Could You Be the Next Award-Winning Retailer? Nominations Close Soon!
The clock is ticking! With just one week left to submit your nomination, the countdown is officially on to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading award-winning automotive retailers.
The 2025 Autotrader Retailer Awards are open for entries, marking 18 years of celebrating excellence across the automotive industry. Whether you sell cars, vans, bikes or leisure vehicles, this is your chance to stand out, inspire your peers, and be recognised for leading the way in retail innovation, customer experience, and business impact.
Each year, Autotrader analyses over 13,500 UK retailers to identify the very best. Winning an award not only earns you a coveted trophy, but also a winner or finalist logo to display on your Autotrader listings, instantly boosting trust and credibility with potential buyers.
Why Enter?
From delivering seamless digital experiences to offering exceptional customer service, the Awards spotlight retailers who go above and beyond. Winners are selected through a mix of data analysis, mystery shopping, and independent judging, across eight categories.
This year, we’re proud to welcome back the Woman of the Year Award, celebrating outstanding women in operational management roles who are driving results and shaping the future of automotive retail. The award supports the Automotive 30% Club’s ‘Moonshot’ initiative, and last year’s winner, Kate Carter of eStar Truck and Van, was hailed as “truly inspirational” by the Club’s founder, Julia Muir.
Self-Nomination Categories
You can nominate yourself or a colleague in the following independently judged categories:
Woman of the Year Award – Recognising inspiring women in operation leadership roles who are making an impact in their field.
People & Culture Award – Celebrating businesses that put people first.
Innovation Award – Honouring retailers driving meaningful change.
Sustainability Initiative Award – Showcasing efforts to combat the climate crisis.
Rising Star Award – Highlighting new businesses making waves in the industry.
All entries will be reviewed by a panel of experts, which includes senior leaders from John Lewis, Ocado Intelligent Automation, The Carbon Literacy Project, Mony Group, Octopus Energy and the Automotive 30% Club.
Data-Driven Categories
Three additional awards will be determined by Autotrader’s robust data analysis:
Customer Experience Award – Based on one of the UK’s largest mystery shopping programmes.
Customer Choice Award - Assessed on online customer reviews to find the most recommended retailer.
Retailer of the Year – The best of the best, split across car, van, bike, and new car categories.
All shortlisted nominees will be invited to the Awards Ceremony on 16th October at the stunning Landing 42 venue in the heart of London.
“Winning these awards is tough; it’s independent, data-driven, and unbiased. Even being shortlisted is a huge achievement. A finalist logo on your forecourt, digital or physical, can make a real difference. I urge all retailers delivering excellence to seize this opportunity, especially the exceptional women helping shape our industry’s future.”
Deadline: Midnight Sunday 17th August
Don’t miss your chance to be recognised, submit your nomination today. Entries can be made by individuals or on someone else’s behalf.