What does success look like in 2013? It’s a question that will increasingly be asked of retailers.

What does success look like in 2013? It’s a question that will increasingly be asked of retailers. As consumer concerns about the economy begin to subside, attention will soon turn to who is best placed to ride any wave of recovery - no matter how small.

The Oracle Retail Week Awards is not only the single biggest celebration of this great industry but a unique opportunity to reflect on just that. Sales figures and footfall tell a story, but they are far from the whole narrative. And the people, brands and companies on show at this week’s awards give an insight into the strategic advances made by retailers in the past 12 months.

The industry has made great strides forward as evidenced by the ambition and quality of the shortlists this year. And most notable is the closing gap between operational reality and consumer expectations as omnichannel best practice becomes synonymous with great retailing.

Moreover, the tale told in the past 12 months by our winners is of a sector that has seized back the strategic initiative in a time of rapid economic, social and technological change.

No one epitomises these qualities better than the winner of our Outstanding Contribution to Retail award, Sir Philip Green. Across four decades of running retail businesses, Green has ploughed his own furrow, grasping opportunity where he sees it. And a relentless pursuit of success has been driven by a legendary grasp of every facet of his retail empire.

He has also made it a priority to bring young talent into the industry. Through projects such as the Fashion Retail Academy, he continues to demonstrate his understanding that it will be a new generation of talented and enthusiastic store chiefs who will lead the industry through turbulence and seize the growth prospects ahead.

In pictures: Oracle Retail Week Awards 2013 - winners announced