Celebrating the Bold Brands Driving Retail Forward

TORONTO, April 29, 2026 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) proudly announces the 64 finalists, from across 10 competitive categories, who will vie for the highly coveted 2026 Excellence in Retailing Awards (ERA). From standout in-store experiences and breakthrough marketing campaigns to smarter, more resilient operations and bold sustainability commitments, this year's finalists represent what Canadian retail looks like at its best.

Kim Furlong, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada: "To be named an ERA finalist is to stand among the most accomplished in Canadian retail. In a complex and demanding year, these organizations demonstrated the kind of leadership and forward momentum that defines excellence."

2026 Excellence in Retailing Awards finalists by company (listed alphabetically) are:

• Appliance Canada
• Bell
• Best Buy Canada
• Bikini Village
• CANNABIS XPRESS
• CIBC
• Cobs Bread
• Corbeil Appliances
• Farm Boy Company Inc.
• Hillberg & Berk
• The Home Depot Canada
• Home Hardware
• IKEA Canada
• Indigo Books & Music Inc.
• La Vie en Rose
• LCBO
• Lindt & Sprüngli (Canada)
• Loblaw Companies Limited
• Longo's
• Midland Appliance
• Nespresso Canada
• Pattison Food Group
• Pet Valu
• Restaurant Brands International
• Rogers Communications Inc.
• RONA
• RW&CO.
• Save-On-Foods
• Sephora Canada
• Silk & Snow
• Sleep Country Canada
• Sobeys Inc.
• Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC)
• SportChek
• Staples Canada
• Surmesur
• Walmart Canada
• Well.ca

This year's finalists highlight a sector responding with focus and agility. The buy-Canadian movement was a consistent thread, with retailers moving quickly to champion local producers, elevate Canadian brands, and strengthen community ties. Experiential retail continued to evolve, as brands invested in environments that go beyond the transaction to build lasting loyalty. AI made meaningful inroads on both the customer experience and operational side, while sustainability remained a clear differentiator, with finalists across multiple categories showing that environmental leadership and strong business performance go hand in hand.

The Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala will cap off the first day of RCCSTORE26, Canada's premier retail conference. Taking place June 2-3, 2026, RCCSTORE26 will feature 75+ expert speakers and draw retail leaders from across North America and beyond.

Media are invited to attend this prestigious event celebrating ERA finalists and esteemed Awards of Distinction winners, Michael Brownstein, CEO, Browns Shoes, and Jillian Harris, Co-Founder, The Jilly Box.

About the Excellence in Retailing Awards
The Excellence in Retailing Awards are Canada's most prestigious recognition program for the retail industry, presented annually by Retail Council of Canada. The ERAs celebrate innovation, leadership, and impact across every facet of retail—from customer experience to ecommerce, from people development to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit retailawards.ca.

About Retail Council of Canada

Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $101 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2025, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $532 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 65,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide. retailcouncil.org.

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada