The Retail Design Institute's Annual

International Design Competition

Celebrating outstanding and innovative retail spaces

About the Competition

For more than 50 years, the Institute’s annual competition celebrates outstanding and innovative retail spaces that encourage new techniques in planning, design, graphics, lighting, and visual merchandising.

The Institute is currently welcoming projects that open between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, for submission to its 53rd International Design Competition.

Call for Entries

Design firms and in-house retail design teams from around the globe are invited to submit projects covering all retail formats. (No entries accepted from general contractors, allied trades, fixture manufacturers, material suppliers, or owners’ representatives.) The competition welcomes exceptional retail experiences ranging from full-line traditional department stores to specialty apparel stores and restaurants to kiosks and pop-up shops.

Eligible projects are those completed between January 1 and December 31, 2023.

Submission Requirements

Written narrative in various lengths
- The narrative should cover the project’s scope, goals and objectives, customer journey, and branding. The text should also outline store planning, design, materials, lighting, sustainability efforts, and visual merchandising.
- 750 words for judging
- 300 words for the awards presentation*
- 150 words for social media*
Photos with captions
- Specialty Stores - 8 Images Maximum
- Department/Big Box/Mass Merchant Stores - 12 Images Maximum
Floor plan
Listing of the project's general contractor, suppliers, additional consultants and contractors, and equipment and decor vendors.
Video (optional)

* Judges do not have access to view the "awards presentation" and "social media" narratives. These narratives are only viewable to the Institute's Administrators and will only be utilized if your project is a winner.

Entry Information

Entry Fees

For Members: the entry fee is $250 USD per submission.

For Non-Members: the entry fee is $375 USD per entry.

Please pay online using the Institute’s secure payment portal.

Accepted: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express in U.S. dollars only.

To Qualify for Membership Entry Rates

To access member rates for submissions you must log into your Member Account here.

Winners

A list of finalists will be announced in the Summer of 2024. Winners will be honored at the International Design Awards Celebration in New York City in the Fall where the Store of the Year will be revealed.

Contact

For more information, contact the International Office; at info@retaildesigninstitute.org

COMPETITION REGISTRATION