Quail Digital bags a place among Technology Vendor of the Year (UK) finalsts at RTIH Innovation Awards
Retail communications specialist Quail Digital has been named a finalist in the Technology Vendor of the Year (UK) category at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards which celebrate innovation and excellence across the retail technology sector.
The category recognises companies developing innovative technologies that help retailers transform customer experience, improve back-end operations or achieve both.
Quail Digital’s new Pro12 retail headset system incorporates speech recognition and can integrate with AI and connected retail systems which can allow employees to ask questions by voice and receive information through their headsets. This includes checking stock availability without leaving the shop floor to find a colleague or use another device.
The development reflects a wider challenge for retailers as store technology becomes more sophisticated - ensuring that employees can access the information it generates without adding complexity to their working day.
More than 3,000 Quail Digital Pro12 headsets are now in use across more than 500 SPAR stores in the UK and Ireland, demonstrating the technology’s practical application in busy retail environments. The scale of the deployment has also led to the company being appointed as a preferred supplier to SPAR International.
The headsets can also be used to communicate emergency alerts, allowing colleagues to notify one another when assistance is required. This is particularly relevant in convenience retail, where employees may have to manage customer service and security concerns simultaneously.
Tom Downes, CEO at Quail Digital, says: “We’re pleased to be recognised by the RTIH Innovation Awards. As more technology is introduced into stores, retailers also need to consider how employees interact with it. Giving frontline teams easier access to information, without taking them away from customers or adding extra steps to their work, will be an important part of making connected retail systems useful in practice.”
The winners of the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards will be announced on Wednesday, 4th November, at The HAC in Central London. Book your place here.
