RTIH Innovation Awards: Technology implementation of the year (UK) shortlist announced

B&Q, Marxent, Jigsaw, Clekt, Sofology and Hullabalook are among the nominees in the Technology implementation of the year (UK) category at the 2021 RTIH Innovation Awards.

This award recognises UK retail technology project excellence, both in delivery and outcomes.

Implementation should have been completed between November 2020 and November 2021.

Judges will be looking for clear project objectives, effective and innovative implementation and tangible and demonstrable results.

Shortlist as follows:

B&Q/Marxent

B&Q has gone from offering a siloed in-store kitchen planning service, to an all-new omnichannel approach to creating customers’ dream homes.

It has deployed a cloud-based 3D Kitchen Planner that enables retail staff to work in-person or virtually with shoppers looking to remodel or design a kitchen.

Clarks/Wunderkind

Clarks has worked with Wunderkind to help identify website visitors and capture higher volumes of consumer opt-in data, enabling the retailer to send personalised, effective communications via email and other channels.

Jigsaw/Clekt

In 2021 Jigsaw took the decision to re-platform and streamline its online business on to Shopify Plus, in short time-scales and to tight budgets.

The aim was to become ‘digital first’ as the previous website experience wasn’t where it needed to be for the customer offer now, or in the future.

Jigsaw also saw the opportunity to rethink its systems architecture, putting data at the heart of its technology ecosystem to position the business to become data first.

Working with Clekt and its Enterprise Data Hub, it has been able to implement a powerful data engine without extending its web re-platform timescales or budgets.

L.K. Bennett/Retail247

In 2021, Retail247 completed a PIM deployment with L.K. Bennett

The project was successfully deployed to time and budget and Retail247 now manages the product data needs of 10 internal and external trading channels.

Sofology/Hullabalook

Hullabalook worked with Sofology to build ‘Create Your Look’, a 2D room builder which lets customers explore the retailer’s full product range in one place, and create exciting product combinations in room settings to help really visualise what products will look best in their homes.

Sports Direct/inurface media

inurface media has been able to develop and implement the technology behind the new Sports Direct Flagship concept space on Oxford Street, London.

Occupying 50,000 sq. ft., the store boasts innovative, intelligent technology for the benefit of both customers and staff.

What’s next?

We will now ask our judging panel to cast their votes and provide their feedback. The winner will be revealed on 8th December at a roundtable discussion/networking event in central London.

Our thanks to the following retail leaders for offering their assistance and expertise this year.

Mike Cadden, IT Director (Sales, Marketing and Customer Services), Office Depot

Hayley Meenan-Wilkin, E-Commerce Manager, Fishpools

Martin Newman, Founder, The Customer First Group

Paula Bobbett, E-Commerce Director, Boots UK

Tiffany Lung, Retail Analyst

Nadine Neatrour, Marketing Director, Selfridges

Simon Curtis, Sales and Marketing Director, PMC Retail

Christine Russo, Digital and Physical Retail Consultant

Gerald Dawson, Business Consultant and Finance Director, The iOutlet and HANX

Sharon Peters, Head Of Technology - Marks and Spencer, HR, Finance, Corporate Services and M&S Bank

Luke Phillips, Head of IT Delivery, Studio Retail