Founded by a team of flooring experts in 2015, Tapi now has over 1500 employees across their 220 nationwide stores, 230 mobile showrooms, two central offices, warehouses, and call centre. In the anonymous survey, Tapi employees achieved an excellent average happiness score of 87 percent when rating work wellbeing factors such as job satisfaction, information sharing and management confidence.

In the past 11 years, Tapi has grown significantly but has kept their people at the heart of everything they do. Training and development are central to the Tapi culture. Employees receive structured training programmes at the Tapi Academy to build skills, product knowledge, and confidence, which enables them to provide the expert, friendly service loved by their customers, reflected by Tapi’s excellent 90 percent 5-star rating on Trustpilot.

Tapi is spearheaded by approachable leaders who support, value and empower every member of the team, where everyone genuinely feels part of something bigger. Recognising success, hard work and long-term loyalty helps to create a strong Tapi family spirit that connects all parts of the business – and this is what makes the Tapi experience feel different to other retailers.

Championing employees continues beyond the 9 to 5 at Tapi, with extra benefits for life’s big moments, including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, support for IVF, and other important personal events. A healthy work life balance is imperative for mental wellbeing, which is why Tapi gives colleagues a week off at Christmas during peak retail season to spend with family and friends, plus a day off for their birthday.

Tapi CEO Jeevan Karir said: “This award genuinely means a huge amount to us because it comes directly from our colleagues and their experience of working at Tapi every day. From the very beginning, we’ve always wanted Tapi to feel different. Not just for customers, but for the people building the business too. As we’ve grown rapidly over the years, we’ve also worked incredibly hard to hold onto the culture, energy and sense of togetherness that made Tapi special in the first place. Retail is demanding and fast paced, so to be recognised in this way, particularly as the Retail Industry WINNER within the big organisation category, is something we’re all incredibly proud of.

Ultimately though, this recognition belongs to our people. Their passion and commitment are what customers experience every single day and what continues to drive the business forward.”

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OurCoop has been recognised for its ground-breaking work to promote social mobility, which it delivers through a number of initiatives and partnerships.

In 2017 the Society was a founding partner of Bright Future Co-op, which supports survivors of modern slavery into employment through a network of 35 partner organisations. Since launching, 107 survivors have been supported, with 72 now in permanent roles.

Inspired by this impact the Society then created Fairer Futures, which launched at its Walsall food store in 2023 in partnership with social enterprise Miss Macaroon. The initiative aims to create meaningful employment opportunities for young people aged 19–29 facing significant barriers such as disability and social anxiety – helping to break cycles of generational unemployment and deprivation. The 12-week programme offers tailored mentoring, counselling, work experience, leadership skills, access to further education and six months of follow-up support. Of 60 participants, 39 are now in sustained employment.

In 2024 the Society also launched Fairer Access to Work in Oxfordshire in partnership with Aspire, offering work experience and mentoring for adults who have experienced homelessness or displacement.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise – previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise—were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s commitment to continuing the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating exceptional UK businesses. Only 185 businesses across the UK have received the recognition.

Debbie Robinson, Chief Executive of OurCoop, said: “Receiving the Kings Award for our work to promote opportunity is an incredible honour. These initiatives are rooted in our values as a cooperative and demonstrate our commitment to supporting our communities and creating a more sustainable future for all.

“A huge number of our colleagues, partners and members have been involved in shaping and delivering these initiatives and this award is a testament the incredible impact they continue to have. I want to thank every single person who has a played a part in this and know that, together, we will be inspired by this recognition to go even further in the future.”

Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Enterprise remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades. Successful organisations may use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years, signalling excellence to customers, partners, and global markets. The Society will be formally presented with the Award by the Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire and will also be invited to attend a formal reception for all winners at St James Palace in the coming weeks.

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Returning after a five year hiatus, the awards – presented by BBC Radio Leicester’s Ady Dayman – honour 140 stores, kiosks, leisure venues and restaurants at the centre, in addition to individuals that make up the team, both at Highcross and its retailers.

This year’s awards, hosted at Showcase Cinema and welcoming over 150 guests, were evaluated across 15 different categories, including Best Health and Beauty Retailer, Best Café/Takeaway and Best on the Mall Retailer.

