Check out the 2021 RTIH Innovation Awards shortlists
Go Instore, Trigo, Simbe Robotics, Oracle, Mercaux, Standard AI and BigCommerce are among the nominees at RTIH’s 2021 retail technology awards.
Now into their third year, the awards are sponsored by PMC, StoreSpace, Critizr, Marxent, QVALON and Selazar.
“PMC is delighted to again support the RTIH Innovation Awards as headline sponsor. These unique awards recognise achievements across a wide range of retailers and retail categories, from global players to startups,” says Simon Curtis, Sales and Marketing Director, PMC.
“Post-2020, innovation in retail is more critical than ever, with consumers looking for the same personalised, engaging and safe shopping experience in-store as they enjoy online.”
He adds: “Innovation and technology together play a critical role in the success of retailing and we look forward to recognising standout examples though these RTIH Awards.”
Shortlists as follows…
Category 1
Bricks and mortar innovation - Sponsored by StoreSpace
This award will go to a retailer enabling physical spaces to thrive via innovative technology, even as online shopping continues to grow.
We’re looking for examples of reducing friction in the customer journey, offering improved experiences, and blurring the lines between channels.
Shortlist:
Asda
Choice Market/AiFi
Lifvs/Pricer
Situ Live
Sports Direct/inurface media
TeeGschwendner/Snabble
Category 2
Supply chain innovation
This award highlights companies that are re-inventing and re-thinking retail supply chains via innovative advancements in technology.
Shortlist:
Detego
Food Rocket
MyFBAPrep
Metapack
Category 3
Payments innovation
This award recognises payment initiatives that are both innovative and customer and retailer friendly.
We’re looking to reward a project that has the potential to increase a retailer’s competitiveness and effectiveness, and to improve the shopper experience. Bonus points if the project could be considered a first in the market.
Shortlist:
ACI
Checkout.com
DailyPay
Divido
Epos Now
Gr4vy
KICKS/Avensia
SensePay
Category 4
Most innovative UK retailer - Sponsored by QVALON
Who has been the UK’s most innovative, customer focused retailer this year?
Judges are asked to look at the tech deployments, pilots etc listed alongside each retailer and decide which one has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric in 2021.
Shortlist:
Asda
Currys
Ted Baker
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Category 5
Most innovative retailer (rest of world) - Sponsored by QVALON
Who has been the most innovative, customer focused retailer (rest of world) this year?
Judges are asked to look at the tech deployments, pilots etc listed alongside each retailer and decide which one has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric in 2021.
Shortlist:
Albertsons Companies
Amazon
Carrefour UAE
Kroger
Walmart
X5 Retail Group
Category 6
Most innovative pureplay - Sponsored by Selazar
Who has been the most innovative, customer focused pureplay this year?
Judges are asked to look at the tech deployments, pilots etc listed alongside each retailer and decide which one has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric in 2021.
Shortlist:
Asos
Farfetch
Shein
Shop.com
Zalando
Category 7
Technology vendor of the year (UK)
This category celebrates companies that have developed innovative technologies and worked with retailers to transform the customer experience or back-end operations or both.
Shortlist:
Clekt
Edgify
Go Instore
Jisp
Mention Me
Peak
Personify XP
Selazar
Category 8
Technology vendor of the year (Rest of World)
This category celebrates companies that have developed innovative technologies and worked with retailers to transform the customer experience or back-end operations or both.
Shortlist:
Bambuser
BigCommerce
FindMine
NewStore
Perfect Corp.
Quicklizard
Standard AI
Zakeke
Category 9
Startup of the year
This award will recognise the startup with the most innovative technology offering and the company which is best placed to succeed in the long-term (management, funding, the retailers it is working with etc).
Shortlist:
Confer With
Halla
Imagr
Noumi
ORQUEST
Pairzon
Treet
Trigo
Category 10
Best coronavirus innovation - Sponsored by Critizr
The pandemic has had a major impact on the way that we shop and the way that retailers operate.
This award will go to the company who has best turned to technology to solve the challenges presented by the Covid-19 era, improving in-store and/or online experiences for both staff and customers.
Shortlist:
Burger King/Qvalon
Halla
Red Ant
Scantranx
Sunspel/Sitoo
Uberall/Okaïdi
Category 11
Technology implementation of the year (UK)
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:
B&Q/Marxent
Clarks/Wunderkind
Jigsaw/Clekt
L.K. Bennett/Retail247
Sofology/Hullabalook
Sports Direct/inurface media
Category 12
Technology implementation of the year (rest of world)
This award recognises rest of world 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:
Burger King Russia/Qvalon
Gina Tricot/Sitoo
H20 Retailing/Imagr
Prada/Intelligence Node
Starbucks/Oracle
SUPERSPORTS/Mercaux
Category 13
Best Retailer/Technology Supplier Relationship (UK)
This award recognises a successful partnership between a UK retailer and a technology supplier, with an emphasis on the last 12 months and how said partnership has gone from strength to strength during that period.
Shortlist:
Boulevard/eDesk
Piglet in Bed/Wunderkind
Reiss/Retail247
Ribble/Go Instore
Seasalt/Klevu
Thought/Clekt
Category 14
Best Retailer/Technology Supplier Relationship (Rest of World)
This award recognises a successful partnership between a UK retailer and a technology supplier, with an emphasis on the last 12 months and how said partnership has gone from strength to strength during that period.
Shortlist:
Albertsons/Firework
Bealls and TruRating
Decathlon/PAL Robotics
1822 Denim/3DLOOK
Schnucks/Simbe Robotics
The Kooples/Yoobic
Category 15
Overall Winner - Sponsored by QVALON
Our judging panel will pick the stand out entry from across the 14 aforementioned categories.
Category 16 - Sponsored by Marxent
RTIH Editor’s Choice Award
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, will pick his stand out entry from across the 15 aforementioned categories.
What’s next?
We will now ask our judging panel to cast their votes and provide their feedback. The winners 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
Matt Taylor, Technology Transformation Leader at EY, Retail and Consumer Products
