Drawn from more than 500 entries, the shortlist spans twenty categories and five continents, taking in flagship stores, festive windows, pop-ups, hospitality, supermarkets and in-store VM. It is, by some distance, the most international list the Awards have produced.

A global field

The shortlisted work reaches from Tokyo to New York and Riyadh to Sydney. Among the projects competing this year are Coach’s Winter Forest at the Lotte East Busan Outlet in South Korea and its Tabby Shop pop-up in Sydney; the Armani x Kith pop-up at Topping Rose House in New York; Bulgari’s Diva’s Dream pop-up in Riyadh; RH Paris on the Champs-Élysées; and Twelve at House of Shinsegae Cheongdam in Seoul.

Closer to home, the shortlist reflects a strong year for British retail. Fortnum & Mason appears for its Enchanted Christmas display, alongside window schemes A Perfect Spring Day and Fresh Tea Infusion. Harrods is recognised twice, for the fifth-floor Shoe Heaven scheme with Christian Louboutin and for Brunello Cucinelli’s Christmas takeover. Selfridges is shortlisted for its Beauty Hall and its Disney Christmas Windows, while IKEA’s Oxford Street store makes the list for an LED window façade and immersive live studio.

Breadth as well as reach

If the geography is wide, the range of work is wider still. The Design Museum’s Wes Anderson exhibition sits alongside Pets at Home’s Vets for Pets rollout. B&Q’s Wandsworth mural with artist Dominika Karc competes in Creative Collaboration against BOSS x Beckham and New Era’s MLB Subway Series. Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden, Whole Foods Market on the King’s Road, Waitrose Newbury, Dr. Martens’ Soho Beacon Store, Porsche Now Liverpool and Neal’s Yard’s Covent Garden flagship all feature.

Sustainability runs strongly through this year’s entries, with Fortnum & Mason’s Resourceful Nature, Sainsbury’s Ecoform, Diesel’s Denim Salling and Illium store, and Woolworths South Africa’s sustainable Christmas tree all shortlisted.

A new home

The 2026 ceremony moves to The Clapham Grand, a beautiful Victorian theatre in south London and one of the capital’s most characterful venues. All of the industry’s most influential figures are expected on the night, when the full results will be revealed live.

Antony Behiels, SDEA Director and co-organiser of the Awards states:

“The shortlist speaks for itself. What strikes me most is how much of this work would have been unimaginable five years ago, and how much of it comes from outside the UK. Physical retail is in a far better creative state than the headlines suggest, and this Guide is the proof. As for The Clapham Grand, it’s a wonderful venue, and exactly the sort of place a night like this deserves.”

Judged in one room, in one day

Every entry was assessed by an independent panel drawn from across the retail industry. Judges first worked through the entries individually to narrow each category, then met in person for a full day to settle the final results category by category.

It is a deliberately unhurried process, and it is the reason a place on this shortlist carries weight.

Shop Drop Daily Spotlight Award: public vote now open

Running alongside the main programme, the Shop Drop Daily Spotlight Award is decided entirely by public vote. Voting is open now and closes on Friday 4th September, with the winner announced live at the ceremony. It is the one award of the night placed wholly in the hands of the industry and the public rather than the judging panel.

 The Creative Retail Awards 2026 Shortlist Guide and tickets for the evening are available now at www.creativeretailawards.com. The ceremony takes place on Thursday 15th October at The Clapham Grand, London.

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The Creative Retail Awards have opened the public vote for the 2026 Shop Drop Spotlight Award, putting 10 of the UK’s most talked-about retail projects head to head. Voting is open now and closes on Friday 4th September.

Run in partnership with Shop Drop Daily, the Shop Drop Spotlight Award celebrates the projects that captured the imagination of the Shop Drop Daily community and generated the strongest levels of engagement, interest and conversation across its platforms over the past 12 months.

While the wider Creative Retail Awards are assessed by an independent panel of experienced industry judges, the Shop Drop Spotlight Award is decided entirely by the public, the very people for whom these retail environments and experiences were created.