Among the most prestigious awards of the night, were ‘Retailer of the Year’, which went to Hotel Chocolat, for its team’s personable and knowledgeable customer service as well as its experience-led space.

Representing the independent, local brands, Spirit Crystals was crowned ‘Newcomer of the Year’, thanks to its unique environment and product selection where, inside its ‘magical cave’, shoppers can buy healing crystals, smash geodes and make potions.

Opened in April by former DMU student-turned-entrepreneur, Jelle Hoefnagel, the space features an immersive, cavern-inspired store that transports shoppers from the mall into a tranquil, naturalistic retreat. Since its opening, the shop has proven to be an early fan-favourite, with regular queues out the doors.

East Midlands-born, Tamatanga, scooped Highcross’ top dining spot, as ‘Best Restaurant of the Year’; loved for its Indian-style cuisine and cocktails. Despite opening in the centre almost seven years ago, the restaurant remains one of its most popular destinations.

Other notable mentions include:

• MenKind, receiving the ‘Best Toys, Gifts and Cards Retailer’ award
• ‘Best on Mall Retailer’ went to kiosk, Mobilise, for its good quality repairs service
• ‘Best Tech Retailer’ was presented to Apple—the only one of its kind in the East Midlands
• Preparing to celebrate its first anniversary at Highcross, beauty giant, Space NK, took home ‘Best Health and Beauty Retailer’
• John Lewis & Partners took home ‘Best Large Store’
• Goldsmiths received the ‘Best Jewellery Retailer’ award
• Next won for its commitment to community as a result of its support to local charity, LOROS
• Greggs secured the ‘Best Café/Takeaway’ category, thanks to its value for money, customer service and famous pastries
• ‘Best Footwear Retailer’ went to JD Sports
• ‘Best Fashion Retailer’ went to Luke1977, on the lower mall, for its memorable staff and impressive online presence.

As well as honouring food and retail offering, the awards also shone a light on the centre’s standout individuals, including Highcross’ Technical Services Coordinator, Mark Tunaley, who took home the ‘Employee of the Year’ award, while the ‘Store Manager of the Year’ award went to Natalie Harty from Urban Outfitters.

Commenting on the return of the awards night, which included an exclusive performance by local soul jazz band, Cashmere FM, Centre Director at Highcross, Michelle Menezes, said:

“I joined Highcross in January 2025 with a clear ambition: to drive positive change and meaningful impact—for our visitors, occupiers, our own team and for the wider city that we’re proud to live and work in.

Having started my own career in retail, I understand first-hand the dedication, resilience and passion that retail demands. That’s why it fills me with such pride to celebrate the talent, hard work and commitment of everyone who calls Highcross ‘home’ at this year’s Retailer Awards. Thanks again to everyone involved for bringing to life such a fantastic evening.”

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Vamoosh is one of only 185 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026. Announced today (Wednesday 6th May), the Award acknowledges the company’s outstanding achievement in International Trade, following a period of exceptional global expansion and export growth. This most recent award follows Vamoosh receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2022.

Employing a growing team, Vamoosh was founded in 2016 and has become a globally recognised innovation business redefining performance within laundry and household cleaning. Developed by Cares Laboratory and inspired by a real household problem, removing stubborn pet hair from fabrics, the brand launched its breakthrough Pet Hair Dissolver in 2017, creating an entirely new sub-category within laundry. The Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver is the world’s first and only product of its kind, patent-protected in over 30 countries, with the brand creating a new market segment internationally which has enabled them to create new global categories.

Since then, Vamoosh has expanded into a multi-product range including washing machine cleaners, fabric care solutions, and problem-solving household innovations, all underpinned by its science-led technology. The brand is now stocked in over 5,000 UK retail outlets across grocery, pet, DIY and value channels, and has sold millions of units, building strong consumer loyalty and retailer demand.

International growth has been a key driver of success, across the past 18 months export partners have grown 100 percent from 4 to 12 globally. Exports began in 2018 and have since increased by 440 percent over three years, with products now sold in more than 30 countries including Australia, Germany, South Africa, the Nordics and most recently the USA. Transformational wins for the brand include major retailers including Target (USA), Aldi (Australia), EDEKA (Germany), and DM (across Europe), with many exciting new opportunities in the pipeline.

