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Amidst probably the most significant upheaval in modern retail since e-commerce became a thing, the industry has faced incredible transformation during the past year. To celebrate the stories of retailers’ incredible resilience and innovation during the last 12 months, Klarna and Fast Company present the inaugural 2022 Smoooth Move Awards. We’re recognizing brands across 8 awards categories, from small businesses to brands giving back to humanity, innovative product design, and more. Our winners inspired us this year, and we know they will do the same for you.
Smoooth Move
Awards
1-10-22 | KLARNA
best in store
Outstanding Omni
Lululemon
techspert
Gucci
Designing Innovation
Alohas
small star
Omsom
eco innovator
Cloud Paper
The athletic apparel company continues to enhance both its in-store and digital platforms to offer a comprehensive fitness and health and wellness experience for its customers. Lululemon boasts online video shopping capabilities, new daily live and on-demand workout classes (including boxing, barre, cardio, and yoga by lululemon MIRROR), and a burgeoning ambassador program both globally and in store. Its retail stores also offer an enhanced customer experience through services such as curbside pickup, virtual waitlists, and appointment shopping.
Finalists: Yeti, Warby Parker, Bass Pro Shops
With investors including Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Cuban, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition, Cloud Paper is making significant strides towards ending deforestation, having saved or offset 1,000,000 pounds of carbon, more than 1,000 trees, and one ton of plastic through their tree-free paper products and carbon offsetting program. While the company is best-known for its toilet paper made of 100% bamboo, it also launched bamboo paper towels in March of 2021.
Finalists: OluKai, H&M, Patagonia
Alohas has found the secret formula to launching trendy and sustainably made products and, in the process, redefining how consumers shop for fashion. Its innovative on-demand manufacturing system combats the challenge of overproduction in the retail industry. The company also leverages offsets and localized production to reduce its overall carbon footprint. In 2021, Alohas successfully scaled its unique process, adding new product lines including swimwear, eco-friendly shoes, and a vegan label.
Finalists: Smeg, Forust, Nike
Founded by sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham, the successful meal-starter brand continues to disrupt
the direct-to-consumer food industry thanks to new collaborations launched in 2021 with Instant Pot and
best-selling cookbook author Pepper Teigen. While the company is still only in the seed stage, Omsom has
shown that the only thing hotter than their spices is
the brand’s success.
Finalists: Goodwell, Sunday II Sunday, Jones Road Beauty
In an industry tied to tradition, Gucci is breaking barriers by staying ahead of the latest digital trends. In 2021, the brand jumped into the metaverse with the launch of a Gucci collection for Roblox, enabling players to shop virtually from its limited-edition capsule. It also spearheaded creative partnerships using AR, such as the launch of AR tennis shoes as NFTs in collaboration with fashion platform Wanna and a virtual garden created to promote its Bloom Profumo di Fiori fragrance in partnership with Snapchat.
Finalists: Verizon, Home Depot, Phillips
Radical Reinvention
Crocs
powering Good
Airbnb
Last year was a record breaker for the travel and tourism heavyweight, which reached 1 billion guests booked through its platform in September. Airbnb continues to find ways to support its users and the world at large. In June, it unveiled the Airbnb Community Fund, which will distribute $100 million to organizations supporting local communities over the next 10 years. Its 2021 grant recipients included more than 150 organizations from more than 40 countries, focusing on COVID-19 relief, economic empowerment, and education. Also, through its nonprofit arm airbnb.org, the brand successfully achieved its goal to provide temporary housing to more than 100,000 people in need worldwide and participated in efforts to resettle thousands of Afghan evacuees brought to U.S. military bases, providing temporary housing for approximately 10,000 refugees.
Finalists: Bombas, Harry’s, Dave’s Killer Bread
A brand with an initial meteoric rise that then faced some perception challenges, Crocs has evolved to become one of the hottest trendsetters in streetwear, utilizing channels like TikTok in smart and authentic ways. In 2021, Crocs launched successful collaborations with celebrities and brands such as Justin Bieber,
Diplo, Drew House, Balenciaga, and Kurt Geiger,
which reintroduced the brand to shoppers and
provided an aura of cool appealing to picky Gen Z
and Millennial shoppers.
Finalists: Gap, The North Face, Gucci
Despite the shift towards online shopping, the beloved recreational retailer is proving successful physical retail is about more than just about shopping—it’s about community. REI Co-op continues to expand; new concept stores opened in Maine and Massachusetts in 2021. Their secret sauce: emphasizing the latest in outdoor trends, while providing customers with opportunities to engage with products—and each other—through membership programming, in-person classes, and excursions. In 2021, the retailer also bolstered its products both in-store and online through expanded partnerships with popular brands including Athleta and West Elm.
