4 September 2026
Briscoes CEO Rod Duke, James Pascoe Group founders Anne and David Norman, and the late jewellery entrepreneur Sir Michael Hill have all been recognised for their immense contributions to New Zealand retail at the 2026 Spark Retail NZ Awards.
At a glittering awards evening at Auckland’s Hilton Hotel to celebrate the very best in retail, Retail NZ had the honour of presenting three Visa Lifetime Achievement Awards.
“All the recipients of Retail NZ’s Visa Lifetime Achievement Award this year have had an enormous impact on New Zealand’s retail industry over many decades,” Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young says.
“Rod Duke gave customers more choice by pioneering the importation of merchandise in New Zealand, Anne and David Norman built a successful retail empire by investing in local people and local brands, and Sir Michael Hill led his jewellery business to becoming one of the most successful globally-scaled retailers founded in Aotearoa. These are all incredible achievements worth recognition and celebration,” Ms Young says.
Those up-and-coming in the retail sector were also recognised, with Brooke Elliott-Forster-Clampitt being crowned the NZ Post Young Retailer of the Year, and Daniel Tollenaar taking out the Kora Outstanding New Talent Award.
“Retail is often the first job for many New Zealanders, and it not only offers amazing career pathways within the sector, but it also provides key skills that are adaptable to other industries,” Ms Young says. “It is heartening to see so many Kiwis new to the sector showing such promise so early on in their careers and making a meaningful difference in their stores.”
For the first time, Retail NZ offered the Spark People’s Choice Award, which was nominated by and voted for by the public. The inaugural winner was the book retailer, Book Hero.
“Voters raved about Book Hero’s exceptional service, knowledgeable staff, and speedy delivery times when ordering online, with one customer simply describing it as ‘the best store ever’. This is clearly a business that is going above and beyond for its customers, and obviously means a lot to its community,” Ms Young says.
Book Hero also came runner up in the IconicAI Online Store of the Year Award, which was won by fellow book retailer The Nile New Zealand for delivering best-in-class digital capability, customer experience, and commercial performance.
“The Nile also won the Annexa Technology Innovation Award for the reworking and relaunch of its website, making the online book seller the only double-winner of the night,” Ms Young says, “The way The Nile connects emotionally with customers and helps them discover books has really resonated with both the judges and their customers.”
Book sellers really made their mark on the awards this year, with Unity Books also among the winners. It took home the Mastercard Most Improved Store Award for the overhaul of its online store to properly reflect the magic of its in-store shopping experience.
The KNAPP Sustainability Leadership Award was one of the most closely-fought categories, showing how seriously the retail sector takes this area.
“The judges were full of praise for the work being done by the finalists in the sustainability space, with the entries covering a wide array of initiatives making a meaningful difference. The Warehouse should be proud about coming out on top for its clothing recycling scheme The Good Drop, which offers a genuinely circular solution to the persistent lack of workable end-to-end solutions for clothing.”
The OneMusic Best New Store Design went to Rebel Sport for its new flagship Mount Wellington store, which creates an immersive experience for shoppers, while the Service IQ Customer Service Experience of the Year Award went to Container Space for taking the stress and complexity out of what could otherwise be seen as a daunting, intimidating purchase.
“The shopper experience was a recurring theme from the judges across all the awards categories, which shows how important it is to put the consumer’s wants and needs at the centre of how you build your retail offering,” Ms Young says.
“This year’s Spark Retail NZ Awards has been an amazing opportunity to look back and recognise all the achievements and successes of the sector over the past 12 months, despite the challenges being faced by the sector, and we look forward to bringing back the event in 2027.”
ENDS
To set up an interview with Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young, please contact her directly on 021 449 452
For further information or to arrange an interview with one of the winners, please contact Denise Garland on 027 263 0481
WINNERS LIST
Annexa Technology Innovation Award
This award recognises retailers’ exemplary use of technology in their business.
WINNER: The Nile New Zealand
RUNNER-UP: Mitre 10 & Team Circle
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Appetise
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Woolworths New Zealand
Mastercard Most Improved Store Award
This award recognises a physical or online store that has made a clear and positive impact on customers, the community, or the wider company.
WINNER: Unity Books
RUNNER-UP: Spark, Lynn Mall
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Homestead
OneMusic Best New Store Design Award
This award recognises innovation and creativity in store design that will contribute to long-term profitable growth for the retailer.
WINNER: Rebel Sport, Mount Wellington
RUNNER-UP: Renaissance, Christchurch
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Normanby Fine Wines & Spirits, Wellington
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Spark, St Lukes
IconicAI Online Store of the Year Award
This award recognises an e-commerce retail manager or team that has significantly and positively impacted customers, the community or the broader company.
WINNER: The Nile New Zealand
RUNNER-UP: Book Hero
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Normanby Fine Wines & Spirits
ServiceIQ Customer Service Experience of the Year Award
This award recognises an e-commerce retail manager or team that has significantly and positively impacted customers, the community or the broader company.
WINNER: Container Space
RUNNER-UP: Goody Goodness
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Paulas Home & Living
Kora Oustanding New Talent Award
This award recognises the most promising new talents in the New Zealand retail sector. Entrants must have worked in the retail sector for less than five years.
WINNER: Daniel Tollenaar, Nutrition Warehouse
RUNNER-UP: Trinity Ries, Shopology
KNAPP Sustainability Leadership Award
This award recognises retailers who are advancing their sustainability efforts through a specific green initiative from the past year.
WINNER: The Warehouse Ltd. – The Good Drop
RUNNER-UP: Foodstuffs North Island – EV Heavy Vehicles
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Woolworths New Zealand – 100% Cage-free Eggs
NZ Post Young Retailer of the Year
This award recognises outstanding young talent in the New Zealand retail sector and is open to people aged 25 and under.
WINNER: Brooke Elliott-Forster-Clampitt, Normanby Fine Wines & Spirits
RUNNER-UP: Esther Cai, JoyLato
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Mya Chaitika, Spark
Spark People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award is nominated by and voted for entirely by the public.
WINNER: Book Hero
RUNNER-UP: Wally
Visa Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is the most prestigious accolade and recognises someone whose career has profoundly shaped and advanced the retail sector.
WINNERS: Rod Duke, Briscoe Group Managing Director; Anne & David Norman, James Pascoe Group founders; Sir Michael Hill, founder Michael Hill Jewellers
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