At the core of the Vamoosh business is partnerships, which underpin everything the work they do.  Vamoosh select distributors who bring deep local expertise, retail relationships, and logistical capabilities. The brand invested in making themselves “global-ready”, which included redesigning packaging with simplified text and infographics, producing multilingual marketing assets, and creating subtitled video campaigns, ensuring their products are instantly recognisable, understandable and compliant across diverse markets.

These exports come from the brand headquarters Barnsley, South Yorkshire, giving Vamoosh complete oversight of quality, stock, warehousing, and logistics. All manufacturing is carried out under their proprietary specifications, with all third-party suppliers rigorously vetted, ensuring products meet our high standards across every market.

In the past 12 months alone, export growth reached 103 percent year-on-year, supported by an expanded distributor network and a landmark retail listing with Target in the United States, launching initially in 600 stores nationwide, positioning North America to become the company’s largest export market within three years.

“We’re absolutely delighted to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade. To see the growth of Vamoosh recognised in such a prestigious way is an honour for the whole team.  Over the last few years, we’ve worked incredibly hard to grow the brand internationally, bringing our patented innovations to households around the world, so it’s so it’s fantastic to see those ecorts recognised with the UK’s highest business award. This achievement is a real reflection of the passion, dedication and innovation across the entire Vamoosh team, and we’re excited for what the future holds.” – Tom Abbey, founder.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s commitment to continuing the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating exceptional UK businesses.

Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Enterprise remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades, with thousands of companies applying for the awards yet only 20 percent of applications successful. Winning organisations may use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years, signalling excellence to customers, partners, and global markets.

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The award recognises the company’s outstanding and whole-business commitment to sustainable development: a principle that has guided every product, ingredient, supplier and operational decision since founder Emma Heathcote-James began hand-crafting soaps in her Cotswold cottage in 2008.

Emma’s founding ambition was simple but radical. It was to make pure, natural soap, free from synthetic ingredients, hidden chemicals and plastic excess, genuinely accessible to everyday consumers, at everyday prices. At a time when organic and natural soap simply wasn’t available on supermarket shelves, Little Soap Company became the first organic soap to reach mainstream UK retail, setting a new category standard that the industry has been scrambling to follow ever since.

Today, the company’s ranges, Organics, Naturals, Eco Warrior and Little Beast, are stocked by Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots and all the online giants. Little Soap Company is now a multi-million-pound UK business, selling one bar every 30 seconds, demonstrating that sustainability can drive commercial growth.

Unlike many businesses for which sustainability has become a recent strategic pivot, Little Soap Company was built around it. The company has been B Corp certified since 2020, one of only three UK soap manufacturers to hold the certification, and was recertified in 2023 with an improved score of 90.7. It has been declared carbon negative by Carbon Neutral Britain for three consecutive years (2022, 2023 and 2024), offsetting more than double its entire Scope 1–3 emissions.

Every product the company manufactures is plant-based, vegan certified, cruelty-free and made in Britain. Packaging across the range is 100 percent recycled and recyclable, using FSC-certified cardboard and 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic where bottles are used. Fragrance comes exclusively from pure essential oils, with no synthetic additives.

Little Soap Company is not just selling soap, they are removing plastic from our bathrooms. The company’s Eco Warrior range alone has avoided over 22.5 million plastic bottles to date from the supply chain, and saved more than 20 million litres of water in consumer use. Each soap bar lasts up to six times longer than a liquid equivalent and can replace four to five plastic bottles.

The company’s liquid soap ranges, which represent just 3% of its product portfolio, are made exclusively with Prevented Ocean Plastic certified bottles and are positioned as a transition product to gradually encourage consumers to switch to bars. A 2030 Zero-Plastic plan is in place to eliminate plastic from the supply chain entirely.

What sets Little Soap Company apart is not just what it makes, but how it operates. Its supply chain is UK-based and audited annually against strict ESG standards. Suppliers must hold BRC, RSPO and SEDEX certifications as a minimum, and be aligned to the Living Wage. The company has ended relationships with suppliers who failed to meet its ethical standards, and has declined significant commercial opportunities – including requests from major retailers to launch refill pouches – where these would increase, rather than reduce, consumer waste. This reinforces its position against greenwashing and short-term sustainability claims.