Finalists: Restoration Hardware, Kith, Hermès
Meet the Judges
Meet the all-star panel of judges who came together to determine the 2022 award recipients.
JOANNA COLES
VICTOR LUIS
Sebastian Siemiatkowski
Ben Baer
OBE, Creative Media and Technology Entrepreneur
Chairman and CEO of Modes Moose (formerly at Tapestry)
CEO and Co-founder
of Klarna
Executive Editor of
FastCo Works
The beloved recreational retailer has become even more popular than ever amid the pandemic as more customers explored the great outdoors. REI Co-op stores showcase the latest outdoor trends providing customers the opportunity to find the right product and recommendation for almost any outdoor activity. The retailer also continues to expand partnerships with well-known, popular brands like Athleta and West Elm and locations with new concept stores opening in Maine and Massachusetts in 2021.
Finalists: Restoration Hardware, Kith, Hermes
The athletic apparel company enhanced both its in-store and digital platforms to offer a comprehensive fitness and health/wellness experience for its customers. 2021 brought the addition of online video shopping capabilities plus new daily live and on-demand workout classes including boxing, barre, cardio, yoga by lululemon MIRROR Ambassadors. And its retail stores boosted connections to customers through services like curbside pickup, virtual waitlists, and appointment shopping, which became “guest favorites” during the pandemic.
Finalists: Yeti, Warby Parker, Bass Pro
With investors including Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Cuban, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition, Cloud Paper is making significant strides towards ending deforestation, having saved or offset 1,000,000 pounds of carbon, 1,000+ trees, and 1 ton of plastic through their tree-free paper products and carbon offsetting program. While they are best-known for their toilet paper made of 100% bamboo, the company launched bamboo paper towels in March this year.
Finalists: OluKai, H&M, Patagonia
In an industry tied to tradition, luxury brand Gucci remains at the forefront of the latest digital trends having jumped into the metaverse with the launch of a Gucci collection for Roblox that enables players to shop from its limited-edition capsule virtually. It also implemented creative partnerships using AR, such as the launch of
AR tennis shoes as NFTs in collaboration with fashion platform Wanna and creating a virtual garden for a perfume campaign in partnership with Snap.
Finalists: Verizon, Home Depot, Phillips
JOANNA COLES
OBE, Creative Media and Technology Entrepreneur
JOANNA COLES
OBE, Creative Media and Technology Entrepreneur
Victor Luis
Chairman and CEO of Modes Moose (formerly at Tapestry)
Innovative retargeting of a brand that was once thought of as just for outdoors people. Crocs rebranded and penetrated new customer segments like Gen Z by being on-trend with streetwear and embracing social channels like TikTok in smart and authentic ways. 2021 also brought a strong of smart and successful collaborations with celebrities and brands like Justin Bieber, Drew House, Balenciaga—and most recently Kurt Geiger.
Finalists: Gap, The North Face, Gucci
Pioneering the next era of physical retail
Redefining how online and offline
shopping experiences interact
Making the world a better
place through sustainability
and green initiatives
Brand transformation done right
Approaching technology in new ways and driving better shopping experiences
Outstanding product innovations challenging the status quo
Small businesses powering the future of retail
Making a difference through breakthrough give-back initiatives
Winner:
REI Co-op
Winner:
Winner:
Winner:
Winner:
Winner:
Winner:
Winner:
powering Good
Airbnb
SMALL STAR
Omson
Small businesses powering the future of retail
Winner:
DESIGNING INNOVATION
Alohas
Outstanding product innovations challenging the status quo
Winner:
TECHSPERT
Gucci
Approaching technology in new ways and driving better shopping experiences
Winner:
ECO INNOVATOR
Cloud Paper
Making the world a better
place through sustainability
and green initiatives
Winner:
RADICAL REINVENTION
Crocs
Brand transformation done right
Winner:
RADICAL REINVENTION
Crocs
Brand transformation done right
Winner:
OUTSTANDING OMNI
Lululemon
Redefining how online and offline shopping experiences interact
Winner:
Additional Stories
Why corporate ethics are integral to retail’s bottom line
How retailers are rewriting the playbook to better connect with consumers
Harnessing the power of D2C to help people cook authentic Asian food at home
By embracing innovative personal interactions, Gucci, Lululemon, and Crocs have found ways to reach new customers
Innovative partnerships and outside-the-box marketing are driving the success of Omsom
Airbnb, Alohas, and Cloud Paper are leading with their values—and winning over consumers as a result
Learn More
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Why corporate ethics are integral to retail’s bottom line
Innovative partnerships and outside-the-box marketing are driving the success of Omsom
Learn More
Harnessing the power of D2C to help people cook authentic Asian food at home
By embracing innovative personal interactions, Gucci, Lululemon, and Crocs have found ways to reach new customers
Learn More
