2024 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced: the biggest retail technology stories from November
It’s December, Christmas is fast approaching, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful month for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from November, including Walmart, Emperia, Ikea, Sitoo, Polytag, Ocado Retail, RTS 2025, Studenac, and the 2025 RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List.
1. 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced, including Currys, Ikea, Clarks, Tesco, and Super-Pharm
Last month, we announced the winners from the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, CADS, 3D Cloud, SCALA, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France.
Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”
He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”
“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”
Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended the 21st November gathering.
2. Sitoo bags funding from private equity company Verdane as it looks to accelerate global expansion
Swedish firm Sitoo, a provider of cloud-native POS and unified commerce platform solutions, has announced a €26 million minority investment from Verdane.
This will help the company take advantage of what it calls a “massive opportunity” in the US and global markets while strengthening its foothold in the UK and European regions.
“We have seen Sitoo deliver on its growth ambitions with best-in-class execution by Jens Levin and the team since we first met in 2019. Back then they were a local Swedish player with big ambitions and has now become the clear market leader in the Nordics and we look forward to partner with the team to help build the business into a global category leader” says Pål Malmros, Partner at Verdane.
3. Flying Tiger Copenhagen launches new mobile app and Customer Club with UK one of first markets to go live
Flying Tiger Copenhagen is launching a new app with an accompanying Customer Club.
The latter is is a new initiative that’s part of its omnichannel strategy and it will be a key element in understanding customer preferences, delivering a better experience, rewarding loyalty and ensuring marketing efforts are more targeted and personalised.
The club was launched in November and customers that sign up to the app will be immediately rewarded with discounts ranging from 10% to 20% which can be applied to in-store purchases.
Andre Filomeno, Senior Vice President for "Customer & Digital" at Flying Tiger Copenhagen, comments: “In 2023, we had around 100 million customers across our markets, and the majority of transactions happen in physical stores.”
“However, we are rolling out a number of initiatives to improve the experience, whether customers interact with us in the stores or digitally. Therefore, we are enhancing our customer experience across all platforms, making the new app a valuable addition to all of our channels and a key foundation of our omnichannel approach.”
4. Emperia powered virtual venture Walmart Realm adds festive update as four new stores go live on platform
Walmart Realm has announced a festive update which includes four new virtual shops inspired by social trends from Pinterest and TikTok with gifts and holiday ideas curated by influencers.
This allows customers to see products in their own personal space. A Wish List feature, meanwhile, enables people to create and share gift lists with family and friends and there is also improved product discovery for more seamless commerce.
And in the spirit of giving, Walmart will be giving guests the opportunity to win a Meta Quest 3S, HP Envy 2-in-1 Laptop, HART Tools Toolkit and more, via weekly giveaways and mini games between now and 20th December.
5. Polytag QR code technology expands to more than 60 Ocado own brand food, drink and household products
Polytag has bolstered its partnership with Ocado Retail, with the online grocery retailer expanding its range of products that use the firm’s technology.
Over 60 of Ocado’s food, drink, and household product ranges now feature Polytag’s Digital Link QR codes, enabling consumers to delve deeper into product information and sustainability practices with a simple scan.
The expanded range of Polytag enabled packaging follows the success of the project Polytag ran with Ocado Retail in 2023 to deliver a nationwide digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) trial.
Over eight weeks, 20,000 20p rewards were given to consumers that had purchased - and recycled - Ocado's milk bottles via standard kerbside collection methods. Post-trial surveys revealed that 93% of the pilot users felt ‘positively’ towards the idea of a DDRS in the UK.
The initiative will now see the online grocer package dry food and cleaning products in refillable containers to reduce single-use plastic and encourage reuse behaviours. Polytag’s QR codes will be used to educate customers on how to take part in the refill scheme and return their products.
7. Registration opens for Retail Technology Show 2025 as two-day event jumps from London Olympia to ExCel
Retail Technology Show (RTS) debuts at its new home, ExCeL London, on 2nd and 3rd April 2025.
And registration for the event is now open.
Expanding its show floor to meet exponential demand, the organisers of RTS 2025 promise to feature even more disruptive innovations, offering solutions that power every part of retail operations across the full spectrum of technology.
From retail media to augmented reality (AR), AI and data solutions, through to store and online analytics, logistics and supply chain optimisation, the event aims to offer something for every retailer looking for transformative tech.
8. Croatian food retailer Studenac bins initial public offering due to unfavourable market conditions
The offer would consist of new shares and the sale of existing shares by current shareholders.
Studenac said at the time that final terms would be released following approval of the Luxembourg Financial Supervision Authority. The aim was to raise $85.94 million from the issuance of new shares in connection with the offering.
It is now, however, ditching the initiative, citing unfavourable market conditions.
Michał Seńczuk, CEO at Studenac, comments: “During our numerous meetings and discussions with Croatian, Polish, and international investors, they have shown genuine interest in our business model, appreciation for its dynamic growth and support for our expansion plans.”
“However, due to the challenging conditions in the capital markets, we - together with our majority shareholder - have decided not to proceed with the IPO of the company’s shares.”
He adds: “We remain confident in our strategy and development direction, fully committed to continuing on this path without compromise and demonstrating to our employees, investors, and all stakeholders that we can create value for them. We extend our gratitude to all investors who have placed their trust in us throughout this process.”
9. Celebrating thought leaders: 2025 RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List now open for submissions
The 2025 edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List, sponsored by 3D Cloud, is now open for entries, with go live set for March next year.
We will be bringing you the people who made a splash in 2024 and are set for a barnstorming 2025.
RTIH is scouring the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive list of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re living in unprecedented times and witnessing a seismic change in shopping habits.
We are seeing retailers taking innovative technologies like AR, AI, and spatial computing, and finding ways to use them to make customer experiences more exciting and dynamic.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order. Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel success.
10. Ikea Switzerland launches JobBot on WhatsApp tool with aim of making it easier for people to apply
Ikea Switzerland, in partnership with the Ikea Retail (Ingka Group) global digital development team, has launched JobBot, a recruitment tool designed to enhance the candidate experience and streamline recruiter processes.
JobBot automates administrative tasks, allowing applicants to apply through WhatsApp without leaving the app.
The way it works is that the chatbot is pre-written, and it guides candidates through the process, and filters positions based on the information the candidate has given to the bot when creating their profile (and by providing consent). This ensures candidate information is kept secure and manageable.
Ananda Buchmüller, Project and Employer Branding & Talent Sourcing Leader, and her team in Ikea Switzerland, aimed to create a tool that would allow recruiters to focus more on understanding the individuals behind the applications, assessing their role fit, and exploring their broader career aspirations.
“We believe that people make the difference. We recruit based on values, focusing on the person rather than just the CV,” says Buchmüller. “JobBot bridges the gap between people and technology, enhancing communication and providing access to a valuable, interactive talent pool.”
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