Village Gamer

Canada Post has launched the Canada Post E-commerce Innovation Awards, a competition designed to recognize and reward successful innovation in e-commerce in Canada, and aiming to further boost the growing e-commerce sector. E-commerce retailers will compete in five categories for prize packages worth a total of $1 million.

“For more than two centuries, Canada Post has been the largest enabler of remote trade and commerce and it is vital that we lead the way for the future,” said Deepak Chopra, Canada Post President and CEO. “We hope these awards will inspire entrepreneurs to create a whole new e-economy for Canadians.”

As the country’s home delivery company, Canada Post is the market-share leader in Canada’s business-to-consumer (B2C) shipping market. An estimated $8 billion worth of physical goods is ordered online in Canada each year for residential deliveries, and that figure is forecasted to grow to more than $15 billion by 2016. Total expenditures on Canadian e-commerce business-to-consumer shipping services alone were more than $600 million in 2011.

With the help of a blue-ribbon expert panel of judges, Canada Post will select the best entrants and announce the winners on October 16 in Toronto. Prize packages include a free shipping contract with Canada Post, a direct marketing mail campaign, advertising on Canada Post properties (online and on trucks and facilities). Total prizes are estimated at $1 million.

E-commerce retailers in Canada, large and small, who ship to Canadian consumers, are eligible and must submit their entries online by end of day Monday, August 20 to one of the following awards:

• Best Multi-channel Retailer of the Year (large and small businesses):  Entrants must operate at least one bricks-and-mortar store open to the Canadian public and sell directly online.
• Best Online Retailer of the Year (large and small businesses): Entrants sell exclusively online.
• Best New E-business: Entrants must be up-and-comers who hung out their e-shingle in 2011 or the first six months of 2012.
• Outside the Box Achievement Award: Entrants must show groundbreaking efforts that succeeded.
• Consumer Champion Award: The winner will be chosen by Canadians in a month-long online voting poll.

“More and more Canadians are ordering goods online, making B2C the fastest growing sector in e-commerce or retail, but there is a lot of room for growth before Canadians close the gap between them and consumers in the U.S. or U.K.,” added Chopra. “We know that there are still challenges for e-retailing in Canada and we think Canada Post can help by recognizing and promoting successes.”