It has commissioned independent consumer research confirming that 82% of its customers have reduced their bathroom plastic use since switching to Little Soap Company products, 63% have switched from liquid soap to bars, and 65 percent say the brand has influenced more sustainable purchasing decisions across other product categories too. At Little Soap Company, they believe the most sustainable products aren’t defined by packaging and ingredients alone, but by their ability to change behaviour.

Emma Heathcote-James, founder and CEO of Little Soap Company, says: “As a British business supporting UK manufacturing, jobs and communities, receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise is a real honour, especially following our Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2022. We are incredibly proud of our team; their dedication and passion have taken my idea from a kitchen table start-up to a nationally recognised brand leading the way in sustainable soap, proving that sustainability doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality and can be accessible for every budget. Sustainability isn’t just about the products, but the team too. It’s embedded in how we work, how we hire, and how we make decisions every day. This award shows that a small UK business can drive large-scale environmental change through everyday products.

Our mission doesn’t stop here. This award strengthens our commitment to educating consumers and driving positive change across the whole industry.”

This King’s Award for Sustainable Development follows the company’s 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation, which recognised the launch and impact of the Eco Warrior range specifically. This year’s award is a recognition of the entire business including its culture, its governance, its supply chain, its people and its commercial model.

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The Awards bring together some of the UK’s most influential creatives, retailers and suppliers in celebration of their considerable achievements for projects installed in the dedicated time frame. They recognise and reward the full VM retail sphere – from the smallest independent to the largest multiple – while acknowledging the suppliers involved. The winners of each prestigious Award are selected by an independent panel of industry experts, including our Editor Abbie Clark.

Andrew Colclough, Director of the Retail VM & Display Awards, said: “The retail visual merchandising and display world is truly alive and kicking. The exceptional talent in this field is reflected by the total dedication and hard work undertaken by everyone in retail, which these Awards show beyond doubt.”

For a full list of winners and finalists, visit: www.vmanddisplayawards.com.

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EuroShop, held in Düsseldorf, is widely regarded as the world’s leading retail trade fair. This year’s edition brought together more than 1,800 exhibitors from over 60 countries and attracted upwards of 80,000 trade visitors from more than 140 nations — underlining the international context in which the award was presented.

Judges confirmed that stands were evaluated on their effectiveness within their allocated footprint rather than comparative size and budget, contributing to what was described as a closely contested decision across a strong international field.

The One Off’s stand was located within the Designers Village, a curated hub designed to foster dialogue among retail design professionals. Rather than a conventional portfolio display, the consultancy built their stand around the format of a record shop — presenting more than 20 years of projects as vinyl record sleeves arranged as a structured ‘back catalogue’. The repetition of the sleeve format created visual rhythm and order, while materials and lighting were handled with restraint, keeping the space uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Visitors could select a sleeve and place it on one of several mounted record players, triggering a video presentation on the chosen project. The approach combined nostalgia with interactive technology, drawing on the tactile and social experience of browsing a physical music store. For many visitors, the format evoked a sense of familiarity that moved the stand beyond a conventional showcase — reinforcing themes of curated discovery, cultural connection and the enduring value of human interaction in physical retail environments.

“There were many highly innovative and visually impressive stands across the halls this year, and the judging process was not easy,” said Antony Behiels, Co-Organiser of the Creative Retail Awards. “What set The One Off apart was the clarity of the idea and the discipline of its execution. The concept delivered strong visual impact within its footprint, communicated the brand immediately and created genuine interaction with visitors. It met all of the criteria in a balanced and thoughtful way.”

James Hanson, Managing Director at The One Off added: “Winning Best Stand Design at EuroShop is a proper credit to our whole team. We set out to build a stand that expressed how we see the future of physical retail: less transactional, more emotional, and rooted in connection and community. The record store gave us a familiar cultural anchor, and our interiors, graphics, digital, and motion disciplines combined to turn that idea into a fully immersive experience. It was genuinely brilliant to see how well it was received by the retailers and brands we met, and this award is a wonderful endorsement that we’re very proud of.”

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EuroShop, held every three years, is one of the retail industry’s largest international trade events. Creative Retail Connections gave attendees a chance to step away from the exhibition floor for informal conversation and networking. Guests spanned a broad cross-section of the industry, reflecting the awards programme’s reach across the retail design community.

The atmosphere was relaxed and social. Guests were able to pull their own pints, and conversation ranged widely — from changing market conditions and design direction to innovation and new opportunities — without the structure of formal presentations.

