At the Retail Gazette Excellence Awards 2026, the Finance Team of the Year category looks to recognise those teams that go beyond reporting to actively shape business performance.

At its core, a winning finance team must demonstrate clear, quantifiable impact on the business. Judges will be looking for evidence of how financial strategy has not only improved profitability but also supported revenue growth.

The winning team will have enabled smarter investment decisions while strengthening cash flow and financial stability.

Much like marketing teams are assessed on their contribution to revenue and customer growth, finance teams must show how their work directly influences commercial outcomes.

In a time where AI is the hot topic of discussion modern finance excellence is underpinned by digital transformation. These awards will celebrate use of real-time data and forecasting tools, alongside the innovative implementation of automation or AI-driven processes.

Teams that leverage technology to unlock insight, not just efficiency, will have a competitive edge.

Furthermore, as retail remains a somewhat volatile environment the Finance Team of the Year will demonstrate strong risk management frameworks and an ability to respond quickly to external pressures. Resilience and agility are just as important as accuracy.

As cost discipline remains critical, judges will also look for initiatives that reduce operational costs without compromising performance. This could include everything from renegotiating supplier contracts to redesigning internal workflows.

Increasingly, finance teams play a key role in ESG and sustainability strategies. Leading teams will show how they allocate capital to sustainable initiatives; track and report on ESG performance; and balance profitability with long-term responsibility.

Finally, it’s not just about outcomes, it’s about people. Judges will consider team structure and capability as well as investment in talent and development.

Unsurprisingly, leadership and culture within the finance function will be a key differentiator. A truly outstanding finance team fosters collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.

To be crowned Finance Team of the Year, it’s not enough to simply “keep the books in order”. The strongest entries will demonstrate a finance function that is commercially influential, technologically advanced, operationally efficient and strategically indispensable

The RG Retail Excellence Awards 2026 offer a chance to put that achievement in front of an expert judging panel and the wider retail industry.

Entries for the Finance Team of the Year remain open, with the deadline extended until the end of June. A wider range of categories will be recognised for excellence across UK retail.

Retailers can view the full list of categories and enter here: https://awards.retailgazette.co.uk/categories/

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