East of England Co-op notches up first with Costa Coffee to go machines maintenance pilot

East of England Co-op has become the first UK retailer to pilot full digital compliance across its estate when maintaining its Costa Coffee coffee to go machines, as it ramps up a commitment to reducing its use of paper.

In a LinkedIn post, it said: “This roll-out helps us to work more sustainably and efficiently as well as enabling us to track compliance centrally.”

“A massive thank you to Costa Coffee for their collaboration and a big well done to our colleagues Ashley Hollingsworth, Gemma Wickens and Luke Warren for leading the way in driving this project forward as part of our digital compliance journey.”

Rob Smith

We’re hugely pleased to announce the addition of Rob Smith, Technology Officer, East of England Co-op, to our 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel.

Rob is a strategic and accomplished technology and people leader with over 20 years’ experience across the retail, finance, and IT sectors.

Renowned for building and inspiring high performing teams, he consistently delivers exceptional results while driving quality and innovation.

Passionate about IT, data, service delivery, and business transformation, Rob excels at modernising practices and enabling continuous improvement. As Technology Officer at East of England Co-op, he leads the organisation’s technology strategy and drives forward its digital and operational evolution.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Green retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now closed for entries with our finalists and shortlists being announced last week, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, 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 November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.