairman of the National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Paul Greenberg, while Fox provided the audience with an insight into Shoes of Prey’s growth, secrets of success, and trends and opportunities available to retailers for the future.

“The Australian retail industry is at a tipping point whereby the elements we’ve long wished for are all becoming available to us,” said Fox. “It’s never an easy road to build a successful business – and there are plenty of failures along the way, but I’m optimistic about what we as a nation of retailers can achieve.”

2015 Eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards winners

Eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year
Winner: Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Runner up: Priceline Pharmacy
Runner up: 7-Eleven

The Realise Group Australian Independent Retailer of the Year
Winner: Saltwater Wine | Stormriders – Wilson Retail

NORA Australian Multichannel Retailer of the Year
Winner: The Good Guys

BDO Australian Retail Employer of the Year
Winner: Specsavers

MasterCard Australian Retail Payments Leader of the Year
Winner: Cannings Butchers

Pronto Software Australian Retail Innovator of the Year
Winner: eyeclarity

Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Fit-out of the Year
Winner: Stormriders
Runner up: Pickings and Parry

FCB Australian Retail HR Rising Star of the Year
Winner: Charmaine Wilson, Super Retail Group
Runner up: Jarrod Appleby, The Coffee Club

REST Industry Super Australian Individual Retailer of the Year
Winner: Paul Baker, NRMA Insurance

Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year
Winner: Leaanne Stone, Beacon Lighting

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year
Winner: True Value Hardware