Creative Retail Awards

The Creative Retail Awards recognise the best creative work in stores and brand spaces: store design, visual merchandising, windows and displays, shopfitting, retail technology and the hospitality and leisure spaces that sit alongside them. The awards are organised by the Shop & Display Equipment Association (SDEA), founded in 1947, and 365 Retail, the sister title of Hospitality & Leisure News, and set the benchmark for creative retail in the UK and beyond.

The 2027 awards

Entries for the 2027 awards open on 1 November 2026. Work must have been installed or completed between 1 January 2026 and 31 January 2027, and the winners will be revealed at the awards night at The Clapham Grand, London, in September 2027. The 2026 winners were announced at The Clapham Grand on 15 October 2026.

Categories

The 2027 categories will be confirmed when entries open. The 2026 awards ran across 20 categories:

• Creative Collaboration
• Creative Lighting
• Festive Display
• Graphics
• Hospitality
• In-Store VM Scheme
• Independent Store (UK only)
• Leisure, Visitor or Exhibitor Attraction
• Multi-Site Rollout
• Omni-Channel
• POP/POS
• Pop-Up or Temporary
• Retail Experience
• Retail Technology Innovation
• Shop-in-Shop or Concession
• Shopfitting
• Supermarket or Grocery
• Surfaces, Materials and Finishes
• Sustainable Display
• Window Display

Alongside them are five special awards: Store Design of the Year, Design Agency of the Year, Judges’ Choice, Trailblazer and the SDD Spotlight Award, which is decided by public vote in partnership with Shop Drop Daily.

Two categories are closest to hospitality and leisure. Hospitality covers restaurants, bars, cafés and hospitality spaces with a strong design story, and Leisure, Visitor or Exhibitor Attraction covers attractions, exhibitions and visitor experiences.

Entering

Retailers, brands, design agencies, suppliers and manufacturers can enter. Entry is free for retailers and brands, SDEA members can enter up to five entries per category free, and NAS members can enter Shopfitting free. Suppliers, agencies and non-members pay £125 + VAT per entry, or £300 + VAT for three entries.

Every entry is assessed by a panel of senior figures from retail, design, visual merchandising and the media. Shortlisted entrants are contacted after judging, and the winners are revealed live on the night. The category details and entry form are on the Creative Retail Awards website, which also lists the 2026 winners.