Leading retailers were honoured at the 2016 POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising International) Marketing Retail Awards held in Sydney last week.

Rebel Sport, The Good Guys, eBay and Myer were among those celebrated on the night, which aimed to promote excellence and innovation in a rapidly changing retail environment.

POPAI general manager, Lee McClymont, says the record 157 entries reflected the diversification of retail and shopper marketing.

“The retail environment is changing at breakneck speed, with the integration of new technologies, and the industry is rising to the shopper sophistication challenge,” she says.

“The breadth and scope of the record number of entries this year demonstrate that shopper marketing is being wholeheartedly embraced by sectors well beyond traditional retail and FMCG.”

Rebel’s Accelerate concept, developed by IdeaWorks Sydney, was given the People’s Choice Award. This is a next-gen Rebel store that aims to create an immersive customer experience and evoke the feeling of being in a stadium.

Myer and eBay took home the POPAI Packing Room award for their collaboration on a virtual department store. In this world-first partnership, which was developed by Traffik, a virtual reality navigation system allowed users to sort, browse and purchase products using their eyes.

The Good Guys was also recognised with its insights manager, Daniel Gillard, named Retail Marketer of the Year for “delivering insights that led to the transformation of The Good Guys’ in store and digital content and media strategy across shopper journeys,” says POPAI.

The awards were presented in conjunction with the 2016 Marketing at Retail Expo, held at Sydney Showground. Judging panels were comprised of more than 70 industry-leading retailers, brand marketers, agencies and POP suppliers.

POPAI is a global, not-for-profit industry association operating as the focal point for marketing at retail excellence. It has 20 offices across 45 countries and more than 1,700 members worldwide.