Discussion also turned to the Creative Retail Awards, now open for entries across more than 20 categories. Plans are in place to announce further developments and new initiatives for 2026, underlining the programme’s continued growth and international ambition.

‘We always see EuroShop as an important moment to catch up with the community, talk through what’s next and hear first-hand about ideas for Creative Retail Awards entries,” said Antony Behiels, Co-Organiser of the Creative Retail Awards and Director of the Shop & Display Equipment Association. “The conversations tonight have been wide-ranging — from technical store solutions to experience-led design — and all with a spirit of enjoyment and good humour.”

By reaching capacity, the event demonstrated the value the industry places on relationship-building at major trade events. Progress in retail is often driven by conversation: the exchange of ideas, shared challenges and new introductions that lead to future collaboration.

The next Creative Retail Connections event takes place on 14th April, following the first day of the VM & Display Show at the Business Design Centre in London. Pre-registration via www.creativeretailawards.com, is essential as the event is expected to reach full capacity once again.

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NOMO’s 2026 Easter lineup impressed judges with its standout innovation, flavour and gifting options, all free from dairy, gluten, egg or nuts.

This year’s award wins span both brand-new launches and returning favourites, including recognition for the new Salted Popcorn Egg, and Honeycomb Bunny, alongside continued recognition for bestselling favourites such as the Cookie Dough Bunny.

NOMO has expanded choice for free-from shoppers, with four new product launches alongside fan favourites, The award recognition highlights NOMO’s ability to deliver innovative ideas at scale across a range of formats.

These latest wins build on NOMO’s continued success at the Free From Food Awards and Free From Christmas Awards.

Tara Stevens, Senior Brand Manager at NOMO, said: “Launching our biggest Easter range yet was a huge moment for us, so to see it recognised at this year’s Free From Easter Awards is incredibly rewarding. We’ve worked hard to push flavour and innovation even further this year with the launch of Crispy Toffee and turning our much-loved Popcorn bar into an Easter egg format. Easter is such a key time for chocolate, and we’re proud to be leading the way with a range that delivers real choice and excitement for free-from consumers.”

Easter 2026 Award Wins

Family-Friendly Easter Eggs

• Ultimate Egg, Bunny & Mini Bars – GOLD
• Salted Popcorn Egg & Bar – GOLD
• Creamy Choc Egg & Mini Bars – GOLD
• Cookie Dough Egg & Bunny – GOLD

Kids Easter Eggs

• Monsters Creamy Choc Egg with Crispy Pieces & Lolly – GOLD

Confectionery & Gifting

• Honeycomb Bunny – GOLD
• Cookie Dough Bunny – GOLD
• Crispy Toffee Bunny – SILVER

Kids’ Confectionery & Gifting

• Easter Hunt Pack – GOLD
• Mini Caramel Bunnies – GOLD
• Mini Vanilla Bunnies – SILVER

NOMO’s award-winning Easter range is available from Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op, Aldi and NOMO online store.

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For the first time, customers are being invited to nominate an Iceland or The Food Warehouse team member from their local store who has made a positive impact on their shopping experience. Nominations will be open from today (16th February) to 8th March, giving shoppers the chance to recognise colleagues who consistently go above and beyond for customers and their communities.

The Customers’ Choice Award, sponsored by Agristo frozen potato product supplier, marks a significant step in how Iceland celebrates its 26,000 strong workforce, placing direct customer feedback at the centre of colleague recognition. The initiative reflects Iceland’s long-standing focus on customer service and its people-first culture, which has seen the retailer recognised as the only UK supermarket to feature in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in both 2024 and 2025.

The award reflects Iceland’s customer-first philosophy and will be promoted across Iceland and The Food Warehouse’s portfolio of nearly 1,000 stores through in-store communications and customer-facing materials, encouraging shoppers nationwide to take part.

One overall winner of the Customer Choice Award will be crowned at Iceland’s Doing it Right Awards later this year – the company’s annual event celebrating colleagues from all across the business who really live the company’s values every day.

Lord Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods said: “Doing the right thing means listening to our customers and recognising the people who make their shopping experience better every day. The Customers’ Choice Awards gives our customers a real voice in celebrating our colleagues, and that matters – because what our customers think genuinely shapes how we run Iceland.”

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