Former Kingfisher group chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire won the coveted Outstanding Contribution to Retail accolade at last night’s prestigious Oracle Retail Week Awards.

Cheshire was presented with the award by Kingfisher architect Sir Geoff Mulcahy and Kim Buckland, founder of Liz Earle - and friend of Cheshire - at the glittering ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House.

The Oracle Retailer of the Year was awarded to fashion retailer Ted Baker and the Clarity Retail Leader of the Year was won by Walgreens Boots Alliance executive vice-chairman Stefano Pessina.

Other winners at the awards, which recognise the industry’s best and brightest, included Aldi, Shop Direct and Argos.

The winners

Outstanding Contribution to Retail

  • Sir Ian Cheshire

The Oracle Retailer of the Year

  • Ted Baker

The Clarity Retail Leader of the Year

  • Stefano Pessina – Executive vice-chairman and acting chief executive, Walgreens Boots Alliance

The AlixPartners Growth Retailer of the Year

  • The Hut Group

The Heidrick & Struggles International Retailer of the Year

  • Aldi

The Deloitte Employer of the Year

  • Ao.com
  • Highly Commended – Shop Direct

The Tata Consultancy Services Store Manager of the Year

  • Astone Davids – Topps Tiles, Croydon
  • Highly Commended - Tom Currie, Marks & Spencer, Nugent Park, Orpington

The Wincanton Supply Chain Initiative of the Year

  • Shop Direct – Project Delight

The ISG Store Design of the Year

  • LloydsPharmacy – Betterlife Store, Leeds
  • Highly Commended – The White Company, Norwich

The Island Pacific Speciality Retailer of the Year

  • The Entertainer

The Serco Customer Innovation of the Year

  • Argos – Digital Christmas Gift Guide

The Zensar Retail Technology Initiative of the Year

  • Shop Direct – Experimentation at Scale

The Wipro International Growth Initiative of the Year

  • Primark – New Market Expansions

The Audit Partnership Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year

  • B&Q – Greener Gardening Initiative

The HP Multichannel Retailer of the Year

  • Argos

The Michael Page Retail Own Brand Range/Product of the Year

  • Primark – P.S. Beauty

The OC&C Strategy Consultants Pure-Play Etailer of the Year

  • Shop Direct

The Trinity Mirror Solutions Marketing/Advertising Campaign of the Year

  • John Lewis – The Bear and the Hare

The Veredus Customer Service Initiative of the Year

  • Clarks – iPad Foot Gauge System