The 10 projects in contention for the 2026 Shop Drop Spotlight Award are:

• adidas Hybrid Hotel, Caxton Works, London
• Dr. Martens The Art of Comfort Experience, The Outernet, London
• HOKA Run Stop Corner Shop, 123 Bethnal Green Road, London
•  LANEIGE & Space NK Pop-Up Activation, Covent Garden Piazza, London
• LOEWE Perfumes The Crafted Garden Pop-Up, The Selfridges Corner Shop, London
• L’Oréal Paris IWD Café & Cinema Pop-Up Space, London
• Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild Eau So Intense Pop-Up, Covent Garden, London
• Nike Women Store Opening, King’s Road, London
• Prada and Miu Miu Window and In-Store Takeover, Liberty London
• The Blank Street Post Room Pop-Up, Greek Street, London

Together the ten show how far physical retail has travelled, from immersive pop-ups and experiential activations to new store concepts, cultural collaborations and brand experiences built to be shared. Each one offers a distinctive answer to the same question: what can a modern retail experience achieve?

Antony Behiels, Co-Organiser of the Creative Retail Awards and Director of the Shop & Display Equipment Association, said: “Every year the Creative Retail Awards celebrate the very best in retail creativity, and the judging behind them is rigorous and completely independent. The Shop Drop Spotlight Award works differently. These ten projects have already earned the attention of the Shop Drop Daily community, and now the public decide which of them takes the title.

Each one shows the creativity, innovation and ambition shaping retail right now, and we look forward to revealing the public’s choice in London on 15 October.”

Tim Nash, founder of Shop Drop Daily, said: “Every day, Shop Drop Daily shines a light on the world’s best retail experiences, but it’s equally important that we celebrate the incredible creativity happening here in the UK. The Shop Drop Spotlight Award recognises the ten projects that generated the biggest response from our community over the past year. It’s a celebration of the brands, retailers, agencies and creative teams pushing our industry forward, and the fact that the winner is chosen entirely by public vote makes it all the more meaningful.”

The winning project will be revealed live at the Creative Retail Awards ceremony on Thursday 15th October, which moves this year to an exciting new London venue, alongside the full results from across the Awards’ programme of more than 20 categories.

The public can explore all ten projects and cast their vote on the dedicated Shop Drop Spotlight Award page at the Creative Retail Awards website. Voting closes on Friday 4th September.

Vote here: www.creativeretailawards.com/public-vote

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With a firmly held commitment to “proudly serve the best of Scotland”, Bonnie & Wild has, since its inception, championed Scottish produce and producers, and is renowned for its exemplary service, welcoming venue, and diverse range of independent kitchens and chefs using the finest Scottish ingredients. Its bar and gantry are exclusively Scottish, as is its Rarity bottle shop, which specialises in Scottish craft spirits. All of the 14 kitchens and speciality retailers within the Edinburgh marketplace are operated by owner-led small Scottish businesses, providing more than 100 jobs across the full unit.

The B Corp marque is awarded by B Lab, an independent non-profit organisation, to businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. To achieve certification, businesses must score 80 or above in the rigorous B Impact Assessment, which evaluates performance across five areas: workers, community, environment, customers and governance. Bonnie & Wild scored 89.9. The average score, according to B Lab, is 50.9.

Ryan Barrie, Managing Director of Bonnie & Wild said: “This is significant milestone for Bonnie & Wild, and I’m enormously proud of our entire team for their efforts in making Bonnie & Wild the first food hall in the world to become a certified B Corp.

This latest accolade is a glowing reflection of the supportive community we’ve established, including our staff, concessions, suppliers and customers, who have all supported Bonnie & Wild to become one of Scotland’s most visited food and drink destinations.

Importantly, B Corp certification means our guests, whether loyal fans or first-time visitors, can be assured that the money they spend within Bonnie & Wild is with a purpose-led business committed to championing Scottish entrepreneurs and start-ups, supporting our teams and the local community, and working to safeguard the wider environment.”

Bonnie & Wild’s B Corp certification was undertaken as part of the Edinburgh B Corp 500 – an initiative led by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Everyone’s Edinburgh to support 500 businesses in the capital achieve B Corp certification by 2030. With more than 1,900 B Corps in the UK and 8,500 worldwide, Edinburgh is fast establishing itself as one of the world’s leading cities for ethical, purpose-driven business.

Mayan Grace, Director of Projects at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Edinburgh Chamber are delighted to congratulate Bonnie & Wild on achieving B Corp accreditation. Their dedication throughout our B Corp 500 cohort has been impressive. This milestone reflects their commitment to purpose‑driven, responsible business”

Bonnie & Wild’s B Corp certification adds to a series of plaudits that include a Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Award, VisitScotland Taste Our Best quality assurance award, and its listing as one of the UK’s best food halls by both The Times and National Geographic.

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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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