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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 has celebrated 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, 2024, and December 31, 2024, for submission to its 54th International Design Competition.
Call for Entries
Contract design firms, in-house retailer design teams, general contractors, allied trades, fixture manufacturers, and material suppliers* from around the globe are invited to submit projects covering all retail formats.
The competition celebrates 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, 2024.
* Entries submitted by architects, general contractors, allied trades, fixture manufacturers, and material suppliers require a completed consent form to be filled out by the design firm, retailer, or brand responsible for the overall design of the project. This consent form is built into the competition entry form, you will be prompted to provide an email address to send this form directly through Submittable.
Submission Requirements
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Written narrative in various lengths
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The narrative should cover the project’s scope, goals, objectives, customer journey, and branding. The text should also outline store planning, design, materials, lighting, sustainability efforts, and visual merchandising.
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750 words for judging
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250 words for the awards presentation*
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150 words for social media*
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Photos with captions
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Specialty Stores - 8 Images Maximum
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Department/Big Box/Mass Merchant Stores - 12 Images Maximum
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Video (optional but recommended)
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Floor plan
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Listing of the project's general contractor, suppliers, additional consultants and contractors, and equipment and decor vendors.
* 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
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For Members: The entry fee is $250 USD per submission.
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For Non-Members: The entry fee is $375 USD per entry.
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Outstanding Merit Award(s): The entry fee is $50 USD per entry. This is an optional add-on.
Payments are made online via the submission form.
Accepted: All major credit cards and PayPal 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 to access a code.
Winners
Finalists will be notified in the late Summer/early Fall of 2025. Winners will be honored at the International Design Awards Celebration in New York City in October, where the Store of the Year will be revealed.
Contact
For more information, contact the International Office at info@retaildesigninstitute.org
Submission Deadline
Friday, July 11, 2025, before 11:55 PM Eastern
