Canada's online retail sector is growing, and the Canada Post will soon recognize top online merchants in the third annual Canada Post E-commerce Innovation Awards. According to Tech Vibes, the intent of the awards is to recognize ecommerce software ideas and online retail strategies, such as point of sale services, that were developed in Canada

A recent UPS survey revealed that roughly 25.5 million Canadian citizens access the Internet, creating a large pool of potential customers, so the ability for Canadian retailers to learn about the latest innovations in this sector could prove useful to help bolster business.

"As online retail evolves, the awards will evolve and we remain relevant to the ecommerce community," said Rene Desmarais, the senior vice president of parcels at the Canada Post. "Our new categories will help us recognize and reward the creative energy that has raised ecommerce in Canada to an exciting new level this year."

There are 10 categories in this year's awards, including best mobile experience, best community outreach, most innovative startup, and most creative marketing campaign. With CA$1 million in free shipping and marketing prizes, retailers can expect to find out the trade secrets of top competitors in this market when the awards take place Sept. 23.