2023 RTIH Innovation Awards winners to be announced this Wednesday at ceremony in central London

It’s almost time to announce the winning submissions for the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by PMC, FreedomPay, Worldpay from FIS, CADS, 3D Cloud by Marxent, Goodays, and Vista Technology Support.

We received a record number of entries this year and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, which will take place at the Barbican Centre in central London.

The event will be held on Wednesday, 29th November, maintaining its popular evening format, with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a Christmas themed three course meal, and awards presentations in the Garden Room.

Congratulations to all those who made the shortlist.

Bricks and mortar innovation - SPONSORED BY CADS

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:

Cust2Mate

HL Display

Ladorian

Nanovo

shopreme

Zippin

Supply chain innovation

This award highlights companies that are re-inventing and re-thinking retail supply chains via innovative advancements in technology.

Shortlist:

DPD UK

Flexport

Invent Analytics

Kammac

Kwayga

Nedap

SmartSense by Digi

Studenac

TrusTrace

Wiliot

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 Worldwide

Epos Now

JOOR

Mercaux

MishiPay

Mollie

Sheeva.AI

Slerp

Splitit

Most innovative UK retailer - SPONSORED BY 3D Cloud by Marxent

Who has been the UK’s most innovative, customer focused retailer this year? Judges are asked to look at each retailer’s tech deployments and initiatives and decide which one has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric in 2023.

Shortlist:

Amazon Fresh UK

Asda

DFS

John Lewis Partnership

Kingfisher

Polarn O. Pyret

Most Innovative Retailer (Rest of World)

Who has been the most innovative, customer focused retailer (rest of world) this year?

Judges are asked to look at the shortlisted submissions and decide which one has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric in 2022/23.

Shortlist:

L'Occitane and Confer With

Nordstrom and SML

Puma and refive

Studenac

Style Union and Nextail

Virtual Store of the Year

The winner of this award will have either launched a new virtual store in the past 12 months, or overhauled and significantly enhanced an existing one.

We’re looking for retailers/brands delivering seamless and personalised shopping experiences, engaging with customers in exciting and innovative ways via the likes of gamification, livestream commerce, and the metaverse, and boosting online sales.

Shortlist:

Confer With and OWAY Beauty

Emperia and Lululemon

Obsess and American Girl

SpatialPort

Digital Transformation Project of the Year - SPONSORED BY Vista Technology Support

This award celebrates those who are at the forefront of digital transformation in the retail space, achieved through the deployment of innovative technologies.

Our judges will be looking for a company that has delivered a significant transformation project for a customer, such as integrating disparate systems, updating legacy technology, empowering the client to create seamless and personalised shopping experiences, and unlocking new possibilities to grow the business.

Shortlist:

eyefactive

David Jones and YOOBIC

JK Tech

Orium and Kum & Go

Proximity and Paul Smith

PTC

Spotlight Sports Group/Racing Post

ZERO10

Customer Experience Excellence - SPONSORED BY Goodays

The Covid-19 outbreak has reshaped customer behaviour and their expectations of retailers.

This award will go to an online and/or physical retailer that has understood and reacted in a positive fashion to these customer trends and patterns, by providing exceptional omnichannel customer experiences, powered by innovative technologies.

Shortlist:

BOXT

Confer With

ESW

First Insight

Graymatics

Kivisense

ZigZag

Zippin

Omnichannel Retail Initiative of the Year

This award will go to a tech centric approach to retail that provides customers with a fully integrated shopping experience across bricks and mortar stores, online, mobile, and everything in between.

Shortlist:

Confer With and Dunelm

Ibotta

Jisp

Lakrids By Bülow and Sitoo

NewStore and Footasylum

PriceSpider

Retail247

Rovertown

SML

XY Retail

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:

EDITED

OneStock

Red Ant

Retail247

Scurri

Star Micronics

what3words

ZigZag

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:

Akeneo

Bambuser

BigCommerce

Firework

Goodays

Lily AI

MikMak

parcelLab

Perfect Corp.

ShipEngine

Simbe Robotics

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Startup of the year

This award will recognise a 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:

1MRobotics

Clix Technologies

ConverSight

Dropit

Good2Go

Jellibeans

mirrAR

RetailNext

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 August 2022 and November 2023.

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

Shortlist:

BOXT

DPD UK

HyperFinity and Costa Coffee

MyCheckr

NewStore and Sweaty Betty

Pinnaca Retail Solutions and MINISO

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 August 2022 and November 2023.

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

Shortlist:

Bojangles and Sparkfly

Facilio

La-Z-Boy and 3D Cloud by Marxent

Sitoo

SOTI and Trek Bicycle Corporation

Zipline and TravisMathew

Zippin

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 12/18 months and how said partnership has gone from strength to strength during that period.

Shortlist:

Barron McCann and Pets at Home

Clix and B&Q Cardiff

CORE/boohoo

Cyncly and Homebase

Datitude and Mint Velvet

Proximity and Orlebar Brown

Scurri/Biscuiteers

Visualsoft and Lusso

Best Retailer/Technology Supplier Relationship (Rest of World)

This award recognises a successful partnership between a non-UK retailer and a technology supplier, with an emphasis on the last 12/18 months and how said partnership has gone from strength to strength during that period.

Shortlist:

AiFi

Attensi and Kao Salon Division

Canto and Sony Europe

Grupo Éxito and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Nextail and Flying Tiger Copenhagen

refive and Puma

Sparkfly and Chipotle

Wunderkind and Elvie

Overall Winner

Our judging panel will pick their stand out entry from across the aforementioned categories.

RTIH Editor’s Choice Award