City Centre Mirror

Canada Post is holding a competition for Canadian e-commerce retailers of businesses large and small.

To promote the buying and selling of products and services online, Canada Post is awarding innovators in the Canadian market with shipping and marketing prize packages worth a total $1 million.

A blue-ribbon panel of judges together with Canada Post will evaluate entrants based on five categories related to e-commerce innovation and success. The first two include best multi-channel retailer of the year and best online retailer of the year. For the former, applicants are required to have at least one ‘bricks-and-mortar” store in addition to selling their product online. The latter is specifically directed towards entrants who only sell their product over the internet.

The best new e-business award will go to an online business that started-up in 2011 or within the first six months of 2012. A business which has successfully employed a unique twist to marketing and selling a product, can apply for the outside of the box achievement award. Finally, the consumer champion award recipient will be selected by a month-long online voting-poll. Canadian customers can be directed to a site by the retailer, where they will have the chance to vote for their favourite business.

The application deadline is end of day on Monday, Aug. 20.

The winners will be announced at a gala on Oct. 16, 2012.

According to Canada Post, about $8 billion dollars worth of goods in Canada are ordered online every year for residential deliveries. This number is expected to balloon to more than $15 billion by the year 2016.

For more information on the application process, eligibility, and prize packages visit canadapost.ca/ecommerceawards