The 5th NORA Solution Partner Awards 2023 were announced on November 29th at The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney. SKUTOPIA was awarded the Best Fulfilment Service Innovator for 2023.
The NORA Network is Australia's leading business network connecting the retail ecosystem. With over 22,000 senior level members, NORA serves as a catalyst for collaboration in this dynamic and exciting sector. NORA connects and ignites opportunities through its high impact short form engagements and activities.
Australia’s Retail Solution Partner Awards now in their fifth year, gathers the ‘solutions’ ecosystem to celebrate and recognise partnership achievements across Australian retail.
What are the NORA Awards?
Now in its fifth year, NORA Entry is open to Solution Partners servicing the Australian/NZ retail industry. The voting process is overseen by the NORA Advisory Board.
Once voting opens, NORA invites all Australian and NZ-based retailers to begin voting.
The retailer voting contributes to 50% of the weighting, another 50% is upon the advisory board’s points allocation.
A winner and 2 finalists are announced for each voting category.
The 2023 judging panel comprised of:
- Peter Knock Chair | Judging Panel
- Dan Ferguson | Chief Marketing Officer | Adore Beauty
- Leonie Faddy | Chief Marketing Officer | Go-To Skincare
- David Campbell | Commercial Sales Manager | Barbeques Galore
- Erica Berchtold | ex-CEO | The Iconic
- Lynna Barnyard | General Manager Ecommerce | Myer
- Richard Mcpartlin | CIO | Greencross
- Sam Bala | Enterprise Architect | RW Williams
SKUTOPIA's Submission for the Award
1. How does SKUTOPIA support Australia’s retail industry?
SKUTOPIA’s mission is to democratise and decarbonise logistics and we are proud to play a vital role in supporting Australia's retail industry through innovative solutions that make order fulfilment and same-day delivery efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable.
Our technology revolutionises the fulfilment process by significantly reducing the time required to pick and pack orders, and eliminating errors. In a matter of minutes, our robotic technology powered by our software can process orders with precision and speed, ensuring products get into the hands of customers faster than ever before. The speed and quality in our services are complemented by our own same-day delivery offering, which ensures swift and efficient delivery, maintaining the utmost quality and delighting end customers.
SKUTOPIA is not just a fulfilment provider; we are an end-to-end solution that aims to empower retailers to adapt and succeed in the ever changing eCommerce landscape. In today’s economic environment, profitability and free cash flow are more important than ever. At SKUTOPIA, we understand that cost-effective fulfilment services are essential for every business, regardless of their size. That's why SKUTOPIA offers competitive pricing, with fulfilment starting from just $3.95.
Our end to end, seamlessly scalable logistics offering makes it easy for retailers to outsource their logistics operation and shift their focus to growing their business while freeing up cash stranded in warehouse leases and logistics assets, valuable time and energy. With our support, retailers can focus on growth, marketing, product development and other critical areas of their business.
At SKUTOPIA, we recognise the importance of sustainability in today's retail landscape. We are committed to making a positive impact on the environment. Our fulfilment process employs cut-to-fit packaging, which reduces waste by up to 40%. This not only lowers the environmental footprint of retailers but also aligns with the growing demand from consumers for eco-friendly practices. We take great pride in our dedication to a sustainable future and we aim to deliver carbon-neutral logistics by the end of 2024 to all of our merchants.
Australia's retail industry is thriving, and SKUTOPIA is here to ensure that it continues to do so, not just by keeping up with the changes but by setting new standards in innovation and sustainability. We are building a business for the future – one that is smart, sustainable and uncomplicated. We are proud to assist retailers in transferring logistics from being a cost to a value.
2. What are SKUTOPIA's significant partnership achievements?
SKUTOPIA has dedicated itself to building partnerships that creates an ecosystem, where each partnership holistically benefits from one another. Through collaborative efforts, we have created an ecosystem that has bought together government organisations, shopping centres, courier services and more. Some of our partnerships are:
- Collaboration and partnerships with state and federal government agencies, such as Investment NSW, Aus Industry, Export Finance Australia and others to support the trade and economic growth of some of Australia’s most loved brands
- Technology partnerships with Swisslog, Autostore, Interroll, and CMC, whose cutting-edge solutions are used within our fulfilment centre
- Engagement with educational institutions such as The University of New South Wales, where we promote and develop the wider logistics industry
- Partnerships with shopping centre's such as QIC and ISPT, where we offer retailers and end consumers efficient and sustainable last mile delivery options
- SKUTOPIA works with Australia's leading courier services, including Australia Post, DHL, Couriers Please, Aramex and more
- A significant part of our network is our partnerships with over 500 eCommerce merchants
3. What sets SKUTOPIA apart as a leading solution partner for retailers?
What truly distinguishes SKUTOPIA as a fulfilment partner for retailers is our dedication to innovation, efficiency, and sustainability - all powered by our state-of-the-art robotic technology and software. We are a technology-driven enterprise and allocate the majority of our resources to the development of our technology, which aims to optimise our retailers experience when it comes to last mile delivery and fulfilment.
Our proprietary platform is built in house, giving us the flexibility to adjust as required to fit a retailer's specific requirements. This personalisation ensures that our technology supports, grows and nurtures your operations. SKUTOPIA offers a technology built on data, meaning it continuously learns and adapts to optimise performance. This technology has the capability to run 24/7, (yes that's right, our robots and machines can pick & pack orders while we sleep!). This feature gives our retailers an advantage when it comes to customer experience and expectations with delivery time frames.
Unlike other fulfilment partners, we don't offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we provide a flexible model that caters to the unique needs of retailers, whether they have 10 or 20,000 orders to process daily. With SKUTOPIA as your partner, you're setting new standards for innovation, efficiency, sustainability and customer satisfaction within the retail industry.
Acceptance Statement
This win is more than just an award; it's a testament to our commitment to pushing boundaries and driving excellence in the order fulfilment world.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who casted their vote, especially our valued merchants — this achievement would not have been possible without your support. And to our dedicated team, from the launch of our Robotic Fulfillment Centre over a year ago, to receiving this award today, this is just the beginning of our incredible journey.
We're truly humbled to be recognised by our industry peers & merchants alike as the Best Fulfilment Service Innovator in the game!
